Posted on 10/01/2020 8:50:02 AM PDT by Red Badger
The 19-year-old neo-pro has been benched after using a black hand emoji while professing his support for Donald Trump
Quinn Simmons at Flèche Wallonne 2020 (Photo by Bas Czerwinski/Getty Images)
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s at Flèche Wallonne 2020 (Photo by Bas Czerwinski/Getty Images)
Top story Trek-Segafredo
Quinn Simmons has been pulled from racing by Trek-Segafredo over a “divisive, incendiary, and detrimental” tweet.
The 19-year-old neo-pro became embroiled in controversy overnight when he tweeted his support of Donald Trump and used a black hand emoji.
Simmons, winner of the junior World Championship road race in Yorkshire last year, has now been benched by his team for the online statements which his team said are “divisive, incendiary, and detrimental.”
The controversy unfolded on Wednesday (September 30) when journalist Jose Been condemned US president Donald Trump and urged social media users to unfollow her if they support Trump.
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Simmons responded to the tweet saying “bye” with a black waving hand emoji.
The response caused a backlash from many cycling fans on social media aimed at both Simmons and his Trek-Segafredo team, with the US WorldTour squad saying they were “taking this very seriously” and that they would be releasing a statement soon.
Late on Wednesday night the team released the statement, confirmed that Simmons had been benched.
The team said: “Trek-Segafredo is an organisation that values inclusivity and supports a more diverse and equitable sport for all athletes. While we support the right to free speech we will hold people accountable for their words and actions.
“Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport.
“In response, he will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice.”
Trek-Segafredo said they will work with their partners to determine the next steps for Simmons and that the public will be kept informed of any decisions.
The use of a black emoji by a white person online has been equated with blackface, showing a lack of racial awareness and temporarily adopting a racial identity.
Diversity in Cycling said on Twitter: “In Black History Month, it is worth explaining why Quinn Simmons’ tweets were racist. It was not because of his politics, but because he used a black hand gesture.
“This is a form of blackface – a means of racist oppression used by extremist groups.
“No Quinn, the furore is not about your political beliefs, it is about your racism.
“You used a black hand gesture, a form of blackface. You know the history of blackface right?
“Trek-Segafredo 100 per cent correct to suspend you. Listen and learn.”
Simmons, from Durango, Colorado, rose to prominence last season with a number of victories in the junior ranks, which were capped off by a huge solo win in the junior World Championship road race.
At 18 years old, he was then signed to Trek-Segafredo for 2020 on a two-year neo-pro contract.
Simmons will now miss his scheduled debut in the Classics this autumn.
He has yet to respond to the controversy or his suspension.
Huh?
Looks more like Jose Been was the rude, divisive person.
Black letters in his Tweet were also used, on a white background. Racist!
Off to the gulag, comrade!
There are two groups of people involved in these imbroglios - black supremacists and their white allies. Why are whites involved? Is there some kind of guilt complex involved? Are they masochists? They’re neither guilt-ridden nor self-flagellating. It’s basically a status game where white leftists put themselves on top.
Take the whole imbroglio over the MN drug felon’s death. For black chauvinists, the nut of the objection is that a person of lower status (Chauvin et al) presumed to detain a person of higher status (a black man). For bourgeois liberals, the nut of the objection is that a person of lower status (Chauvin et al) presumed to detain one of our pets, we being people of the highest status. For a lot of the arrested-development case white louts at butts-to-nuts demonstrations, the objection is that a person of lower status (very much like Chauvin) presumed at one time to arrest me. All leftoid politics in our time is a series of objections based on status, with leftists as Brahmins, blacks as the warrior caste and right-wingers as untouchables/pariahs.
Some people wake up each morning and say, “Now what am I going to be offended by today?”.......................
I just Googled the “clenched fist” symbol, ubiquitous at leftist rallies and demonstrations. I clicked on a gallery of the symbols, and about a third or more of the clenched fists were black and two were brown.
Also any of a number of Italian or Sicilian extortion gangs.
Bye is an incendiary statement?!???
There is no sanity in the left... none.
Trump should put up what ever money is necessary to sponsor him.
To finish my thought, would this bike racer have gotten in trouble if his Tweet was pro-Biden and depicted a clenched black fist - a clear threat of violence - as we often see during leftist demonstrations?
[Some people wake up each morning and say, “Now what am I going to be offended by today?”.......................]
HE’S A WITCH BURRRRNN HIMMM!
Oh wait... HE’S A TRUMP SUPPORTER... BURNNN HIMMMM!!
SO all the white people displaying the black fist should be arrested for cultural appropriation? Ok... seems like a violation of the constitution, but that doesn’t seem to stop anyone these days.
There is folk with thin skin and then there is them with no skin. He will survive, them with no skin ought be a bit less transparent or slap some triple digit SPF lotion on it.
“Jose’ Been” = Has been
You might want to ping the Mod about the Getty image, I don’t think we are allowed to post Getty.
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