Gay Olympian Blasts Daily Beast and Writer ‘Who Thought It’d Be Funny to Endanger People’s Lives’
‘Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you’re able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it’s all a joke?’
Two-time Olympic athlete Amini Fonua (photo) is accusing The Daily Beast and its writer Nico Hines of endangering the lives of his fellow gay Olympians at the Rio Games. Fonua, a competitive swimmer for the nation of Tonga, took to Twitter and posted several powerful tweets denouncing the publication and its writer, and explaining in important, eye-opening terms why their act was dangerous, dehumanizing, a violation of rights and privacy, and just plain wrong.
As an out gay athlete from a country that is still very homophobic, @thedailybeast ought to be ashamed #deplorable https://t.co/qzS9rDFJwx
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
It is still illegal to be gay in Tonga, and while I’m strong enough to be me in front of the world, not everybody else is. Respect that.
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
On Thursday the news site published Hines’ article that detailed his experiences of using apps like Grindr to identify gay Olympic athletes in Rio. His article initially gave sufficient details, including sports and ranking, where knowledgeable people – or their governments – might be able to deduce which Olympic athletes he met via Grindr, and thus, which are gay. In about 80 countries around the world it is illegal to be LGBT, and in ten of those countries, the death penalty for the “crime” of homosexuality exists.
Fonua also explained what being at the Olympics and competing means for LGBT athletes, especially those not publicly out – and how that was ruined:
Imagine the one space you can feel safe, the one space you’re able to be yourself, ruined by a straight person who thinks it’s all a joke?
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
And he talked about the vital importance of allowing LGBT people who are harming no one to be allowed the human dignity of coming out on thir own terms:
No straight person will ever know the pain of revealing your truth, to take that away is just… I can’t. It literally brings me to tears ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— Amini Fonua (@AminiFonua) August 11, 2016
In a subsequent tweet, Fonua described Hines as an “inhumane CREEP who thought it’d be funny to endanger people’s lives in the village,” and later, posted an explicit image on Instagram, writing, “Yo @nicohines & @thedailybeast – if what you were looking for on Grindr was hot ass (and I don’t see any other reason why you’d be on there) here you have mine in all its proud glory. Now, kiss it and fuck off.”
RELATED:Â Daily Beast: ‘Sorry for Any Upset’ Caused by Our (Possibly) Outing Gay Olympians
Ultimately, after several revisions of both the article and the editors’ apologies, The Daily Beast removed the article, but the damage to the athletes, some no doubt literally now having to compete while in fear for their lives, their futures, and their families, has been done.
Â
Image via Instagram
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.