Thanks Mike Pence. You Helped Make Adam Rippon an LGBTQ Olympics Hero
Adam Rippon
When ice skater  Adam Rippon  was interviewed after  his  mesmerizing Olympics skate   his  winning warm charm was on full beam.
âItâs like pretty awesome â  he  said to the audience watching at home. âI highly recommend it. If you ever have the option  come to the Olympics. Itâs like a fun time. Today was so special  so much fun.â
There is something delicious about watching Rippon generallyâbecause  he âs having the best fun while also dead-serious in  his  medal-winning ambition; and  his  skating is a joyâand particularly when it comes to briskly dismissing Vice President Mike Pence.
Indeed   Rippon  told the Daily Mail  he  would boycott any Team USA celebration held by President Trump at the White House  indicating  he  would rather hold an LGBTQ-oriented event of  his  own.
Where Pence possesses a lumbering bigotry   Rippon  has intelligence  eloquence  wit  and beautiful ice-skating skills. It is  Rippon  now hailed as Americaâs sweetheart  while in South Korea Pence looked like a sad businessman not really enjoying the travel freebie heâd accepted.
 Rippon  has not called on Pence to do anything.  He  hasnât asked for anything from Pence at all. But the Winter Olympicsâ first out-gay U.S. competitor has called Pence out  first for supporting conversion therapy  then for  his  general prejudice and acts of legislative hostility toward the LGBTQ community.
Pence has denied the conversion-therapy charge  but  Rippon  is merely echoing LGBT groupsâ highlighting of the now-infamous quote from Penceâs congressional campaign website in 2000  in which  referring to organizations that should not receive federal support under the Ryan White Care Act  included those âthat celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.â
The Rippon and Pence tangle began when  Rippon   pre-Olympics  told USA Today of the choice of Pence to lead the U.S. Olympic delegation: âYou mean Mike Pence  the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Iâm not buying it.â
As for the idea of meeting Pence   Rippon  added: âIf it were before my event  I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they arenât a friend of a gay person  but that they think that theyâre sick. I wouldnât go out of my way to meet somebody like that.â
Penceâs office denies he reached out to meet with  Rippon  after the interview was published; other sources say he did.
 Rippon  is too wise to be used as a gay scapegoat and make-nice photo opportunity.  He  is also  as viewers of the Olympics are quickly discovering  utterly  himself . It is a joy to watch  and a liberating joy at that.
Born in 1989   he  told one interviewer  his  first memory was watching the 1992 Winter Olympics. When those ice skaters fell   he  fell to the ground in toddler kinship.
 Rippon  is so alive  he  makes all of us watching  him  feel alive.  He âs that rare thing in pop culture: a regular gay guy  happy with  himself   handsome  stylish  politically astute  and a charming speaker.
 He âs not the polarities of gay pop culture traffics in:  He  is neither the âstraight-actingâ gay guy that TV can serve up  and  he âs not the flaming queen that TV can also serve upâ he  glides somewhere in the middle  like many gay people do  and itâs wonderful to watch America be charmed by  his  authenticity.
For example: what would  he  tell the Olympic judges if  he  couldâthat  he  wants to throw up and if  he  had a quick drink and Xanax heâd be fine.
Or revealing how  his  mom always taught  him  to stand up for what  he  believed in  giving  his  skating a greater purpose.
When ice skater   [TGT] was interviewed after   [TGT]   mesmerizing Olympics skate   his  winning warm charm was on full beam.
âItâs like pretty awesome â  he  said to the audience watching at home. âI highly recommend it. If you ever have the option  come to the Olympics. Itâs like a fun time. Today was so special  so much fun.â
There is something delicious about watching Rippon generallyâbecause  he âs having the best fun while also dead-serious in  his  medal-winning ambition; and  his  skating is a joyâand particularly when it comes to briskly dismissing Vice President Mike Pence.
Indeed    [TGT] told the Daily Mail   [TGT]   would boycott any Team USA celebration held by President Trump at the White House  indicating   [TGT]   would rather hold an LGBTQ-oriented event of   [TGT]   own.
Where Pence possesses a lumbering bigotry    [TGT] has intelligence  eloquence  wit  and beautiful ice-skating skills. It is   [TGT] now hailed as Americaâs sweetheart  while in South Korea Pence looked like a sad businessman not really enjoying the travel freebie heâd accepted.
  [TGT] has not called on Pence to do anything.   [TGT]   hasnât asked for anything from Pence at all. But the Winter Olympicsâ first out-gay U.S. competitor has called Pence out  first for supporting conversion therapy  then for  his  general prejudice and acts of legislative hostility toward the LGBTQ community.
Pence has denied the conversion-therapy charge  but   [TGT] is merely echoing LGBT groupsâ highlighting of the now-infamous quote from Penceâs congressional campaign website in 2000  in which  referring to organizations that should not receive federal support under the Ryan White Care Act  included those âthat celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.â
The Rippon and Pence tangle began when  Rippon   pre-Olympics  told USA Today of the choice of Pence to lead the U.S. Olympic delegation: âYou mean Mike Pence  the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Iâm not buying it.â
As for the idea of meeting Pence   Rippon  added: âIf it were before my event  I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they arenât a friend of a gay person  but that they think that theyâre sick. I wouldnât go out of my way to meet somebody like that.â
Penceâs office denies he reached out to meet with  Rippon  after the interview was published; other sources say he did.
 Rippon  is too wise to be used as a gay scapegoat and make-nice photo opportunity.  He  is also  as viewers of the Olympics are quickly discovering  utterly  himself . It is a joy to watch  and a liberating joy at that.
Born in 1989   he  told one interviewer  his  first memory was watching the 1992 Winter Olympics. When those ice skaters fell   he  fell to the ground in toddler kinship.
 Rippon  is so alive  he  makes all of us watching  him  feel alive.  He âs that rare thing in pop culture: a regular gay guy  happy with  himself   handsome  stylish  politically astute  and a charming speaker.
 He âs not the polarities of gay pop culture traffics in:  He  is neither the âstraight-actingâ gay guy that TV can serve up  and  he âs not the flaming queen that TV can also serve upâ he  glides somewhere in the middle  like many gay people do  and itâs wonderful to watch America be charmed by  his  authenticity.
For example: what would  he  tell the Olympic judges if  he  couldâthat  he  wants to throw up and if  he  had a quick drink and Xanax heâd be fine.
Or revealing how  his  mom always taught  him  to stand up for what  he  believed in  giving  his  skating a greater purpose.