Gay U.S. Olympian Adam Rippon Disses VP Mike Pence As Leader Of American Delegation
The first openly gay American figure skater, Adam Rippon is not mincing words when it comes to what he thinks about the choice of Vice President Mike Pence as the leader of the American delegation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Rippon believes that the selection of Pence is inappropriate due to the way Pence feels about homosexuals.
Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. men’s figure skating champion, says as a gay man, he feels disrespected by Mike Pence, says USA Today.
“You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I’m not buying it.”
Adam Rippon says he’d prefer not to meet Mike Pence during the 2018 Winter Olympics meet and greet before the opening ceremony. Rippon says that Mike Pence has made it clear that he believes that there is something wrong with gay people which needs to be fixed.
“If 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 aren’t a friend of a gay person but that they think that they’re sick. I wouldn’t go out of my way to meet somebody like that.”
Gay Olympian Adam Rippon blasts selection of Mike Pence to lead U.S. delegation https://t.co/G5K8wGYMVy pic.twitter.com/mE8CN5pYck
— Delaware Online (@delawareonline) January 17, 2018
Adam Rippon Is Offended By Pence Supporting ‘Conversion Therapy’
Olympian Adam Rippon says that he also believes that Mike Pence is a hypocrite for calling himself a Christian while standing by many of the things that Donald Trump has said publicly. Rippon believes the Trump administration, including Mike Pence, has disrespected people from all over the world, and now wants to be part of an international celebration.
“To stand by some of the things that Donald Trump has said and for Mike Pence to say he’s a devout Christian man is completely contradictory. If he’s okay with what’s being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called ‘s***holes,’ I think he should really go to church.”
Adam Rippon says that while he disagrees with much of the behavior of the Pence and Trump administration, as a gay man he was mostly offended by Mike Pence and his attitude towards conversion therapy to help homosexuals “recover.” Back in 2000, Mike Pence posted a statement on his campaign website advocating for funding for conversion therapy.
“Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.”
Adam Rippon Believes The Obama Administration Handled LGBT Relations Better Than Trump
Olympian Adam Rippon says that the attitude toward the LGBT community from Mike Pence and the Trump administration compared to that of the Obama administration is startling. President Obama asked gay athletes to serve on the U.S. delegations for the opening ceremony in Sochi, including Billie Jean King, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano and hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow, even though Russia was decidedly anti-gay down to their laws.
“I think the move that President Obama made was very poignant and it was right in the midst of the huge controversy of gay propaganda being illegal in Russia.”
U.S. Olympic Skater Adam Rippon Rips Mike Pence: He Thinks Gay People are ‘Sick’ https://t.co/8SCQTpaQUl pic.twitter.com/SOSwrQgsOl
— Towleroad (@tlrd) January 17, 2018
Olympians Rippon And Lindsey Vonn Say They Won’t Visit Trump And Pence Post-Olympics
Adam Rippon has joined Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn in saying that he isn’t interested in a post-Olympics visit to the White House, says the New York Daily News. Vonn stated publicly that she is representing the people of the United States and not Donald Trump or Mike Pence.
After Lindsey Vonn stated that she didn’t agree with the Trump administration’s views of the world, she was met with nasty backlash by Trump supporters on social media.
“It is hurtful to read comments where people are hoping I break my neck or that God is punishing me for being ‘anti-Trump.’ We need to find a way to put aside our differences and find common ground in communicating.”
Mike Pence will lead the U.S. Delegation into the ceremony for the Olympics in South Korea next month.
