Flamboyant Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir is getting the cold shoulder from organizers of the “Stars on Ice Tour.” According to a scoop from The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) on Thursday, Weir was allegedly snubbed after being deemed “not family friendly” by the tour’s sponsors.
The three-time US National Champion will not participate in the nation’s only figure skating tour — an occasion that brings out some of ice dancing’s most famous names. Weir, as you may recall, became a figure of controversy for his costumes and outspoken nature at last month’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“Weir’s performance and costume style is sometimes considered flashier than those of other skaters, leading to questions about his perceived sexual orientation. While Weir has not officially announced his sexual orientation, he has garnered a significant amount of LGBT fans. He remains one of the most outspoken skaters today,” GLAAD blogged yesterday.
“Stars on Ice,” however, denies dissing Weir. A rep for the tour insists there’s simply not enough space on the lineup for another skater.
“The current cast of the ‘Stars on Ice’ tour includes very talented performers including the Olympic Gold medalist, Evan Lysacek and the current U.S. National Champion, Jeremy Abbott. “While ‘Stars on Ice’ wishes it could accommodate many more talented skaters as part of our cast, the fact is we cannot sign every skater… be assured that the comments mentioned regarding the ‘Stars on Ice’ tour are simply not accurate,”