US TV HEAD APOLOGISES FOR GAY ATHLETE GAFFE
An NBC television boss has apologised for the way that the network covered the gold medal win by openly gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham.
While the US network covered the personal stories of many of the leading athletes in Beijing, including their partners and families, critics claimed that it purposefully avoided showing Mitcham celebrating his win by embracing his male partner.
The coverage also did not mention the fact that he was the only openly gay athlete at the Olympic Games, a story that has received much media attention around the world.
At first the channel denied any wrong-doing: “It’s not possible to cover the entire personal story of every athlete regarding their performance. It’s just not possible to single out coverage.”
However on Wednesday, Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, admitted that the network has erred.
“We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham’s story. We apologise for this unintentional omission,” he told the website AfterElton.com.
The 20 year old Mitcham stunned commentators when he beat out the Chinese favourite in the men’s 10 metre platform competition to earn the highest score ever earned in diving at the Olympics.
Well done. Well done boy you dont have to be on tv you know in your hart and God knows that you are who you are and he made you who you are. and so waht if they are so short mined stuff them.
Go boy!. Matthew Mitcham is a real man! Standing proud as, apparently, the only openly gay 2008 Olympic athlete. He hasn”t suffered any significant hatred or discrimination. The question then is… why are the rest of the gay Olympic athletes in hiding? What have they got to lose for being true to themselves, for being a role model for other gay athletes, and straight athletes, for that matter?
Well done, Matthew… you deserve every honour!
fantastic! Good on you Matthew.
Matthew Mitchum. And Australia is so “advanced” in everything!???????
Great Matthew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GAYS ARE ACHIVERS. Even in classroom gays are all in top five if not ten. even Galileo was a gay.