Leaving 'Em Speechless in Seattle

Johnny addresses the guests
at HRC Seattle’s annual “asOne” Gala Dinner
as the evening’s Visibility Award winner
and featured speaker.

Yes, he’s rocking finger condoms,

vintage Versace, and meggings!

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Dr. Marty Lieberman presents
Johnny with the Visibility
Award from HRC Seattle.

So Johnny blew into town late Friday night, and within 24 hours he had the wonderfully endearing Dr. Marty Lieberman, Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board Member, calling him a “force of nature” in awe-stricken tones while barely containing his shyly unbridled joy at handing Johnny the Visibility Award on behalf of the Seattle Steering Committee of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC Seattle).

And that’s before Johnny even opened his mouth to offer a classically compelling Johnny speech that really is just one long Weirism, which is going to keep the fabulous Nancy Knisley busy for days breaking it down into quotable quote upon quotable quote (and bless you for that, Nancy! We can hardly wait to read it all on your blog!).

Who else could deliver a speech containing the terms
“dominatrix,” “p*nis,” “f*ck,” and “b*tch” in such an impossibly charming, intelligent, and truly thoughtful way that he keeps getting interrupted with shouts of “We love you, Johnny!” and even “We love you! Keep speaking!” (to which he responded,
“OK, I’ll werk it”)?

#OhJohnny.

Left to right: Johnny; Chris Speron, National HRC

Development Director; and Joe Solmonese,

National HRC President. I love the Mad Men

As Directed By Tim Burton And

Presented As An SNL Short Film vibe

going on here ...

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But let’s backtrack for a moment to Dr. Lieberman’s introduction of Johnny, in which he explained the meaning of the Visibility Award and why Johnny exemplifies that meaning so well. Here’s some of what he said:

The HRC Visibility Award recognizes LGBT individuals who are living open and honest lives. Well, Johnny is doing much more than that. He is a force of nature, with all of his fabulousness swirling around him like the eye of a storm.

As one, Johnny has given courage to all the little boys and girls out there who want to pursue those dreams, regardless of what society says is right.

It took me forty years to get the courage to get a pair of skates and take skating lessons. No one should have to wait that long to realize their dreams.

I really want to thank you, Johnny Weir, for making the world a more welcoming place, and for your brave determination to be who you are.

Please take a moment and join me in watching ... Johnny Weir.


Following Dr. Lieberman’s intro, HRC Seattle presented a 3:30 video montage/tribute to Johnny that was so perfectly put together it left me in tears. Cut into clips of Johnny’s many media appearances this year—including Larry King, Joy Behar, Access Hollywood, and his Oly press conference—was his Poker Face routine from 2010 Nationals, with the entire montage set to “Poker Face” as the soundtrack.

Left to right: Tara; Camille Rodriguez, National HRC

Associate Director of Events; Johnny; and Chris Speron,

National HRC Development Director.

“Camille needs a raise and a bonus for dealing with

the two of us!” says Tara. “Camille was in charge

of us being here, and Chris was seated next to me

at the dinner. We love them!”

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Fortunately for all of us, the incredible Nicole Davis (to whom we owe our undying gratitude because lots! of! Johnny! in! HIGH DEF!) recorded Dr. Lieberman’s intro, the lump-in-your-throat montage, and almost all of Johnny’s speech in three parts, now available on YouTube and in which we can spend the rest of the day rolling around (for starters, his hair is EPIC and, as Nicole noted, really beyond ready for its own reality show at this point. Also, said Nicole, “how is it that he can walk into a room full of the most beautiful people ever assembled, and be absolutely the most luminous and otherworldly person there? Also the most adorable.” Honey, I don’t know. We all just go with it. And bask.).

See the videos here, here, and here.

(Aaaaaaand Nicole’s YouTube channel crashes in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... )

Here’s the plate
we’re betting Johnny
didn’t touch ...

Nicole has been kicking herself all weekend because her memory card got overfull and threatened to vomit, so Part 2 is like one minute long, and then Part 3 is recorded in standard def because she had to switch to older technology. And she should stop that kicking right now because all three vids are fanTAStic and make you feel like you’re THERE (she had INCREDIBLE seats), and plus Part 3 offers FULL BODY SHOTS so WTF who cares about high def when those meggings just go on forever ...

