Who could possibly think this was a good idea?!
While the 2016 Summer Olympic games have already had their fair share of controversy in the first week, none of the scandals have really had potentially deadly repercussions… until now, that is.
That’s because a reporter for The Daily Beast decided it would be a good idea to download Grindr and write a story about all the people who contacted him on the dating app in the Olympic Village on Wednesday.
Oh yeah… and the journalist, Nico Hines, just so happens to be straight!
Photo: 16 Out Olympians To Watch At The 2016 Rio Olympics!
Apparently, the website — which claims to love confronting “bullies, bigots, and hypocrites” — didn’t see the harm in listing closeted LGBT athletes’ chosen sports and corresponding countries, including one nation that is heavily anti-gay!
What’s worse is that Editor-in-Chief John Avlon actually addressed readers’ concerns by removing the names of countries after the fact… but decided to keep the majority of the post intact.
Luckily, out celebs like Gus Kenworthy, Tyler Oakley, and other individuals with common sense condemned the homophobic piece, saying:
So @NicoHines basically just outed a bunch of athletes in his quest to write a shitty @thedailybeast article where he admitted to entrapment
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) August 11, 2016
shame on @NicoHines/@thedailybeast. LGBTQ+ people deserve respect. we are not your zoo animals. so infuriating. https://t.co/wgCXgTtFyU
— Tyler Oakley (@tyleroakley) August 11, 2016
Hey @NicoHines, I don’t think the purpose of your press badge & access to Olympic village was to endanger the safety of closeted Olympians.
— Shawn Ahmed (@uncultured) August 11, 2016
Unless queer outing is now an Olympic sport, can we just all agree that @NicoHines piece is outright homophobia? Needs to be withdrawn.
— Joshua Dixon (@JoshDixonTweets) August 11, 2016
The @NicoHines ‘story’ on Grindr and the olympics village is not journalism. It’s trashy at best and incredibly dangerous at worst.
— Stewart McDonald MP (@StewartMcDonald) August 11, 2016
The @thedailybeast & straight writer @NicoHines treated gay men as a sideshow, w no regard for their safety. That’s entitlement is action.
— Mary Beth Williams (@embeedub) August 11, 2016
Can someone .@thedailybeast please explain why on Earth’s @NicoHines dangerous & homophobic article was commissioned let alone published?
— Nick Coveney (@nmjcoveney) August 11, 2016
Please stay safe online, everyone!
Do U think someone deserves to lose their job over this??
[Image via YouTube.]
Related Posts
