Two-time Olympian Johnny Weir has said
he hopes his recent marriage to Victor Voronov will nudge President
Barack Obama to support gay marriage.
Weir, who has returned to competitive
figure skating, and 28-year-old Atlanta-area lawyer Voronov capped
off 2011 by tying the knot in a civil ceremony at the New York City
Courthouse.
The 27-year-old Weir tweeted that the
couple will hold a wedding in the summer.
Speaking to gay blog Queerty.com
at a Human Rights Campaign gala held in Midtown Manhattan on
Saturday, Weir said he was hopeful Obama, who supports civil unions
for gay couples, will come around on marriage for gay and lesbian
couples.
“My hope is that everybody can enjoy
the same freedoms that I have experienced with Victor,” he said
while holding his husband's hand. “Our fresh marriage in the great
state of New York. And I hope that Obama can see how healthy a
relationship young people like myself can have and that he can push
it through on the federal level for every state.”
When asked his thoughts on the gay
marriage debate brewing in New Jersey (Weir lives in the state), Weir
answered: “I try not to follow anything. I like to live my live
and not worry about extraneous things that will make me unhappier.”
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