Sorry Valerie (oops, I mean Valerian), but anti-gay drek won't land you a spot in the Opera Lyra in Ottawa, Canada. Instead, Ruminski has been let go due to a backlash over some pretty horrendous comments he made to a man wearing jeweled fingernails.
And just two weeks before he was due to appear as the Sacristan in Tosca.
His comments, per Norman Lebrecht, were about "deficiencies" and "parading his choices" were published during the city's Capital Pride festivities and were circulated via Twitter.
As if the speech wasn't already off-base, Ruminski found it most fitting to put his opinion on his own Facebook page.
But before Ruminski could bat an eyelash, the company decided to hose the singer, saying:
Persons employed by Opera Lyra, including short-term cast members, are expected to contribute to good community relations. Respectful behaviour towards others is an essential part of this.
As politicians do, Ruminski followed a similar route in filing a statement apologizing for the mess via his publicist, saying:
My statement was hurtful and I have realized that what I have said was cruel and not in keeping with the way I generally feel about people and have interacted with people in the past. It was an unfortunate spur of the moment thoughtless comment that I need not have said and should not have said. I apologize and regret any harm this has caused to any and all parties affected by my comments.
Pointing out another instance, Australia had a similar backlash over an anti-gay hate speech posted to Georgian Soprano, Tamar Iveri's, Facebook pace. To which, also, she was sacked.
Thus the prejudicial claims filed by these heavyweights should come as a shock to their fandom and opera companies alike. In such a globalized and tolerant world, how does this seep up from the sewage below?
Nonetheless, the man does have talent. Check it.
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