The Best of Binky's Johnny Weir Blog: Flower Balls of Steel

Johnny stars in To Russia With Love,

a documentary from Robert Redford’s Sundance Productions

that examines the lives of LGBT athletes. A portion of the documentary

was filmed secretly at the Sochi Olympics, amidst Russia’s strict anti-gay

propaganda laws, while Johnny was being hailed as the breakout star

of the Games for his work as a figure skating commentator for NBC.

The film, for which Johnny also is an executive producer,

will premiere Wednesday, October 22, 8 pm ET on EPIX.

More details below!

Photo via EPIX.

Stunning larger-than-life version here.

UPDATE!! Via Johnny: “Thank you @JpJWeAngels

for another amazing bouquet! I will sleep beside it tonight!”

Johnny is now in Niigata for the final

Fantasy on Ice performances this weekend.

More updates
from Japan below!

Finally!! Johnny’s episode of

Hollywood Game Night is happening

this month! Set those DVRs ASAP!

Yes!! Summer touring continues!

Johnny returns to Japan this month for more
Fantasy on Ice tour performances! Then, get ready:
the Weibocalypse of Artistry on Ice happens in July and
August. Please see Johnny’s official website for all
his performance dates this summer!

Dear Johnny,

we believe in you,

we support you, and
we love you always. ♥

http://bit.ly/WeLoveYouJW

Note: Candles last only 48 hours, so please visit often

to keep the love and light shining...

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

This post is dedicated to every. single. person. who gave Johnny hell about going to Sochi.

I’m looking at you, Harvey Fierstein.

For all the people in all the comments sections with their shrill cries of, “He’s only in it for the money! And then he’ll go home with all his millions [as if]. He doesn’t care about LGBT Russians! He only cares about the cameras!”

For all those who poured vodka meaninglessly into gutters while Johnny actually got on a plane and flew into the belly of the beast they were claiming to protest, dressed himself to the nines every day for three weeks, swept past Russian security with his head held high, and garnered worldwide headlines praising him for being amazingly, fabulously himself and a fashion icon so outrageously fascinating that his Instagram following skyrocketed daily, and in that boldly glorious over-the-top way, drew attention solely by being himself—no speeches, T-shirts, or rainbow pins needed—to all the people in Russia who aren’t free to do just that.

For all those who called him a sellout and a disgrace and a traitor (and much, much worse) to the LGBT community, and who mourned the fact that once Sochi was over, the world’s attention would be drawn elsewhere and no one would ever say much about the whole gay propaganda thing again and somehow that would be all Johnny’s fault for having gone there in the first place. (These are Internet commenters. They don’t have to make sense. They just have to be as loud and hateful and illiterate as possible. Although some weren’t just anonymous commenters. Some were actual “news” bloggers, whose equally hateful invective would seem to sort of undermine their “Love Is Love” philosophy of tolerance and acceptance and diversity. Now I’m looking at you, Dan Savage and John Aravosis. Among many, many others.)

Yep, this post is for you.

So as it turns out, not only was Johnny waging his own personal campaign of self-love and self-acceptance on a global stage simply by showing up to work every day in Sochi as Johnny Weir, he also, at that same time, was starring in a documentary about LGBT athletes that was being secretly filmed in Sochi without the Russian government’s knowledge, let alone permission.

The announcement yesterday revealing this project was astounding, and immediately reminded everyone who had been so deeply involved in judging Johnny for the last year that oh yeah, there’s still an ongoing LGBT crisis in Russia.

And the film’s premiere in October will again put the spotlight on that crisis, while also highlighting the burden borne by LGBT athletes struggling to achieve their Olympic dreams against the backdrop of longstanding societal discrimination and screeching lockstep activists and gay propaganda laws and enormous pressure from all sides to protest/not protest/do something!/don’t do anything/speak up/shut up about the situation.

I don’t have the words to express how proud I am of Johnny.

After I read the article in The Hollywood Reporter, I cried: for him, and all the shit he had to endure when he was doing something so amazing even beyond his commentary gig, and for how he conducted himself with such grace and integrity throughout; and with quiet, awestruck pride. That man has balls of steel.

But that’s OK because lots of other people had some good words. This tweet was one of my favs:

@misfitmimes @JohnnyGWeir could not agree more. Stop questioning his professionalism because he is the ultimate and you will always be wrong
— Zeph’s Mom (@levine60) July 7, 2014

BRB signing Harvey, Dan, and John up for the EPIX free trial offer with a start date of October 22...

The poster for the documentary.

From the EPIX website.

Meanwhile,

Johnny’s Still in Japan...

UPDATES!!

Via Johnny: “Found the best shorts of my life today

by the genius Mihara Yasuhiro!”

Via Johnny: “Travel time.

Lost my pants again!”

Via Johnny: “A taste of my new program

by Kenji Miyamoto. ☺️”

Gorgeous.

More from Johnny and Kenji in Part 3 below!

Part 1: The Johnny Version of Where’s Waldo.

Via Sarah Àlainn’s Tumblr: finale of Fantasy on Ice

in Toyama. Yes, he’s in this pic!

Click for larger view.

Via Sarah Àlainn’s Tumblr. He’s in this one too!

Via Sarah Àlainn’s Instagram.

And he’s most definitely in this one. ♥

Part 2. Johnny and Friends,

and Johnny Being Johnny.

Via Akiko Suzuki’s blog.

Via Toshiko Koseki: “I love to see them ...

Stef said welcome to Toyama. What a lovely person.

Johnny is sweet as always.”

Via Johnny: “When the ice gets rough,

only Kitty-chan can help!”

Via Johnny: “Flower balls!”

Part 3: Koreography With Kenji.

Excited to tell you my new gala program, choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto, is performed to ‘Human’ by Christina Perri! I love this song!
— Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) July 6, 2014

Via Kenji’s blog.

Via Johnny: “Kenji-san killed me with choreography today,

so I killed him with charm. :)

I’m so excited about my new program!”

Via Johnny: “It’s really hard to get through July

without doing penguin slides.”

Bonus vids!! New Artistry on Ice promo!

Video link.

Brief clip of Johnny from a Fantasy on Ice

group number. Love his costume.

Video link.

An amazing blast from the past, just uploaded

by Hyacinth’s Classic Figure Skating channel on YouTube:

Johnny’s SP from US Nats 2002, when he was just 17.

His portion begins at about 10:10.

Bonus: wonderful commentary by

Sir Terry Gannon and Dick Button.

Video link.

And one more.

From the EPIX website.

Johnny and Tara’s brilliant commentary

segment from Late Night With Seth Meyers!
Video link.
Watch their interview with Seth here.

Johnny and Dora!!

Watch his spot over and over again
here, here, or here!

On Johnny’s website,

linked to his retirement statement.

Thank YOU, Johnny!

ICYMI: Johnny plans to discuss his personal difficulties just once,

in an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush.

The three-part interview is available at these links:

Johnny Weir Opens Up On Dramatic Divorce, Part 1
Transcript here.

Johnny Weir Opens Up On Dramatic Divorce, Part 2
Transcript here.

Johnny Weir: Why He Went Public With His Divorce
UPDATE: Transcript here.

Johnny Weir & Victor Voronov: No Reconciliation!

UPDATE: In response to a rash of erroneous reports in the media,

Johnny spoke briefly with Access Hollywood again

to set the record straight.

Before you point your finger at me, try to do some fact checking. Speaking for myself, I keep my private struggles private. #ArmyofOne
— Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) May 20, 2014

Also on the blog:
“Rise Like a Phoenix”
An exquisite black-and-white series
of Johnny at rehearsal.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.