Adam Rippon slams America’s ‘biggest scammer’ Lance Armstrong over anti-trans comments

In particular, Armstrong spoke to a competitor Ronda Rousey about the idea of ​​creating a separate category for transgender women and questioned how this could be considered “unfair”.

Tinashe said it was important “to be careful when you treat people differently; it’s not good for their mental health.” “Real Housewives” star Porsha Williams I wondered if this was the right place for such a controversial conversation. “Modern Family” star Ariel Winters kept her calm at that moment but was visibly uncomfortable and rolled her eyes.

In an interview with The daily beastRippon called the topic “inappropriate” and said, “Nobody wanted to have that conversation,” especially since they had to live together for weeks as part of this Mars simulation program.

But Armstrong would bring it up again the following night, according to Rippon, this time asking the skater why he wasn’t getting involved. The “problem with America is that no one wants to have these awkward conversations,” Armstrong allegedly said. He also insisted he was committed to transgender rights and equality, he just wasn’t so sure about sports.

“By the way, I sound like a real madman. I’m not,” Armstrong said on the episode. “I’m the most liberal person, but from a sporting point of view -“

“I’m not afraid of difficult conversations,” Rippon told The Daily Beast. “But if we’re going to fully open up this particular conversation, I want trans athletes, I want people who are into it and people who are genuine advocates for the success of women’s sport.” [involved].”

“I don’t need to hear what the greatest con man in American history has to say about what he believes to be an unfair advantage,” he added.

Rippon said Winter didn’t let Armstrong off the hook and instead confronted him off-camera during her daily Covid tests.

“She walks right up to Lance and says, ‘I forgot you cheated. I forgot you were stripped of seven titles and an Olympic gold medal for being the head of a doping ring,'” Rippon shared.

When Armstrong denied that he was not the “head” of the ring, Winter retorted that that was not what the court documents said. “She spent the night reading court documents!” Rippon marveled.

After the US Anti-Doping Agency determined in 2012 that he had been taking performance-enhancing drugs, the seven-time Tour de France winner from 1999 to 2005 had his titles revoked. Armstrong chose not to contest the allegations.

However, the whole experience left Rippon so uneasy that he wondered if he should stay on the show at all. At the urging of his husband and a close friend – the cast is allowed limited contact with their loved ones – he decided to persevere.

“It was so personal to me and my own experience,” he explained. “We just had Pride Month. I hate to see trans people talked about because it wasn’t that long ago that queer people, gays and lesbians were talked about like that. And so.” Everyone is just trying to live their lives.

He also said that there has been a lasting change in the dynamic of the cast since then. This may be more specific to Armstrong, however, as he also said that everyone but Armstrong has stayed in touch.

Meanwhile, Armstrong continued the conversation on his own Twitter feed, reviving the issue of trans athletes in the middle of Pride month long thread asking, “Isn’t there a world where you can support the trans community and be curious about the fairness of trans athletes in sport without being labeled transphobic or bigot for asking questions?”

As of June 26, Armstrong has released seven different podcast episodes of “The striker” Series about transgender athletes to have that very conversation.

He has welcomed guests like Olympians Caitlyn Jenner and Inga Thompson, transgender athlete Chris Mosier, and various professors and doctors on both sides, as has he wrote“Be open-minded on this topic and give it a try.” [to] Learn as much as you can from all sides of the debate.”