If you’re gonna hold yourself up as a beacon of tolerance, don’t be like U.S. Olympic figure Adam Rippon. After accusing Mike Pence of hating gays, the openly gay athlete turned down an opportunity to meet with the vice president to have a civil discussion about it.
VP Mike Pence was so stung by Adam Rippon’s criticism that he tried to set up a conversation with him. Not backing down, Rippon refused. My @usatodaysports exclusive on the bizarre battle between the VP of the United States — and a figure skater. https://t.co/N1ti0xdIXf
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) February 7, 2018
More from USA Today:
According to two people with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly about it, a member of Pence’s staff requested the conversation with the openly gay Rippon after reading the skater’s derogatory remarks about him in a USA TODAY Sports story that had been published online just an hour earlier.
Rippon, the two people said, declined the invitation.
…
The spat between the vice president and the figure skater began when I asked Rippon last month about Pence’s selection for the ceremonial role of leading the U.S. delegation to the Olympic opening ceremony.
“You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I’m not buying it,” Rippon said.
Aside from Rippon being the one coming off like an intolerant jerk, the reporting on this story leaves a lot to be desired.
It does your readers no service to suggest that Rippon's attack on Pence is a "bizarre battle" that Pence is waging.
Same for the piece itself. "The spat between the vice president and the figure skater began…" is entirely misleading. It's a one-sided spat! https://t.co/4adACGPcE1
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 7, 2018
Also, it is bad journalism to just let Rippon's claim "Pence funded gay conversion therapy" to hang out there as a he-said, he-said, as if it's up for debate. The claim has repeatedly been debunked.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 7, 2018
If Christine Brennan were a practitioner of actual journalism, she might’ve set Rippon straight (no pun intended). Instead, she indulged his self-aggrandizement.
Olympic athlete: Pence funded gay conversion therapy.
Pence: No, I didn't, and can we meet to talk about this?
Athlete: Fuck no.
USAToday: Inside VP Pence's bizarre battle to talk to an Olympic athlete.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 7, 2018
Rippon accused Pence of funding gay conversion therapy, which Pence did not do. Rippon then refused to actually discuss the matter with the man he accused of something horrible, and now you think RIPPON is the hero? https://t.co/ng8n7apoeL
— Emily Zanotti’s Great & Unmatched Wisdom (@emzanotti) February 7, 2018
For what it’s worth, Rippon did say he’d be “open” to meeting with Pence someday. But open-minded? Not so much:
“If I had the chance to meet him afterwards, after I’m finished competing, there might be a possibility to have an open conversation,” Rippon said in the interview last month. “He seems more mild-mannered than Donald Trump. … But I don’t think the current administration represents the values that I was taught growing up. Mike Pence doesn’t stand for anything that I really believe in.”
So, you’re gonna show him how wrong he is by … going out of your way to avoid talking to him about an unfounded accusation you lobbed at him? Wow. Such stunning. Much brave.
And refusing to meet with and discuss with VP Pence is indeed backing down. It means you are too afraid to present your position to the person you are attacking.
— Ken Meyer (@Kcmeyer6971) February 7, 2018
Good point. https://t.co/C1gSEPECfS
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) February 7, 2018
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