Posted tagged ‘Weir’s fur flap’

Fur Flies Over Skater’s “Fashion”

February 16, 2010

– – It is hard for a vulpine American such as myself to remain dispassionate about the topic of any individual wearing real animal fur, which I strongly feel should be worn only by its original owner.  The decision of U.S. men’s figure skater Johnny Weir to wear a costume trimmed with genuine white fox fur at US Nationals did not sit well with me, and accordingly his decision to dispense with such costumes at Vancouver for the Olympics is welcomed.

Anti-fur activists and animal advocacy groups such as Friends of Animals and PETA had posted open letters to Weir decrying his fashion choices, but deny having sent hate mail and death threats to the skater as he has alleged.  Weir contends that threats caused him to scrub plans to stay at a hotel rather than the Olympic Village.

A spokesman for Friends of Animals has pointed out that the pelts of foxes are obtained from their original owners by the foxes being beaten or electrocuted and then skinned alive…hardly a practice we want a potential role model to underwrite.