By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Homosexual activists forced Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Vidmar to resign his position as the U.S. chef de mission for the 2012 Olympic Games after it was discovered that he donated $2,000 to Proposition 8, California’s ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage.
LifeSiteNews.com is reporting that Vidmar, 49, resigned only eight days after being appointed to the position. The Olympic gymnast, who won two gold medals in the 1984 games, is a devout Mormon who participated in his church’s rallies in support of marriage during the contentious debate over Proposition 8.
When this support was discovered by gay activists and revealed to the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Committes said they were unaware of Vidmar’s involvement in the same-sex marriage issue, even though Vidmar claims he did nothing to hide it.
“The Church wanted to take a stand on the issue, and they invited their members to take a stand,” Vidmar told the Chicago Tribune. “I chose to be involved.”
Vidmar’s position as chef de mission would have made him the liaison officer for the U.S. team in all relations with the International Olympic Committee and organizers. He maintains that he would “respect the rights of all our athletes, regardless of their race, their religion or their sexual orientation.”
But not all of the Olympic athletes agree. The openly gay Olympic figure scater Johnny Weir said Vidmar’s appointment was wrong.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to be represented by someone who is anti-gay marriage. It isn’t just about marriage, it is being allowed equal rights as Americans,” Weir said. “The fact this man who is very publicly against something that may be represented on the American team is disgraceful.”
Not everyone agrees. Maggie Gallagher, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, told CitizenLink that the blame for Vidmar’s resignation belongs to the homosexual activist network.
“Simply because he donated to Prop. 8, he was declared by the gay rights movement to be unacceptable for public office,” she said. “This is a campaign to stigmatize, marginalize and repress faith communities’ views on marriage.”
Gallagher said Vidmar had little choice in his resignation. “Peter Vidmar is one of the leading corporate motivational speakers. That’s how he makes a living,” she said. “When the gay rights movement decided to go after him, he recognized that his entire career, his entire livelihood, could be severely damaged.”
“I simply cannot have my presence become a detriment to the U.S. Olympic family,” said Vidmar upon resignation. “I hope that by stepping aside, the athletes and their stories will rightly take center stage.”
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