Anyway, with Poker Face playing, Dr. Lieberman welcomed the featured speaker to the stage, that being Johnny, who of course arrived carrying a large glow stick (these were used during the event’s silent auction, so okaaaaaayyyy ... ), and a single notecard to which to refer during his speech.

 Johnny autographs the fine art print

of the Peter Jurik painting

for the lucky attendee who won it

during the evening’s auction.

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And let the quotability begin (here are just a few choice moments from Johnny’s speech—I leave the rest for you to enjoy on the videos and for Nancy to compile wonderfully on her blog) ...

[Holds up notecard.] This ... is something I’m trying that’s very new for me. I usually try to freeball it when I give a speech like this.

I live my life the way that I want it to be lived. I live the way that I think is appropriate and a way that makes me happy. And that’s the most important thing to me: To be happy in life.

Having the freedom and the ability to be myself is something that every child, every person, deserves. And it’s something that I never take for granted ... I am so honored and so lucky to have grown up in a family like I did, that is very supportive of me no matter what I choose. If it’s to sleep with a man, marry a woman, dye my hair purple, they support everything. And I’m so lucky for that.

Be a freak. Be weird. Do things that you find interesting and find fun, and love it, and live it, and don’t answer ... to anybody.

More mingling, more
smiles, more talking
with his hands ...

It’s all about the after-party, and the after-after-party.

I was born and raised in Amish country. ... And I got into this crazy world of figure skating because I had one dream: To be an Olympian, and to represent my country, and to be fabulous.

So when I got on the ice in Vancouver, and every nation’s camera was pointed in my face, and there were all these ... cameras around the border of the ice rink, my music started to play, and I just said, “Go, b*tch.”

In that moment, I knew that I wouldn’t have a medal. ... When I finished skating, I was literally bent over backwards in the middle of the ice, and I got up and I crossed myself, and I looked around. People with every flag of the world were waving their flag for me. People were standing. People were crying and clapping. And I got, in that way, my medal.

So, in every realm, in business, in sports, you have to do it your way. You have to do it yourself. You have to be as empowered as you can be by the power that everyone has inside them. Even if you aren’t going to get the same things as everyone else, do it your way, and it will be completely the most fulfilling moment that you can have, when you finally reach what you consider success.

This award is truly incredible, and all of you please go get your drink on, and grind. Thank you.

 As the evening comes to a close,

Johnny continues to greet guests

and charm everyone within a 100-mile radius

of the greater metropolitan Seattle area ...

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Epilogue: The work carried out by the nonprofit Human Rights Campaign is absolutely vital, and cannot be done without your support. Please consider volunteering for your local HRC steering committee, joining HRC as a member, or making a donation--whatever you can afford—to help them continue to fight for the rights of people everywhere. HRC is awesome—and they need you, me, Johnny, all of us, to maintain that level of awesomeness.

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Yes! You can own a fine art print of Johnny

perfect for any/every room in the house!

Prints of artist Peter Jurik’s “Showtime!”

are available for purchase from his website.

More info here!

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Johnny Is skating in Yu-Na Kim’s fabulous show,

All That Skate, in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 2!
Everything you need to know about tickets
and special gatherings of The Cabal
is right here!
PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR POSTERS!
This show is expected to be televised
on Sunday, October 10, on NBC--
check your local listings!

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Also on Sunday, October 10, Johnny will be performing
in Skate for the Heart in Youngstown, Ohio!
Tickets are available here,
and there’s a discussion page for fans here!
YES! WE’RE DOING POSTERS FOR THIS ONE TOO!
This show also will be televised on NBC
on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at 4 p.m. EST!

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Please remember to register to receive
the JW Art Project’s email newsletter!
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the book when you sign up!
The Artbook is expected to be published
by the end of October--can’t wait!

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All photos courtesy of Nicole Davis
and Agentress Extraordinaire Tara Modlin.
Thank you both so very much!

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Coming soon: More in the series
of translated interviews from the Mook Book
courtesy of the fabulous Akiko Nakata!

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copyright 2010 / Binky and the Misfit Mimes / Lynn V. Ingogly / all rights reserved