The Toronto Star reports this morning that The Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is planning to file a complaint with the Canada Broadcast Standards Council for comments made on the french language television network RDS after the Olympic performance of flamboyant US figure skater Johnny Weir.
“This may not be politically correct,” announcer Claude Mailhot said in french during the segment. “But do you think he lost points due to his costume and his body language?”
“They’ll think all the boys who skate will end up like him,” replied his colleage Alain Goldberg. “It sets a bad example.”
According to The Star, The Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is demanding an apology from RDS. But perhaps Goldberg’s remark is more symptom than cause. Check out the current cover story on Xtra’s Vancouver print edition. Homphobia still prevails in professional sports – the Olympics are clearly light years away from its amateur roots – and judging figure skating competitions is a least partly subjective.
Maybe it’s the International Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union that should be apologizing for allowing a culture of homophobia in figure skating.
Why you can trust Xtra
