Well, not exactly "breaking."
Well, not exactly "news," either.
Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano came out Thursday, two days after he was named to the U.S. delegation for Sochi along with openly gay athletes Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow.
The 1988 gold medalist had always kept his personal life private, saying in a statement that “being gay is just one part of who I am.” But President Barack Obama’s decision to include openly gay athletes in the delegation for the opening and closing ceremonies — and not send high-ranking officials — was widely seen as a message to Russia about its treatment of gays and lesbians.
No knock on Boitano, who capably and honorably represented the US as a skater for many years, but I had a pretty good idea he was gay about 25 years ago. Not that it mattered much to me back then either.
There may be some value in making a statement/tweaking Putin on this score, though I don't see how it furthers broader American interests. To the extent that it encourages Russia to respond in kind somehow it may even do minor damage to our interests down the road. If Mitt Romney was president now we would undoubtedly be hearing "needless provocation" from the usual suspects, but whatever.
Enjoy the trip, Brian, I'm sure you will do a great job representing the United States.
Again.
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