Johnny at the end of Ave Maria,
Holiday Dreams on Ice, December 11, 2010.
Photo courtesy of David Ingogly.
Dear Johnny:
As you know, your very direct comments on this week's SWTS to Bethenny Frankel--which many of your fans wholeheartedly
applauded--were not well-received by some of Bethenny's fans. Not that we'd expect anything different from them. They've proven themselves to be a direct reflection of their idol, Bethenny, in all her dark, careless, disrespectful, incredibly self-involved, hypocritical snarkiness.
So some of them decided to "like" your fan page on Tuesday just so they could post hideously ugly and hateful comments. Fortunately, admins responded quickly, and the posts were deleted.
But while fans were waiting and repeatedly flagging those posts, the ugliness inspired Louise Fecher to post this:
(Please click on any of the screen caps for a larger view.)
And the responses started pouring in.
I'm a little short on words this week, but as it happens, I need very few again today because so many other fans have such eloquent ones. And because I don't know how often you get to stop by the fan page these days and read our posts, here they are, in the order they appeared--a tribute to you and all that you stand for, and to one of the most powerful lessons we have learned from you: "Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful."
I didn't have a chance to add to this discussion earlier, but it's been on my mind all week. "Three reasons why I adore Johnny Weir ... gaaaaaaaah! How can I limit myself to just three??"
And so I waited for the God of my heart to help me find the right words.
And while I waited, I thought about the amazing journey that this Year of the Weir has been, personally, for me. All the fabulous people I've met; how, right before my eyes, thousands of people who didn't know each other came together in all their diversity to become a powerful force--voting, petitioning, fundraising, tweeting, making signs and banners, buying tickets to as many of your appearances as we could afford and also some we couldn't, posting, commenting, discussing--sometimes arguing--but always united in our support of one amazing man; and how often I've read words like "otherworldly," "ethereal," and "angelic" in our attempts to describe you and the effect you've had on so many of us.
Yes, we know, you're just a person like everybody else--a young man trying to make his way through this world, imperfect like the rest of us, sometimes crabby, sometimes falling short, sometimes maybe not his best self, sometimes lying curled up on the floor of his apartment bitching and whining and driving his parents crazy.
You're also absolutely extraordinary.
It was your Festa 09 Poker Face routine that first captured me, when a Twitter friend casually tweeted the link to me this past January, having no idea at all how that tiny gesture would completely transform my entire life.
But it is your brilliant, soaring, breathtaking Fallen Angel performance from the 2010 Olympics that, to me, is the heart and soul of Johnny Weir laid wrenchingly bare, in exquisitely agonizing beauty.
And it's the aftermath of those Olympics, as well, all that you've done since then, that also speaks volumes about who you are as a man.
And as I pondered these images in my head, looking for the words to somehow sum this all up--it came to me, in sudden, blinding clarity, the same way the God of my heart first shattered my whole world with all the beauty that I had been missing until I saw you.
Three simple things I love about you that, for me, are the foundation of everything everyone has said:
You are light.
You are truth.
You are love.
And you inspire me, every day, to be the same.
The cover art for "Dirty Love" is now
The next episode of Skating With the Stars
airs next Monday, December 20,
at 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST!
Don't miss it!
(Dear Santa: All I want for Weirmas
is STILL for Bethenny to please please just go away.)
(Dear Santa: All I want for Weirmas
is STILL for Bethenny to please please just go away.)
Designer T. Rains and Johnny have teamed up to raise money and awareness for The Trevor Project! This organization is "determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources." Proceeds from the "Army of One" t-shirt sales will go to The Trevor Project foundation. Order yours today! Your support is greatly appreciated!For more information, please visit www.thetrevorproject.org.
They have great tidbits to offer,
and you get a special sneak peek at an exclusive photo
from the Artbook when you sign up!
