AN OLYMPIC UNDERWRITE

A charity is coming to the plate to help raise funds for New Zealand speed skater Olympian Blake Skjellerup.

The Advocate reports:

[Skjellerup] doesn’t have funding for his Olympic bid from the normal places, so a charity is raising money on his behalf.

The Gay Auckland Business Association heard an appeal for help from Skjellerup, who is gay, during its June meeting and decided to launch a fundraising campaign through its charitable trust. GABA also plans to lobby SPARC, New Zealand’s government source for funds, for an explanation for why it doesn’t fund speed skating.

“It's a minority sport so it's understandable," Skjellerup told attendees at the GABA meeting, according to GayNZ.com. "It's just not the greatest, ideal situation for me."

DEAR JOHN

Olympic hottie Blake Skjellerup readies for his Pink Shirt Day-- which is today, April 14th!!

A group writes letters to New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key about bullying in schools and Pink Shirt Day, to bring awareness and stop bullying on NZ's school campuses.

HOT X 2 = Blake is a do-gooder and so cute!! Just what we want when dating a lad!!!

PINK SHIRT DAY

Olympic hottie Blake Skjellerup starts a viral anti-bullying campaign in New Zealand.

His project will be known as Pink Shirt Day for April 14th.

He has a video to accompany this campaign, natch.

He pens:

I want every difference to be celebrated, not challenged. I want the youth of the world to know that whatever they are feeling, whatever they are thinking, that it is completely natural. I do not want anyone to be persecuted for being themselves. So I got involved in a nationwide campaign here in New Zealand to combat this. Pink Shirt Day is a campaign to eliminate bullying in our schools. Gay, straight, African, Asian anyone who believes that bullying has no place in schools, and those who want to show support for those who are and have been bullied, and obviously those who are bullied, should wear a pink shirt on April 14th to unite against this.

IN OUR THOUGHTS

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Christchurch, New Zealand. A devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit that region. BTW-- it has been Olympian Blake Skjellerup's excellent twitter updates that have been keeping us abreast of the latest news there in NZ. We have a huge readership in NZ and Australia; thus to all friends, you are in our thoughts--know that!! Hugs and love, XOXO

GO ON GRRRRRRL

Constance at LA Pride 2010 with Olympian Blake Skjellerup,

Derek Martin ( a fellow ostracized gay teen) and Richard Goodman

With your bad self....

Fuck that high school of bigots. They'll all be fat and ugly by age 40. Trust. Just ask any one of us and we'll show ya some proof of what our high school peers look like now.

Constance-girl got a settlement. That bigot of a school district has to pay Miss Constance $35K.

The ACLU fought along side our teen queen:

Constance McMillen will be paid $35,000 plus attorney fees to settle her lawsuit accusing her former school district of discrimination for canceling the senior prom rather than let her attend with her girlfriend. As part of the settlement, the Itawamba County School District also agreed to follow a non-discrimination policy, although officials said such a policy existed in March, when the dispute began. The district does not admit wrongdoing in settling the suit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. "I knew it was a good cause, but sometimes it really got to me. I knew it would change things for others in the future and I kept going and I kept pushing," McMillen, 18, said in an interview today with the Associated Press. Schools attorney Michelle Floyd noted that the district did not admit wrongdoing by settling the suit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. "The Itawamba County School District believes that Constance McMillen's rights under the United States Constitution were not violated by any act, omission, policy, custom or practice of the district," she said in a statement. via usatoday

GOING TO THE DOGS

Olympic speed skater hottie Blake Skjellerup carries his pooch kangaroo pouch-style.

Can we be next Blakey Pooh??

SKATING BY US

A CONSTANCE REMINDER: OUT Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup and controversial high school grad Constance McMillen surfaced this past weekend at Christopher Street West 40th Gay Pride Parade in LA. We think Blake should move to HELL-A. His beauty would be a welcome addition!!

SAY WHAT?: BLAKE SKJELLERUP

Inspiring!

This will help gay youth globally!!

"The first real issue was that I was there [at the Olympics] to compete – to focus on my skating – and to not have the focus on my sexuality. We are not yet at the point in society where being gay sportsperson is not a big deal. If I was asked during any of my twenty-something interviews at the Olympics whether I had a boyfriend or a girlfriend – in the same sentence – I would have replied honestly, but I may have replied hesitantly...Gays are too often given a stereotype. Back when I was 18, and becoming serious about my sport and my Olympic goals, if I could have seen an athlete like myself out there – with whom I could relate to – my journey would have been a lot easier. [American figure skater] Johnny Weir meets a specific stereotype, I meet a specific stereotype and [Welsh rugby player] Gareth Thomas meets another. Being gay is just like any other personality trait: it’s multifaceted. I can’t personally relate to Weir or Thomas, and nor will many other young gay athletes out there. But maybe some of them will see something in me to relate to. The more types we provide, the more we’ll appeal to people [who are struggling with their sexuality,]" New Zealand Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup comes OUT in DNA magazine.

LA*SURFPUNK HOLLYWOOD profiled/featured Blake Skjellerup in February 2010.

Support LA*SURFPUNK HOLLYWOOD--Please take a moment to make a donation to keep this blog alive!!! You can click the donate button at the top right of the page. We thank you!!As always, feel free to comment.

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BLAKE SKJELLERUP

BEAUTIFUL BLAKE: Vanity Fair profiles Blake: Age: 24. Country: New Zealand. Sport: Short-track speed skating. Placed: 28th in the 1,500 meter; 16th in the 1,000 meter; 500 meter T.B.D. Olympic bling:Members of the New Zealand team received a green pendant carved from a single piece of pounamu stone. According to New Zealand lore, pounamu brings strength and luck. You can’t strip his identity! “I personalized my athlete’s badge by putting a kiwi sticker on the back,” he said cheekily. L@@K at that bulge Support LA*SURFPUNK HOLLYWOOD--Please take a moment to make a donation to keep this blog alive!!! You can click the donate button at the top right of the page. We thank you!! As always, feel free to comment.

Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos