Gay athlet make history at Wter Olympics

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• ADAM {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG {LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}BY TIM {DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: SEP 29, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1989-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS ADAM RIPPON?ADAM RIPPON DISPLAYED IMMENSE EARLY PROMISE AS A FIGURE SKATER WH BACK-TO-BACK WS AT THE WORLD JUNR CHAMPNSHIPS. HE MISSED OUT ON BERTHS WH THE U.S. TEAMS FOR THE 2010 AND 2014 WTER OLYMPICS BUT REGAED HIS STANDG THE SPORT WH A W AT THE 2016 U.S. NATNAL CHAMPNSHIPS. IN 2018, RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS, WHERE HE WON A BRONZE MEDAL AND EMERGED AS A FAN FAVORE.EARLY LIFERIPPON WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 11, 1989, SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. DISVERED TO BE NEARLY AF, HE UNRWENT RRECTIVE EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY.RIPPON'S PARENTS DIVORCED WHEN HE WAS 13, AND HE HAS NOTED THAT HE IS NOT CLOSE WH HIS FATHER. THE OLST OF SIX CHILDREN, RIPPON WAS RAISED THE BLUE-LLAR TOWN OF CLARKS SUMM, AN ENVIRONMENT NOT ALWAYS WELG TO A BOY G TO GRIPS WH HIS HOMOSEXUALY. HIS MOM, KELLY, A FORMER DANCER AND SKATG ENTHIAST, TRIED TO AX HIM ONTO THE ICE; IALLY RISTANT, HE CHANGED HIS MD AFTER JOG IENDS FOR AN ICE-SKATG THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY.WH MONTHS, KELLY WAS MAKG THE TWO-HOUR-PL TRIP TO PHILALPHIA TWICE PER WEEK FOR HER OLST SON'S LSONS. AT AGE 11, RIPPON WAS CHOSEN TO PORTRAY A YOUNG {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STT HATON A STARS ON ICE REVUE, HIS FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE EXPERIENCE OF SKATG BEFORE AN APPRECIATIVE CROWD.SKATG CAREERRIPPON'S REER GOT OFF TO A VERY PROMISG START WHEN HE WON THE 2007 JUNR GRAND PRIX FAL TLE AND FOLLOWED BY BEG THE FIRST MALE TO W BACK-TO-BACK WORLD JUNR TL, 2008 AND 2009. HE HOPED TO LEVERAGE THAT MOMENTUM TO A SPOT ON THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2010 VANUVER OLYMPICS BUT END UP BEG SELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE.A SILVER MEDALIST AT THE 2012 NATNALS, RIPPON MOVED TO LOS ANGEL THAT YEAR TO BEG TRAG WH NOTED ACH RAFAEL ATUNIAN. HOWEVER, HE SUFFERED ONE OF THE BIGGT SETBACKS OF HIS REER WH AN EIGHTH-PLACE FISH AT THE 2014 NATNALS, DASHG ANY HOP OF NSIRATN FOR THE SOCHI GAM. DPONNT, RIPPON NSIRED QUTG SKATG, BEFORE REKDLG HIS LOVE FOR THE SPORT BY CHOREOGRAPHG ROUT FOR FELLOW SKATERS ASHLEY WAGNER AND MIRAI NAGASU.RIPPON BOUNCED BACK TO GRAB ANOTHER SILVER AT THE 2015 NATNALS, BEFORE WNG HIS FIRST U.S. TLE 2016. A ACTURED FOOT PREVENTED HIM OM FENDG HIS TLE 2017, BUT HE RETURNED LATER THE YEAR TO EARN SILVER BOTH OF HIS GRAND PRIX EVENTS.AT THE 2018 NATNALS, RIPPON FELL ON HIS OPENG JUMP OF THE LONG PROGRAM AND FISHED FOURTH PLACE. HOWEVER, HE WAS GIVEN CRED FOR HIS OVERALL BODY OF WORK FOR THE SEASON AND CHOSEN FOR ONE OF THE THREE SPOTS ON THE U.S. MEN'S TEAM, ALONGSI NATHAN CHEN AND VCENT ZHOU, GIVG HIM HIS LONG-AWAED OLYMPIC OPPORTUNY.GAY OLYMPIANWH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. OLYMPIC MEN'S FIGURE SKATG TEAM JANUARY 2018, ADAM RIPPON, WHO REVEALED HIS SEXUALY THE OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE OF SKATG, BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS.RIPPON WAS NOT THE ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED GAY ATHLETE AT THE PYEONGCHANG GAM; HE WAS JOED ON THE U.S. SQUAD BY CELEBRATED SKIER G KENWORTHY, THOUGH KENWORTHY'S SEXUALY WAS STILL A SECRET WHEN HE WON HIS SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2014 SOCHI GAM. ADDNALLY, SKATG ANALYST JOHNNY WEIR WAS MORED TO BE GAY DURG HIS DAYS AS AN ACTIVE PETOR, THOUGH HE REMAED TIGHT-LIPPED ON THE SUBJECT UNR THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE 2006 AND 2010 GAM.2018 OLYMPIC PERFORMANCERIPPON MA ADDNAL HISTORY WH HIS OLYMPIC BUT FEBARY 2018, BEG THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE GEE HILL 1936.COMPETG THE MEN'S EE SKATE, RIPPON LIVERED A FLAWLS PERFORMANCE CHOREOGRAPHED TO COLDPLAY'S "O" AND THE CEMATIC ORCHTRA'S "ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS," THE LATTER CHOSEN TO REPRENT HIS RECENT EBACK OM A ACTURED ANKLE. ALTHOUGH HIS FANS QUTNED WHY HE ONLY PLACED THIRD THE EVENT — BEHD TWO OTHER SKATERS WHO FELL WHILE ATTEMPTG DIFFICULT MOV — HIS PERFORMANCE WAS STILL GOOD ENOUGH HELP THE U.S. W THE BRONZE MEDAL THE TEAM EVENT.LATER, RIPPON AGA DAZZLED THE CROWD WH HIS CLEAN PERFORMANC THE SHORT AND LONG PROGRAMS OF THE DIVIDUAL MEN'S SKATE. WHILE THE LACK OF QUAD JUMPS HIS REPERTOIRE MA HIM A LONG SHOT TO MEDAL, HE STILL FISHED A RPECTABLE 10TH PLACE, WHILE EMERGG AS ONE OF THE FAN FAVOR OF THE GAM.'DANCG WH THE STARS'IN APRIL 2018, WAS ANNOUNCED THAT RIPPON WAS JOG THE ST OF A SHORTENED N OF DANCG WH THE STARS: ATHLET. PAIRED WH JENNA JOHNSON, HE WAS TO PETE AGAST FELLOW 2018 OLYMPIANS LIKE MIRAI NAGASU AND JAMIE ANRSON, AS WELL AS NOTOR FORMER FIGURE SKATG CHAMPN TONYA HARDG. RIPPON AND JOHNSON WON THE PETN ON MAY 21, 2018.RIPPON ON INSTAGRAM AND TWTERRIPPON FOUND HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FAN BASE GROWG AS HIS PROFILE CREASED THE DAYS LEADG UP TO THE OLYMPICS. NEVER SHY ABOUT FLNTG HIS PHYSIQUE, HE HAS ED INSTAGRAM TO POST SHIRTLS PICS, ALONG WH THOSE FEATURG HIM POSG WH U.S. TEAMMAT.TWTER, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS PROVID A FOM FOR THE SKATER TO SHOW OFF HIS SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR, WHETHER 'S PLAYFUL BANTER WH THE LIK OF REE WHERSPOON OR POKG FUN AT HIMSELF FOR G TEETH WHENERS. HE'S ALSO ED THE PLATFORM TO ADDRS THE HATERS HIS OWN DISTCT WAY. FOLLOWG HIS OLYMPIC BUT, HE WROTE: "TO ALL THOSE WHO TWEET AT ME SAYG THAT THEY 'HOPE I FAIL', I HAVE FAILED MANY TIM MANY TIM MY LIFE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'VE LEARNED OM EVERY SETBACK, PROUDLY OWN UP TO MY MISTAK, GROWN OM DISAPPOTMENTS, AND NOW I'M A GLAMAZON BCH READY FOR THE NWAY." CLASH WH MIKE PENCETHE PUBLIC GOT S FIRST TASTE OF RIPPON'S OUTSPOKENNS MID-JANUARY 2018, WHEN HE WAS ASKED BY USA TODAY TO MENT ON THE SELECTN OF U.S. VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE AS HEAD OF THE 2018 U.S. OLYMPIC LEGATN TO SOUTH KOREA. "YOU MEAN MIKE PENCE, THE SAME MIKE PENCE THAT FUND GAY NVERSN THERAPY? I’M NOT BUYG ," SAID THE SKATER.RIPPON WAS REFERRG TO A PENCE MPAIGN WEBSE OM 2000 WHICH SAID THAT ROURC SHOULD BE "DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE STUTNS WHICH PROVI ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKG TO CHANGE THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVR." THE VP'S OFFICE SISTED THAT THE PASSAGE WAS REFERRG TO THE PRACTICE OF SAFE SEX, AND PENCE SOUGHT TO PLAY DOWN THE NTROVERSY BY TWEETG HIS SUPPORT OF RIPPON. HE ALSO REPORTEDLY ATTEMPTED TO MEET WH THE SKATER, THOUGH HE NIED DOG SO AFTER RIPPON REBUFFED THE OFFER.RIPPON LATER SAID THAT HE DIDN'T WANT HIS "OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE BEG ABOUT MIKE PENCE" AND SAID HE WOULD NSIR MEETG WH THE VP AT ANOTHER TIME. HOWEVER, HE ALSO FANNED THE POLIL FLAM BY SAYG HE WOULDN'T JO THE RT OF THE U.S. TEAM FOR S TRADNAL VIS THE WHE HOE TO MEET PRINT DONALD TMP AT THE NCLN OF THE {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}NAME: ADAM RIPPONBIRTH YEAR: 1989BIRTH DATE: NOVEMBER 11, 1989BIRTH STATE: PENNSYLVANIABIRTH CY: SCRANTONGENR: MALEBT KNOWN FOR: FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG GAM.ASTROLOGIL SIGN: SRPINTERTG FACTSADAM RIPPON UNRWENT EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY TO RRECT HEARG PROBLEMS.IN 2018, ADAM RIPPON BEME THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE 1936.FACT CHECK
• RIPPON'S BODY IMAGE MENTS HIGHLIGHT HIDN STGGLE AMONG GAY MEN
• OPENLY GAY FIGURE SKATER MAK U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM AND HISTORY
• ADAM RIPPON IS U.S.'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS
• ADAM RIPPON ADORG PARENTS & FAY! OPENLY GAY ATHLETE ROMANTIC DATG LIFE
• ADAM RIPPON IS ALLOWG AMERI TO LOVE A (REALLY) GAY ATHLETE
• IS ADAM RIPPON GAY? WHY THE U.S. OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER DECLED TO MEET WH MIKE PENCE
• WHO IS ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS?
• THE BTERSWEET BETY OF ADAM RIPPONHOW MUCH AN OUT GAY OLYMPIAN ULD MEAN TO A KID NOW—OR TO A 34-YEAR-OLD WHO’S BEEN WAG FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE.BY RICHARD LAWSONFEBARY 12, 2018BY DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEI FELL LOVE WH THE OLYMPICS, PARTICULARLY WH FIGURE SKATG, WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. IT WAS 1992, AND OM FARAWAY ALBERTVILLE, FRANCE, I WAS TRODUCED TO KRISTI YAMAGUCHI AND NANCY KERRIGAN, TWO AMERIN ICE PRCS WHO BOTH MEDALED THAT YEAR, PTURG THE HEARTS OF LNS AND BURROWG TO MY NSCNS LIKE PERHAPS NOTHG BUT THE LTLE MERMAID HAD UP TO THAT POT.MY 10-YEAR-OLD SISTER WAS TO TOO, BUT NOT QUE THE SAME ARNT WAY. LUCKILY, I HAD A IEND, A BT IEND, REALLY—I’LL LL HIM RYAN—WHO UNRSTOOD WHAT ALL MEANT TO ME, BEE MEANT AS MUCH TO HIM. WE SPENT WHAT I REMEMBER BEG A WHOLE WTER CIDG WHICH SKATER WAS OUR FAVORE (ONLY THE WOMEN, NEVER THE MEN; EVEN AT THAT AGE, THERE WAS SOMETHG PERHAPS TOO TRIGUG ABOUT THEM) AND GLIDG AROUND ON HIS HARDWOOD LIVG-ROOM FLOOR OUR SOCKS—PRETENDG TO DO TRIPLE AXELS AND SALCHOWS, AWKWARDLY MIMICKG KERRIGAN’S BEGUILG SPS—TWO SILLY LTLE BOYS WH AN APPRECIATN FOR THE GRACEFUL THGS THIS ROUGH WORLD.BY THE TIME THE LILLEHAMMER GAM 1994 ARRIVED (HOW SPOILED WE WERE TO HAVE THEM ONLY TWO YEARS APART!), WH ALL THEIR TONYA HARDG DRAMA, RYAN AND I HAD DRIFTED APART, AS IS THE NATURAL DOWNWARD ARC OF A IENDSHIP WHEN YOU DON’T GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL OR LIVE THE SAME TOWN. OURS, I ALWAYS SUPPOSED, HAD JT BEEN A IENDSHIP OF NVENIENCE, UNTIL WASN’T. WHAT REMAED WAS MY LOVE OF OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATG, AND I WATCHED RAPT EVERY FOUR YEARS. MY HMAN YEAR OF LLEGE, MY NEW IENDS (ALL GIRLS) THOUGHT I WAS SANE—BUT ALSO MAYBE A LTLE FUN—WHEN I CRIED BTER TEARS AT MICHELLE KWAN’S GEO “FIELDS OF GOLD” EXHIBN SKATE, AFTER SHE’D FISHED A DISAPPOTG THIRD. OVER THE YEARS, OLYMPIC ICE SKATG OFFERED ME AN OUTLET FOR BIG FEELGS, THE WAY OTHER SPORTS MIGHT DO FOR OTHER MEN, I SUPPOSE.ANYWAY, I GOT OLR. TIME PASSED. I ME OUT, HAD A FEW FUMBLG ROMANC WH GUYS, AND I BEGAN MY ADULT LIFE. I WOULD SOMETIM, UALLY AROUND OLYMPICS TIME, WAX MDL TO OTHER IENDS ABOUT RYAN AND OUR SKATG OBSSN THAT WTER LONG AGO. PERHAPS SPURRED ON BY ONE OF THOSE REVERI, A FEW YEARS AGO I TRACKED RYAN DOWN ON FACEBOOK. I SAW THAT HE LIVED LOS ANGEL, AND, LIKE ME, WAS A WRER. AND I SAW THAT, QUE UNLIKE ME, HE WAS VASTATGLY HANDSOME—A LLEGE SOCCER JOCK-TURNED-WEEKEND OUTDOORSMAN, WH THE RIPPLED AME AND CHISELED FEATUR TO MATCH.WH SOME BATN OF CURSY AND JEALONS, I REACHED OUT—TOLD HIM I’D BE TOWN FOR A WORK THG A UPLE MONTHS, AND WOULD HE MAYBE LIKE TO GET A DRK. HE AGREED AND WE MET—EVEN MORE HANDSOME PERSON, BUT STILL THE FOX-FACED BOY I REMEMBER AT EIGHT YEARS OLD—AND OVER THE URSE OF A UPLE OF DRKS, I LEARNED THAT HE IS GAY TOO. I WAS SURPRISED, AND TOLD HIM AS MUCH. HE REPLIED, “SURPRISED? RICHARD, WE ED TO DO FIGURE-SKATG ROUT MY LIVG ROOM.” SO HE REMEMBERED TOO!LAST SUMMER I TOOK SOME IENDS UP TO MY PARENTS’ HOE RHO ISLAND, AND ON THE FIRST NIGHT, MY MOTHER AND I WERE UPSTAIRS, MAKG UP THE FOLD-OUT UCH FOR ONE OF THE GUTS. I N’T REMEMBER HOW WE GOT ON THE TOPIC, BUT SOMEHOW RYAN ME UP. SHE ASKED IF HE WAS MARRIED AND I SAID—AS IF THIS WAS AN ANSWER TO HER QUTN—THAT, NO, HE WAS GAY. MY MOM STOPPED TENDG TO THE BEDSHEETS AND LOOKED UP AT ME. “YOU’RE KIDDG,” SHE SAID. “HE’S GAY? AND TO THK HIS FATHER SAID YOU TWO ULDN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE BEE HE THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY.”I WAS SHOCKED, AND ASKED MY MOM A FEW QUTNS ABOUT —WAS THE THKG THAT I, AT EIGHT YEARS OLD, WAS TURNG RYAN GAY? HAD I ASKED WHY I SUDNLY DIDN’T SEE MY BT IEND ANYMORE?—BUT THEN JT KD OF BSHED OFF AND HEAD BACK TO THE WEEKEND WH MY IENDS, TO A LIFE WHERE I TRY TO NOT ET TOO MUCH OVER STUFF THAT DID OR DIDN’T HAPPEN A QUARTER CENTURY AGO. BUT OVER TIME, THAT LTLE SUAL REVEAL—THAT RYAN AND I HAD NOT NATURALLY DRIFTED APART, AS I’D LONG THOUGHT—BEGAN TO WEAR AT ME. IN THE MONTHS SCE, ’S MA ME SO SAD FOR LTLE ME AND LTLE HIM—GAY BOYS WHO WERE UNAWARE OF THE MECHANISMS LOOMG OVER THEM, WHO DID NOT KNOW THEY’D BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, HAD BEEN NSIRED FOR THEIR DIFFERENCE ALREADY.I THOUGHT OF RYAN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, WHEN FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON MA HIS GRAND OLYMPIC BUT—OLD, AT 28 (UGH), FOR A FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN, BUT SO MANY OTHER WAYS BRAND NEW. HE’S THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS (OUT GAY SKIER G KENWORTHY PETED HIS FIRST OLYMPICS WHILE STILL THE CLOSET), AND HAS BEEN PLAYFULLY UNABASHED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, ON AND OFF THE ICE. I’D BEEN AWARE OF RIPPON, PERHAPS PAFULLY SO, FOR A UPLE OF YEARS, BUT HAD NOT REALLY GRAPPLED WH WHAT HE MIGHT MEAN UNTIL HIS SKATE THE TEAM EVENT ON SUNDAY, A TWTER-TRENDG RIGHTEO MOMENT THAT FELT LIKE A HIGH ACHIEVEMENT BEFORE THE SR EVEN ME . (THE AMERINS EVENTUALLY EARNED A BRONZE MEDAL.)PERHAPS THE TIMG WAS JT RIGHT FOR RIPPON, WH AMERI MIRED DISPIRG POLIL DISASTER AND ROILG SOCIAL ANIM. PRR TO THE GAM, RIPPON VOICED DISAPPROVAL OF VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE—WHO WOULD BE ATTENDG THE OPENG CEREMONI AND PLANNED TO MEET WH THE U.S. TEAM—TURNG RIPPON TO SOMETHG OF A POLIL HERO. (OF URSE, RIPPON ENJOYS A CERTA LEVEL OF PROTECTN THAT POLILLY OUTSPOKEN ATHLET OF LOR, LIKE COL KAEPERNICK, DO NOT.) AND THEN HE WENT AND DID HIS ROUTE, A SOFT-SPOKEN, ELEGANT PROGRAM SET TO COLDPLAY MIC (YUP!), MORE FLUID AND LITE AND, Y, EFFEMATE, THAN THE BOY SKATERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. HERE WAS A MAN BEG HIMSELF, AT THE PEAK OF HIS ABILI, ON AN TERNATNAL STAGE, HAILED AS A HERO. AND EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS GAY!EVERYONE KNEW JOHNNY WEIR WAS GAY BACK 2006 AND 2010, WHEN HIS LOUD STUM AND QUEENY SOUCIANCE WERE THE FOC OF MUCH OLYMPIC CHATTER. BUT HE DIDN’T SAY UNTIL LATER; THERE WAS ALWAYS A GUARDNS ABOUT HIM, A TEASE. WEIR WAS A MENTATOR LAST NIGHT DURG RIPPON’S SKATE, AND I THOUGHT I HEARD A LTLE TCH HIS VOICE, SOME NOTE OF REGRET. MAYBE THAT WAS ME PROJECTG, BUT I’D HAVE TO IMAGE THAT SOMEONE LIKE RIPPON—SO SIAR EXCEPT ONE CCIAL WAY—MIGHT GIVE WEIR PSE, MAKE HIM THK ABOUT HIS OWN OLYMPIC PAST, AND WONR WHAT IF.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLI SPECT THAT RIPPON HAS THAT EFFECT ON LOTS OF PEOPLE—THAT MIX OF EXCEMENT AND MELANCHOLY. HE CERTALY DO ON ME. HAVE I MENTNED YET THAT ADAM RIPPON IS GEO? LIKE, CHISELED BY AN ANCIENT (AND FELY GAY) GREEK SCULPTOR WH A LOVG HAND, MMERIZGLY SYMMETRIL WH EY THAT GLOW LIKE JEWELS. HE’S ABSURD, REALLY. IT HURTS TO LOOK AT ADAM RIPPON, BUT THE DOULR EXQUISE WAY, THE GOOD KD OF HURT—THE KD THAT ACH TO BE WH HIM, THAT ACH TO BE HIM.THAT’S A FEELG PERHAPS UNIQUELY PARTICULAR TO THE GAY EXPERIENCE, THE MUDDIED NFN OVER WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE SOMEONE’S PANN OR IF YOU WANT TO STEP SI THEIR SK, TO HAB THE WORLD AS THEY DO. WATCHG RIPPON HAVE HIS TRIUMPHANT MOMENT ON SUNDAY NIGHT—AND GIVE A FUNNY, ANK TERVIEW AFTERWARD—I FELT THE KD OF YEARNG FOR A CELEBRY THAT I HAVEN’T FELT SCE I WAS 17, HALF MY LIFE AGO. HOW STRANGE TO EXPERIENCE THAT WHILE WATCHG SPORTS, AN AREA OF CULTURE I’M UALLY PRETTY ALIENATED OM UNLS ’S OLYMPICS TIME. SURE THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF SWIMMERS AND GYMNASTS AND WHOMEVER ELSE TO LT AFTER OLYMPICS PAST, BUT RIPPON IS SOMETHG ELSE—A SASSY BEAN OF HOPE, A GAY ANGEL SENT TO LIGHT AND, SURE, SADN A LTLE WH ALL HIS DISTANT BETY AND POISE.I FELT THIS AS A 34-YEAR-OLD, AND THEN REALIZED HOW MUCH MORE ACUTELY THE ADAM RIPPON OF ALL MT SWEETLY STG FOR A WI-EYED KID. THE EFFIVE REACTN TO RIPPON SHOWS HOW VERY IMPORTANT REPRENTATN N BE, JT AS BLACK PANTHER WILL WHEN ARRIV MOVIE THEATERS THIS WEEK. IT MATTERS TO A CHILD—AND TO AN ADULT—TO, Y, SEE SOME REFLECTN OF THEMSELV. BUT ALSO TO HAVE THE FARAWAY HERO, THE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IALS. MAYBE THOSE UNREACHABLE GODS SOMEHOW HELP CLARIFY THGS HERE ON EARTH.IF I, AT EIGHT, OR 10, OR 14 (OH GOD, 14), HAD SEEN ADAM RIPPON ALL HIS SWANNG, PROUD SPLENDOR, AND EVERYONE APPLDG HIM FOR , WOULD HAVE STROYED ME—BUT ALSO REMA ME. IT WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHG TO ME THAT I RARELY EVER HEARD SAID. HOW MUCH TIME YOUNG QUEER PEOPLE SPEND YEARNG FOR THAT KD OF NNECTN, FOREVER SIFTG THROUGH CULTURE TO FD THE GAY STUFF. WHEN YOU FD , N SPEAK TO YOU ALMOST HOLY TON. ON SUNDAY NIGHT, THERE WAS GAY STUFF, AND SWISHY GAY STUFF TO BOOT, RIGHT THERE ON NATNAL TV, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED : POWERFUL AND ACPLISHED AND BETIFUL.WATCHG RIPPON’S PROGRAM, AND ALL THE SUBSEQUENT FERVOR, I LET MYSELF DRIFT BACK TO MY SOCKED-FOOT SKATG DAYS. I WONRED IF RYAN WATCHED THE BROADST, AND WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT . I ENTERTAED A BTERSWEET FANTASY, WISHG THAT WE WERE KIDS NOW, WATCHG RIPPON’S BIG SKATE TOGETHER, MAYBE NOT AWARE OF WHAT EXACTLY WE WERE SEEG, BUT POSSSED OF THAT TERNAL KNOWG, THAT REGNN OF SAME, THAT TO RM SO MUCH OF GAY LIFE. THE NEW SADNS THAT BLOOMED ME LAST SUMMER, WHEN I LEARNED THE TE HISTORY OF ME AND RYAN, WAS POUND, BUT A STRANGE WAY ALSO HEALED, ON SUNDAY NIGHT. HOW OFTEN, WAYS PETTY AND PROFOUND, THE WORLD TRI TO TAMP DOWN WHAT ADAM RIPPON SO WONDROLY, NFINTLY EXUD ON THAT ICE. AND HOW TERRIFIC THAT SO MANY KIDS MAY HAVE SEEN AND LOVED AND THEN GONE SKATG AROUND THEIR OWN LIVG ROOMS, MAYBE FEELG A LTLE EER THAN BEFORE.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLTHE BT SIGHTS AT THE 2018 OLYMPICS OPENG CEREMONY1 / 18CHEVRONCHEVRONBY QUN ROONEY/GETTY IMAG.RICHARD LAWSON
• USA TODAY: GAY OLYMPIC ATHLETE TURNS DOWN PENCE MEETG
• GAY ATHLET MAKE HISTORY AT WTER OLYMPICS
• ADAM RIPPON GETS EMOTNAL WATCHG A STRANGER COMFORT GAY ATHLETE ON HIDN-CAMERA SHOW
• ADAM RIPPON MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO W AT THE WTER OLYMPICS
• GET TO KNOW ADAM RIPPON — THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO EVER QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS

ADAM {LOR:#595959;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:600;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:0.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.25REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.2;}} A{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;} A:HOVER{LOR:#A00000;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG {LOR:#323232;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}BY TIM {DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;MARG-LEFT:0.625REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}UPDATED: SEP 29, {DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;}{MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 64REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(100VW - (1REM * 2));MARG-LEFT:1REM;MARG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(-1 * 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - (LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 2 * 1REM)) / -2);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 90REM){{MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / 2);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM) - 1REM - 20.625REM) / -2) - 1REM);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 2);MAX-WIDTH:LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM);PADDG-LEFT:1REM;PADDG-RIGHT:1REM;} .E152U5OS0{WIDTH:100VW;MARG-LEFT:LC(LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 + 1REM)) / -2) - LC(2 * 1REM));}[DATA-HAS-SPONSOR] {MARG-LEFT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);MARG-RIGHT:LC((100VW - LC(20.625REM * 2 - 1REM)) / 4);}}{JTIFY-SELF:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG-LEFT:-50VW;MARG-RIGHT:-50VW;WIDTH:100VW;LEFT:50%;RIGHT:50%;}}{HEIGHT:TO;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO LC(50% - 50VW);}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:TO;}}{POSN:RELATIVE;HEIGHT:TO;}{POSN:RELATIVE;--POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} A{POSN:ABSOLUTE;}{POSN:RELATIVE;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;VERTIL-ALIGN:TOP;}{BACKGROUND:#C92228;BOTTOM:0;PADDG:.5REM;RIGHT:0;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG:0.39REM;}}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:1REM;WIDTH:1REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:1.063REM;HEIGHT:1.063REM;}}{LE-HEIGHT:1;MARG-TOP:0.3125REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0;}}{LOR:#595959;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;}PHOTO: MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;POSN:RELATIVE;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:3.5REM;PADDG-RIGHT:3.5REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{MAX-WIDTH:45.25REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 61.25REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM) AND (MAX-WIDTH: 100REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0REM;}} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}{CLEAR:BOTH;NTENT:" ";DISPLAY:BLOCK;FONT-SIZE:0.7REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.5REM;HEIGHT:0REM;VISIBILY:HIDN;}{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;}(1989-){LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:800;LETTER-SPACG:0.02EM;MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;MARG-TOP:0.625REM;}@MEDIA(MAX-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:1.875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{FONT-SIZE:2REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.1;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;}WHO IS ADAM RIPPON?ADAM RIPPON DISPLAYED IMMENSE EARLY PROMISE AS A FIGURE SKATER WH BACK-TO-BACK WS AT THE WORLD JUNR CHAMPNSHIPS. HE MISSED OUT ON BERTHS WH THE U.S. TEAMS FOR THE 2010 AND 2014 WTER OLYMPICS BUT REGAED HIS STANDG THE SPORT WH A W AT THE 2016 U.S. NATNAL CHAMPNSHIPS. IN 2018, RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS, WHERE HE WON A BRONZE MEDAL AND EMERGED AS A FAN FAVORE.EARLY LIFERIPPON WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 11, 1989, SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. DISVERED TO BE NEARLY AF, HE UNRWENT RRECTIVE EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY.RIPPON'S PARENTS DIVORCED WHEN HE WAS 13, AND HE HAS NOTED THAT HE IS NOT CLOSE WH HIS FATHER. THE OLST OF SIX CHILDREN, RIPPON WAS RAISED THE BLUE-LLAR TOWN OF CLARKS SUMM, AN ENVIRONMENT NOT ALWAYS WELG TO A BOY G TO GRIPS WH HIS HOMOSEXUALY. HIS MOM, KELLY, A FORMER DANCER AND SKATG ENTHIAST, TRIED TO AX HIM ONTO THE ICE; IALLY RISTANT, HE CHANGED HIS MD AFTER JOG IENDS FOR AN ICE-SKATG THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY.WH MONTHS, KELLY WAS MAKG THE TWO-HOUR-PL TRIP TO PHILALPHIA TWICE PER WEEK FOR HER OLST SON'S LSONS. AT AGE 11, RIPPON WAS CHOSEN TO PORTRAY A YOUNG {-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN-THICKNS:0.0625REM;TEXT-RATN-LOR:HER;TEXT-UNRLE-OFFSET:0.25REM;LOR:#A00000;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;TRANSN:ALL 0.3S EASE--OUT;}{LOR:#595959;TEXT-RATN-LOR:BORR-LK-BODY-HOVER;}STT HATON A STARS ON ICE REVUE, HIS FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE EXPERIENCE OF SKATG BEFORE AN APPRECIATIVE CROWD.SKATG CAREERRIPPON'S REER GOT OFF TO A VERY PROMISG START WHEN HE WON THE 2007 JUNR GRAND PRIX FAL TLE AND FOLLOWED BY BEG THE FIRST MALE TO W BACK-TO-BACK WORLD JUNR TL, 2008 AND 2009. HE HOPED TO LEVERAGE THAT MOMENTUM TO A SPOT ON THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2010 VANUVER OLYMPICS BUT END UP BEG SELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE.A SILVER MEDALIST AT THE 2012 NATNALS, RIPPON MOVED TO LOS ANGEL THAT YEAR TO BEG TRAG WH NOTED ACH RAFAEL ATUNIAN. HOWEVER, HE SUFFERED ONE OF THE BIGGT SETBACKS OF HIS REER WH AN EIGHTH-PLACE FISH AT THE 2014 NATNALS, DASHG ANY HOP OF NSIRATN FOR THE SOCHI GAM. DPONNT, RIPPON NSIRED QUTG SKATG, BEFORE REKDLG HIS LOVE FOR THE SPORT BY CHOREOGRAPHG ROUT FOR FELLOW SKATERS ASHLEY WAGNER AND MIRAI NAGASU.RIPPON BOUNCED BACK TO GRAB ANOTHER SILVER AT THE 2015 NATNALS, BEFORE WNG HIS FIRST U.S. TLE 2016. A ACTURED FOOT PREVENTED HIM OM FENDG HIS TLE 2017, BUT HE RETURNED LATER THE YEAR TO EARN SILVER BOTH OF HIS GRAND PRIX EVENTS.AT THE 2018 NATNALS, RIPPON FELL ON HIS OPENG JUMP OF THE LONG PROGRAM AND FISHED FOURTH PLACE. HOWEVER, HE WAS GIVEN CRED FOR HIS OVERALL BODY OF WORK FOR THE SEASON AND CHOSEN FOR ONE OF THE THREE SPOTS ON THE U.S. MEN'S TEAM, ALONGSI NATHAN CHEN AND VCENT ZHOU, GIVG HIM HIS LONG-AWAED OLYMPIC OPPORTUNY.GAY OLYMPIANWH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. OLYMPIC MEN'S FIGURE SKATG TEAM JANUARY 2018, ADAM RIPPON, WHO REVEALED HIS SEXUALY THE OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE OF SKATG, BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS.RIPPON WAS NOT THE ONLY ACKNOWLEDGED GAY ATHLETE AT THE PYEONGCHANG GAM; HE WAS JOED ON THE U.S. SQUAD BY CELEBRATED SKIER G KENWORTHY, THOUGH KENWORTHY'S SEXUALY WAS STILL A SECRET WHEN HE WON HIS SILVER MEDAL AT THE 2014 SOCHI GAM. ADDNALLY, SKATG ANALYST JOHNNY WEIR WAS MORED TO BE GAY DURG HIS DAYS AS AN ACTIVE PETOR, THOUGH HE REMAED TIGHT-LIPPED ON THE SUBJECT UNR THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE 2006 AND 2010 GAM.2018 OLYMPIC PERFORMANCERIPPON MA ADDNAL HISTORY WH HIS OLYMPIC BUT FEBARY 2018, BEG THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE GEE HILL 1936.COMPETG THE MEN'S EE SKATE, RIPPON LIVERED A FLAWLS PERFORMANCE CHOREOGRAPHED TO COLDPLAY'S "O" AND THE CEMATIC ORCHTRA'S "ARRIVAL OF THE BIRDS," THE LATTER CHOSEN TO REPRENT HIS RECENT EBACK OM A ACTURED ANKLE. ALTHOUGH HIS FANS QUTNED WHY HE ONLY PLACED THIRD THE EVENT — BEHD TWO OTHER SKATERS WHO FELL WHILE ATTEMPTG DIFFICULT MOV — HIS PERFORMANCE WAS STILL GOOD ENOUGH HELP THE U.S. W THE BRONZE MEDAL THE TEAM EVENT.LATER, RIPPON AGA DAZZLED THE CROWD WH HIS CLEAN PERFORMANC THE SHORT AND LONG PROGRAMS OF THE DIVIDUAL MEN'S SKATE. WHILE THE LACK OF QUAD JUMPS HIS REPERTOIRE MA HIM A LONG SHOT TO MEDAL, HE STILL FISHED A RPECTABLE 10TH PLACE, WHILE EMERGG AS ONE OF THE FAN FAVOR OF THE GAM.'DANCG WH THE STARS'IN APRIL 2018, WAS ANNOUNCED THAT RIPPON WAS JOG THE ST OF A SHORTENED N OF DANCG WH THE STARS: ATHLET. PAIRED WH JENNA JOHNSON, HE WAS TO PETE AGAST FELLOW 2018 OLYMPIANS LIKE MIRAI NAGASU AND JAMIE ANRSON, AS WELL AS NOTOR FORMER FIGURE SKATG CHAMPN TONYA HARDG. RIPPON AND JOHNSON WON THE PETN ON MAY 21, 2018.RIPPON ON INSTAGRAM AND TWTERRIPPON FOUND HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FAN BASE GROWG AS HIS PROFILE CREASED THE DAYS LEADG UP TO THE OLYMPICS. NEVER SHY ABOUT FLNTG HIS PHYSIQUE, HE HAS ED INSTAGRAM TO POST SHIRTLS PICS, ALONG WH THOSE FEATURG HIM POSG WH U.S. TEAMMAT.TWTER, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS PROVID A FOM FOR THE SKATER TO SHOW OFF HIS SHARP SENSE OF HUMOR, WHETHER 'S PLAYFUL BANTER WH THE LIK OF REE WHERSPOON OR POKG FUN AT HIMSELF FOR G TEETH WHENERS. HE'S ALSO ED THE PLATFORM TO ADDRS THE HATERS HIS OWN DISTCT WAY. FOLLOWG HIS OLYMPIC BUT, HE WROTE: "TO ALL THOSE WHO TWEET AT ME SAYG THAT THEY 'HOPE I FAIL', I HAVE FAILED MANY TIM MANY TIM MY LIFE. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'VE LEARNED OM EVERY SETBACK, PROUDLY OWN UP TO MY MISTAK, GROWN OM DISAPPOTMENTS, AND NOW I'M A GLAMAZON BCH READY FOR THE NWAY." CLASH WH MIKE PENCETHE PUBLIC GOT S FIRST TASTE OF RIPPON'S OUTSPOKENNS MID-JANUARY 2018, WHEN HE WAS ASKED BY USA TODAY TO MENT ON THE SELECTN OF U.S. VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE AS HEAD OF THE 2018 U.S. OLYMPIC LEGATN TO SOUTH KOREA. "YOU MEAN MIKE PENCE, THE SAME MIKE PENCE THAT FUND GAY NVERSN THERAPY? I’M NOT BUYG ," SAID THE SKATER.RIPPON WAS REFERRG TO A PENCE MPAIGN WEBSE OM 2000 WHICH SAID THAT ROURC SHOULD BE "DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE STUTNS WHICH PROVI ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKG TO CHANGE THEIR SEXUAL BEHAVR." THE VP'S OFFICE SISTED THAT THE PASSAGE WAS REFERRG TO THE PRACTICE OF SAFE SEX, AND PENCE SOUGHT TO PLAY DOWN THE NTROVERSY BY TWEETG HIS SUPPORT OF RIPPON. HE ALSO REPORTEDLY ATTEMPTED TO MEET WH THE SKATER, THOUGH HE NIED DOG SO AFTER RIPPON REBUFFED THE OFFER.RIPPON LATER SAID THAT HE DIDN'T WANT HIS "OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE BEG ABOUT MIKE PENCE" AND SAID HE WOULD NSIR MEETG WH THE VP AT ANOTHER TIME. HOWEVER, HE ALSO FANNED THE POLIL FLAM BY SAYG HE WOULDN'T JO THE RT OF THE U.S. TEAM FOR S TRADNAL VIS THE WHE HOE TO MEET PRINT DONALD TMP AT THE NCLN OF THE {--DATA-EMBED-DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;CLEAR:BOTH;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;MARG-BOTTOM:0.9375REM;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;WIDTH:100%;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{WIDTH:100%;MARG:0 TO 0.9375REM;}} A SPAN{RIGHT:1REM;} IMG{WIDTH:TO;HEIGHT:85VH;} A{DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;POSN:VAR(--POSN, RELATIVE);} IMG:NOT(.EWCW41W1){DISPLAY:BLOCK;WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;-WEBK-ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;-MS-FLEX-EM-ALIGN:FLEX-START;ALIGN-SELF:FLEX-START;}{WIDTH:100%;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-LE-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-LE-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:LE-FLEX;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;MARG-LEFT:TO;MARG-RIGHT:TO;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 20REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 30REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 40.625REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 64REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 73.75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 75REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 90REM){{PADDG-LEFT:0REM;}}{BORR:0;BORR-BOTTOM:TH SOLID BLACK;MARG:1.875REM 0;CLEAR:BOTH;}QUICK {FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-SIZE:1.1875REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.6;MARG:0.9375REM 0 0 0.625REM;PADDG:0 0 0 1.25REM;}@MEDIA(M-WIDTH: 48REM){{MARG:0.9375REM 0;}} B, STRONG{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} EM, I{FONT-FAY:HER;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;} LI{PADDG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} LI::MARKER{LOR:#323232;}NAME: ADAM RIPPONBIRTH YEAR: 1989BIRTH DATE: NOVEMBER 11, 1989BIRTH STATE: PENNSYLVANIABIRTH CY: SCRANTONGENR: MALEBT KNOWN FOR: FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON BEME THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS WH HIS SELECTN TO THE U.S. TEAM FOR THE 2018 PYEONGCHANG GAM.ASTROLOGIL SIGN: SRPINTERTG FACTSADAM RIPPON UNRWENT EAR SURGERY BEFORE HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY TO RRECT HEARG PROBLEMS.IN 2018, ADAM RIPPON BEME THE OLST FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN TO REPRENT THE U.S. FIGURE SKATG SCE 1936.FACT CHECK

In 2018, Rippon beme the first openly gay Amerin man to qualify for the Wter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal and emerged as a fan LifeRippon was born on November 11, 1989, Scranton, Pennsylvania. The olst of six children, Rippon was raised the blue-llar town of Clarks Summ, an environment not always welg to a boy g to grips wh his homosexualy. Olympic men's figure skatg team January 2018, Adam Rippon, who revealed his sexualy the October 2015 issue of Skatg, beme the first openly gay Amerin athlete to qualify for the Wter was not the only acknowledged gay athlete at the PyeongChang Gam; he was joed on the U.

Addnally, skatg analyst Johnny Weir was mored to be gay durg his days as an active petor, though he remaed tight-lipped on the subject unr the spotlight of the 2006 and 2010 Gam. Team for s tradnal vis the Whe Hoe to meet Print Donald Tmp at the ncln of the FACTSName: Adam RipponBirth Year: 1989Birth date: November 11, 1989Birth State: PennsylvaniaBirth Cy: ScrantonGenr: MaleBt Known For: Figure skater Adam Rippon beme the first openly gay Amerin man to qualify for the Wter Olympics wh his selectn to the U.

The newly mted Olympic bronze medalist has talked about the importance of LGBTQ reprentatn at the Wter Gam, and he has publicly sparred wh Vice Print Mike Pence over Pence’s alleged support of so-lled gay nversn week, Rippon spoke up about another issue, one that has reportedly been an open secret the world of male figure skatg and a pervasive problem the gay male muny: eatg skater Adam Rippon speaks durg a prs nference on Febary 13, 2018 Pyeongchang, South Graythen / Getty ImagIn an terview wh The New York Tim, Rippon, who is openly gay, spoke about body issu the world of sports and the prsure he felt to be th orr to appeal to the judg. ”While Rippon, who is openly gay, spoke specifilly about body issu the world of sports, his ments highlighted the often overlooked subject of eatg disorrs and body-image issu men, particularly gay men.

RIPPON'S BODY IMAGE MENTS HIGHLIGHT HIDN STGGLE AMONG GAY MEN

The anizatn also found gay men stggle disproportnately wh body image issu and eatg disorrs: Though they are thought to make up jt 5 percent of the natnal male populatn, gay men acunt for 42 percent of men who report havg an eatg disorr. OBJECTIFICATION“What you often fd is gay men report to feelg objectified often the same way that women do, ” Renee Engeln, a profsor of psychology at Northwtern Universy, told NBC News. ”Engeln add that gay men, like other margalized muni, are more likely to suffer om “mory strs, ” the add psychologil burn of social stigma and discrimatn.

”SHAME AND GUILTTroy Rons, a reprentative for NEDA and an openly gay man who has stggled wh body dysmorphia and anorexia, noted that men, both gay and straight, are ls likely to seek help for an eatg disorr. ”“If beg vulnerable is a threat to manhood, beg vulnerable and havg the same issue as women is a double h, ” she and Engeln both speculated, however, that gay men may be more likely than straight men to disclose their stggle wh an eatg disorr.

OPENLY GAY FIGURE SKATER MAK U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM AND HISTORY

This, they said, uld partially expla NEDA's fdgs that gay men acunt for more than 40 percent of men who report havg an eatg said that his se, he ed rtricted eatg to exercise ntrol over his life and to project strength. ”Rippon, who has cheekily labeled himself "Ameri's sweetheart, " has bee a bean of nfince and strength for many gay men, thanks to his Olympic medal-wng performance on the ice and his penchant for snappy jok. Gay Olympic medalist figure skater Adam Rippon displays his ual charm and poise the face of clickba.

Rippon, the openly gay figure skater who won over Ameri at the Wter Olympics, has retired om petn. Amerin figure skater Adam Rippon has qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Gam, makg him the first openly gay U. The 28-year-old Olympics rookie will be joed South Korea by fellow Amerin figure skaters Vcent Zhou, 17, and Nathan Chen, may also be, acrdg to rearch nducted by LGBTQ sports se Outsports, "the first publicly out gay man ever selected to a Wter Olympics team om any untry any sport.

ADAM RIPPON IS U.S.'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS

"I was recently asked an terview what s like to be a gay athlete sports, " he tweeted. "While an openly gay man has never peted for Team USA the Wter Olympics, a few have peted durg the Summer Gam, but the list is short — very short. Then there was openly gay diver Patrick Jefey, who peted the 1996 Olympic Gam 2016 R Olympics had a rerd of 56 publicly out LGBTQ athlet petg, ne of them Amerin, acrdg to Outsports.

Adam Rippon, a 28-year-old figure skater, will be the first openly gay man to pete for the Uned Stat the Wter Olympics.

ADAM RIPPON ADORG PARENTS & FAY! OPENLY GAY ATHLETE ROMANTIC DATG LIFE

A third gay athlete, luger John Fennell, had also been vyg for a spot on Team USA, but a sled malfunctn slashed his chance at qualifyg December. Hasn't sent an openly gay man to the Summer Olympics 14 years — sce equtrians Robert Dover and Guenter Seil peted 2004. "Any article I do now is sort of like, 'Gay Olympian Adam Rippon, '" says Adam Rippon, the 28-year-old figure skater who do, fact, own the distctn of beg the first openly gay athlete ever to make a U.

ADAM RIPPON IS ALLOWG AMERI TO LOVE A (REALLY) GAY ATHLETE

It wasn't until several weeks after his selectn, though, that the label beme practilly mandatory to clu stori about Rippon, when he sharply cricized the cisn to have stg vice print and noted homophobe Mike Pence lead the Amerin legatn to the openg ceremony Pyeongchang. "Beg gay has never been a big al to me, which is why 's a ltle funny to be gettg all this attentn about , " he explaed. " seem to relish teractg wh people on Twter—particularly wh those who @ you wh some brand of homophobia.

I tweeted a while ago about an terview which I was asked what 's like to be a gay athlete, and I said, "It's exactly like beg a straight athlete, except wh better eyebrows. I was a ltle surprised to learn that 2018, the Uned Stat still had yet to have an openly gay Wter Olympian. About a year after Rsia’s "gay propaganda" law was enacted, reporters were askg athlet about at a media summ before the 2014 Sochi Gam.

IS ADAM RIPPON GAY? WHY THE U.S. OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER DECLED TO MEET WH MIKE PENCE

Figure Skatg wanted to do a ver story for their magaze wh Ashley and me, and I said that I wanted to talk about beg gay—to very sually brg up the article.

I've told both of them separately that if they ever need anythg, they n always e to next athlet who e out won't be "gay Olympians. I don't know, but I do feel that Print Obama's cisn to have gay former Olympic gold medalists lead the Sochi legatn 2014 was a really poignant choice.

In spe of g out as gay few years ago, Amerin figure skater and self-proclaimed 'Ameri's sweetheart' Adam Rippon had not been able to fd the man he would be patible wh—until Pennsylvania native won the Ameri's and world's heart when he won the bronze medal 2018 Wter Olympics and also appeared and won the 26th season of Dancg Wh The Stars (DWTS) 2018.

WHO IS ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS?

Dancg Wh The Stars: Adam Rippon and his partner Jenna Johnson w the DWTS season 26 (published 21 March 2018) Adam is the first openly gay medalist for the US Wter Olympics and also the first openly gay wner of Rippon's Parents Coaxed Him Into SkatgBorn on 11 November 1989 Scranton, Pennsylvania as the elst of six children of Rick and Kelly Rippon, Adam had a hearg disabily om his birth. Another Athlete: Jeremy Bloom & Adventuro Girliend Might Jt Get Married; Here's WhyAlready acctomed to twirlg, Adam and his choreographer partner Jenna Johnson twirled their way to victory DWTS 2018, th beg the first openly gay wner of the show. Fally Found Perfect Boyiend, Can't Wa To Take Thgs To Next LevelEven after he me out as gay 2015, there was no news of his boyiend.

THE BTERSWEET BETY OF ADAM RIPPONHOW MUCH AN OUT GAY OLYMPIAN ULD MEAN TO A KID NOW—OR TO A 34-YEAR-OLD WHO’S BEEN WAG FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE.BY RICHARD LAWSONFEBARY 12, 2018BY DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEI FELL LOVE WH THE OLYMPICS, PARTICULARLY WH FIGURE SKATG, WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. IT WAS 1992, AND OM FARAWAY ALBERTVILLE, FRANCE, I WAS TRODUCED TO KRISTI YAMAGUCHI AND NANCY KERRIGAN, TWO AMERIN ICE PRCS WHO BOTH MEDALED THAT YEAR, PTURG THE HEARTS OF LNS AND BURROWG TO MY NSCNS LIKE PERHAPS NOTHG BUT THE LTLE MERMAID HAD UP TO THAT POT.MY 10-YEAR-OLD SISTER WAS TO TOO, BUT NOT QUE THE SAME ARNT WAY. LUCKILY, I HAD A IEND, A BT IEND, REALLY—I’LL LL HIM RYAN—WHO UNRSTOOD WHAT ALL MEANT TO ME, BEE MEANT AS MUCH TO HIM. WE SPENT WHAT I REMEMBER BEG A WHOLE WTER CIDG WHICH SKATER WAS OUR FAVORE (ONLY THE WOMEN, NEVER THE MEN; EVEN AT THAT AGE, THERE WAS SOMETHG PERHAPS TOO TRIGUG ABOUT THEM) AND GLIDG AROUND ON HIS HARDWOOD LIVG-ROOM FLOOR OUR SOCKS—PRETENDG TO DO TRIPLE AXELS AND SALCHOWS, AWKWARDLY MIMICKG KERRIGAN’S BEGUILG SPS—TWO SILLY LTLE BOYS WH AN APPRECIATN FOR THE GRACEFUL THGS THIS ROUGH WORLD.BY THE TIME THE LILLEHAMMER GAM 1994 ARRIVED (HOW SPOILED WE WERE TO HAVE THEM ONLY TWO YEARS APART!), WH ALL THEIR TONYA HARDG DRAMA, RYAN AND I HAD DRIFTED APART, AS IS THE NATURAL DOWNWARD ARC OF A IENDSHIP WHEN YOU DON’T GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL OR LIVE THE SAME TOWN. OURS, I ALWAYS SUPPOSED, HAD JT BEEN A IENDSHIP OF NVENIENCE, UNTIL WASN’T. WHAT REMAED WAS MY LOVE OF OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATG, AND I WATCHED RAPT EVERY FOUR YEARS. MY HMAN YEAR OF LLEGE, MY NEW IENDS (ALL GIRLS) THOUGHT I WAS SANE—BUT ALSO MAYBE A LTLE FUN—WHEN I CRIED BTER TEARS AT MICHELLE KWAN’S GEO “FIELDS OF GOLD” EXHIBN SKATE, AFTER SHE’D FISHED A DISAPPOTG THIRD. OVER THE YEARS, OLYMPIC ICE SKATG OFFERED ME AN OUTLET FOR BIG FEELGS, THE WAY OTHER SPORTS MIGHT DO FOR OTHER MEN, I SUPPOSE.ANYWAY, I GOT OLR. TIME PASSED. I ME OUT, HAD A FEW FUMBLG ROMANC WH GUYS, AND I BEGAN MY ADULT LIFE. I WOULD SOMETIM, UALLY AROUND OLYMPICS TIME, WAX MDL TO OTHER IENDS ABOUT RYAN AND OUR SKATG OBSSN THAT WTER LONG AGO. PERHAPS SPURRED ON BY ONE OF THOSE REVERI, A FEW YEARS AGO I TRACKED RYAN DOWN ON FACEBOOK. I SAW THAT HE LIVED LOS ANGEL, AND, LIKE ME, WAS A WRER. AND I SAW THAT, QUE UNLIKE ME, HE WAS VASTATGLY HANDSOME—A LLEGE SOCCER JOCK-TURNED-WEEKEND OUTDOORSMAN, WH THE RIPPLED AME AND CHISELED FEATUR TO MATCH.WH SOME BATN OF CURSY AND JEALONS, I REACHED OUT—TOLD HIM I’D BE TOWN FOR A WORK THG A UPLE MONTHS, AND WOULD HE MAYBE LIKE TO GET A DRK. HE AGREED AND WE MET—EVEN MORE HANDSOME PERSON, BUT STILL THE FOX-FACED BOY I REMEMBER AT EIGHT YEARS OLD—AND OVER THE URSE OF A UPLE OF DRKS, I LEARNED THAT HE IS GAY TOO. I WAS SURPRISED, AND TOLD HIM AS MUCH. HE REPLIED, “SURPRISED? RICHARD, WE ED TO DO FIGURE-SKATG ROUT MY LIVG ROOM.” SO HE REMEMBERED TOO!LAST SUMMER I TOOK SOME IENDS UP TO MY PARENTS’ HOE RHO ISLAND, AND ON THE FIRST NIGHT, MY MOTHER AND I WERE UPSTAIRS, MAKG UP THE FOLD-OUT UCH FOR ONE OF THE GUTS. I N’T REMEMBER HOW WE GOT ON THE TOPIC, BUT SOMEHOW RYAN ME UP. SHE ASKED IF HE WAS MARRIED AND I SAID—AS IF THIS WAS AN ANSWER TO HER QUTN—THAT, NO, HE WAS GAY. MY MOM STOPPED TENDG TO THE BEDSHEETS AND LOOKED UP AT ME. “YOU’RE KIDDG,” SHE SAID. “HE’S GAY? AND TO THK HIS FATHER SAID YOU TWO ULDN’T SEE EACH OTHER ANYMORE BEE HE THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY.”I WAS SHOCKED, AND ASKED MY MOM A FEW QUTNS ABOUT —WAS THE THKG THAT I, AT EIGHT YEARS OLD, WAS TURNG RYAN GAY? HAD I ASKED WHY I SUDNLY DIDN’T SEE MY BT IEND ANYMORE?—BUT THEN JT KD OF BSHED OFF AND HEAD BACK TO THE WEEKEND WH MY IENDS, TO A LIFE WHERE I TRY TO NOT ET TOO MUCH OVER STUFF THAT DID OR DIDN’T HAPPEN A QUARTER CENTURY AGO. BUT OVER TIME, THAT LTLE SUAL REVEAL—THAT RYAN AND I HAD NOT NATURALLY DRIFTED APART, AS I’D LONG THOUGHT—BEGAN TO WEAR AT ME. IN THE MONTHS SCE, ’S MA ME SO SAD FOR LTLE ME AND LTLE HIM—GAY BOYS WHO WERE UNAWARE OF THE MECHANISMS LOOMG OVER THEM, WHO DID NOT KNOW THEY’D BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, HAD BEEN NSIRED FOR THEIR DIFFERENCE ALREADY.I THOUGHT OF RYAN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, WHEN FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON MA HIS GRAND OLYMPIC BUT—OLD, AT 28 (UGH), FOR A FIRST-TIME OLYMPIAN, BUT SO MANY OTHER WAYS BRAND NEW. HE’S THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN ATHLETE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS (OUT GAY SKIER G KENWORTHY PETED HIS FIRST OLYMPICS WHILE STILL THE CLOSET), AND HAS BEEN PLAYFULLY UNABASHED ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, ON AND OFF THE ICE. I’D BEEN AWARE OF RIPPON, PERHAPS PAFULLY SO, FOR A UPLE OF YEARS, BUT HAD NOT REALLY GRAPPLED WH WHAT HE MIGHT MEAN UNTIL HIS SKATE THE TEAM EVENT ON SUNDAY, A TWTER-TRENDG RIGHTEO MOMENT THAT FELT LIKE A HIGH ACHIEVEMENT BEFORE THE SR EVEN ME . (THE AMERINS EVENTUALLY EARNED A BRONZE MEDAL.)PERHAPS THE TIMG WAS JT RIGHT FOR RIPPON, WH AMERI MIRED DISPIRG POLIL DISASTER AND ROILG SOCIAL ANIM. PRR TO THE GAM, RIPPON VOICED DISAPPROVAL OF VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE—WHO WOULD BE ATTENDG THE OPENG CEREMONI AND PLANNED TO MEET WH THE U.S. TEAM—TURNG RIPPON TO SOMETHG OF A POLIL HERO. (OF URSE, RIPPON ENJOYS A CERTA LEVEL OF PROTECTN THAT POLILLY OUTSPOKEN ATHLET OF LOR, LIKE COL KAEPERNICK, DO NOT.) AND THEN HE WENT AND DID HIS ROUTE, A SOFT-SPOKEN, ELEGANT PROGRAM SET TO COLDPLAY MIC (YUP!), MORE FLUID AND LITE AND, Y, EFFEMATE, THAN THE BOY SKATERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. HERE WAS A MAN BEG HIMSELF, AT THE PEAK OF HIS ABILI, ON AN TERNATNAL STAGE, HAILED AS A HERO. AND EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS GAY!EVERYONE KNEW JOHNNY WEIR WAS GAY BACK 2006 AND 2010, WHEN HIS LOUD STUM AND QUEENY SOUCIANCE WERE THE FOC OF MUCH OLYMPIC CHATTER. BUT HE DIDN’T SAY UNTIL LATER; THERE WAS ALWAYS A GUARDNS ABOUT HIM, A TEASE. WEIR WAS A MENTATOR LAST NIGHT DURG RIPPON’S SKATE, AND I THOUGHT I HEARD A LTLE TCH HIS VOICE, SOME NOTE OF REGRET. MAYBE THAT WAS ME PROJECTG, BUT I’D HAVE TO IMAGE THAT SOMEONE LIKE RIPPON—SO SIAR EXCEPT ONE CCIAL WAY—MIGHT GIVE WEIR PSE, MAKE HIM THK ABOUT HIS OWN OLYMPIC PAST, AND WONR WHAT IF.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLI SPECT THAT RIPPON HAS THAT EFFECT ON LOTS OF PEOPLE—THAT MIX OF EXCEMENT AND MELANCHOLY. HE CERTALY DO ON ME. HAVE I MENTNED YET THAT ADAM RIPPON IS GEO? LIKE, CHISELED BY AN ANCIENT (AND FELY GAY) GREEK SCULPTOR WH A LOVG HAND, MMERIZGLY SYMMETRIL WH EY THAT GLOW LIKE JEWELS. HE’S ABSURD, REALLY. IT HURTS TO LOOK AT ADAM RIPPON, BUT THE DOULR EXQUISE WAY, THE GOOD KD OF HURT—THE KD THAT ACH TO BE WH HIM, THAT ACH TO BE HIM.THAT’S A FEELG PERHAPS UNIQUELY PARTICULAR TO THE GAY EXPERIENCE, THE MUDDIED NFN OVER WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE SOMEONE’S PANN OR IF YOU WANT TO STEP SI THEIR SK, TO HAB THE WORLD AS THEY DO. WATCHG RIPPON HAVE HIS TRIUMPHANT MOMENT ON SUNDAY NIGHT—AND GIVE A FUNNY, ANK TERVIEW AFTERWARD—I FELT THE KD OF YEARNG FOR A CELEBRY THAT I HAVEN’T FELT SCE I WAS 17, HALF MY LIFE AGO. HOW STRANGE TO EXPERIENCE THAT WHILE WATCHG SPORTS, AN AREA OF CULTURE I’M UALLY PRETTY ALIENATED OM UNLS ’S OLYMPICS TIME. SURE THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF SWIMMERS AND GYMNASTS AND WHOMEVER ELSE TO LT AFTER OLYMPICS PAST, BUT RIPPON IS SOMETHG ELSE—A SASSY BEAN OF HOPE, A GAY ANGEL SENT TO LIGHT AND, SURE, SADN A LTLE WH ALL HIS DISTANT BETY AND POISE.I FELT THIS AS A 34-YEAR-OLD, AND THEN REALIZED HOW MUCH MORE ACUTELY THE ADAM RIPPON OF ALL MT SWEETLY STG FOR A WI-EYED KID. THE EFFIVE REACTN TO RIPPON SHOWS HOW VERY IMPORTANT REPRENTATN N BE, JT AS BLACK PANTHER WILL WHEN ARRIV MOVIE THEATERS THIS WEEK. IT MATTERS TO A CHILD—AND TO AN ADULT—TO, Y, SEE SOME REFLECTN OF THEMSELV. BUT ALSO TO HAVE THE FARAWAY HERO, THE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IALS. MAYBE THOSE UNREACHABLE GODS SOMEHOW HELP CLARIFY THGS HERE ON EARTH.IF I, AT EIGHT, OR 10, OR 14 (OH GOD, 14), HAD SEEN ADAM RIPPON ALL HIS SWANNG, PROUD SPLENDOR, AND EVERYONE APPLDG HIM FOR , WOULD HAVE STROYED ME—BUT ALSO REMA ME. IT WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHG TO ME THAT I RARELY EVER HEARD SAID. HOW MUCH TIME YOUNG QUEER PEOPLE SPEND YEARNG FOR THAT KD OF NNECTN, FOREVER SIFTG THROUGH CULTURE TO FD THE GAY STUFF. WHEN YOU FD , N SPEAK TO YOU ALMOST HOLY TON. ON SUNDAY NIGHT, THERE WAS GAY STUFF, AND SWISHY GAY STUFF TO BOOT, RIGHT THERE ON NATNAL TV, FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED : POWERFUL AND ACPLISHED AND BETIFUL.WATCHG RIPPON’S PROGRAM, AND ALL THE SUBSEQUENT FERVOR, I LET MYSELF DRIFT BACK TO MY SOCKED-FOOT SKATG DAYS. I WONRED IF RYAN WATCHED THE BROADST, AND WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT . I ENTERTAED A BTERSWEET FANTASY, WISHG THAT WE WERE KIDS NOW, WATCHG RIPPON’S BIG SKATE TOGETHER, MAYBE NOT AWARE OF WHAT EXACTLY WE WERE SEEG, BUT POSSSED OF THAT TERNAL KNOWG, THAT REGNN OF SAME, THAT TO RM SO MUCH OF GAY LIFE. THE NEW SADNS THAT BLOOMED ME LAST SUMMER, WHEN I LEARNED THE TE HISTORY OF ME AND RYAN, WAS POUND, BUT A STRANGE WAY ALSO HEALED, ON SUNDAY NIGHT. HOW OFTEN, WAYS PETTY AND PROFOUND, THE WORLD TRI TO TAMP DOWN WHAT ADAM RIPPON SO WONDROLY, NFINTLY EXUD ON THAT ICE. AND HOW TERRIFIC THAT SO MANY KIDS MAY HAVE SEEN AND LOVED AND THEN GONE SKATG AROUND THEIR OWN LIVG ROOMS, MAYBE FEELG A LTLE EER THAN BEFORE.MOST POPULAROUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLGEIA REPUBLINS SAY THEY'LL MOVE TO REMOVE FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS FROM OFFICE WH NEW STATE LAWBY ERIC LUTZHOW MK, THIEL, ZUCKERBERG, AND ANDRESEN—FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS—ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE, AUTOCRATIC REALYBY JONATHAN TAPLTHE BT SIGHTS AT THE 2018 OLYMPICS OPENG CEREMONY1 / 18CHEVRONCHEVRONBY QUN ROONEY/GETTY IMAG.RICHARD LAWSON

This time, marketg partments rporate Ameri are scramblg to figure out how to nnect themselv to the gay kid. Wrappg a TV show around a big, black drag queen was ghettoized to “gay TV”; Now ’s ratgs gold. The most gltery, gay athlete at the Wter Olympics is, after jt a few days, our natnal hero.

It’s so important for gay youth to see someone like Rippon beg his thentic gay self. The kicker is all of this is the importance to that gay youth of seeg the reactn to him. It’s no secret that the champn figure skater is openly gay; he’s been very vol about beg the first openly gay Amerin Olympic figure skater.

USA TODAY: GAY OLYMPIC ATHLETE TURNS DOWN PENCE MEETG

Throughout his entire skatg reer, many people have probably been wonrg whether or not Adam Rippon is gay, so ’s no surprise that he fally revealed his sexualy durg a 2015 terview wh Skatg the time, took a great al of urage for the then-26-year-old figure skater to e out on such a public fom, pecially sce there was no set precent for LGBTQ+ Olympic athlet. Although many athlet had already e out years after petg the Olympics, there has never been any openly gay athlet on the current Olympic roster—at least not on the Amerin Is Adam Rippon Datg?

GAY ATHLET MAKE HISTORY AT WTER OLYMPICS

“I didn’t realize that he was cute until One Directn broke up, but now that Harry Styl is livg that solo, sgg reer, I’m to , ” he Jamie Squire/Getty ImagHe’s an Inspiratn to LGBTQ Athlet Everywhere Sce he me out a few years ago, Adam Rippon has advertently managed to bee an spiratnal in for many future aspirg LGBTQ+ athlet who wish to someday pete an Olympic arena whout beg negatively ’s pretty much sglehandly opened up the floodgat for future athlet to be judged solely based on their skill levels, experience, and disciple—rather than their fact, Adam Rippon hop for a day when his peers will no longer be referred to as “gay Olympians, ” but simply as “Olympians. The Trouble wh Mike Pence As an openly gay Amerin athlete, Adam Rippon has explicly stated that given the current admistratn’s stance on homosexualy—particularly viewpots that have been exprsed by Vice Print, Mike Pence—he’d refe any vatn to vis the Whe Hoe. Unrstandably, Adam Rippon don’t feel scerely weled by this current admistratn and any recent attempts ma om their si to rencile the suatn before the mencement of the Olympic Gam this Friday seem a ltle of the major pots of ntentn between Adam Rippon and Mike Pence is the latter’s unabashed suggtn that the Uned Stat implement gay nversn therapy.

ADAM RIPPON GETS EMOTNAL WATCHG A STRANGER COMFORT GAY ATHLETE ON HIDN-CAMERA SHOW

On top of that, Pence (who’s a vout Catholic and claims that his ias about homosexualy stem directly om his relig beliefs) also seems to ndone the current Print’s past treatment of women, which Adam Rippon fds very ntradictory and disncertg relatn to his own beliefs and the way he was visg the Whe Hoe, Adam Rippon had this to say durg an terview wh BBC: “I don’t thk somebody like me would be wele there. "He's also the first openly gay man to ever pete for the Uned Stat the Wter Olympics. "Rippon will likely cross paths wh athlet reprentg Moroc, Togo, Kenya, Errea, Domi, Uzbekistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Sgapore, untri where beg gay is illegal, punishable by imprisonment or even ath.

ADAM RIPPON MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO W AT THE WTER OLYMPICS

"Y, there will be untri reprented that don't give rights to their gay cizens, " Rippon said. "But that's why 's important that someone like me n go to the Olympics and showpeople that y, I'm an out gay athlete, and beg gay has nothg to do wh who I am as an athlete. Rippon hop to show that beg gay isn't "somethg weird, or sry, or sick, " and that "there are gay people everywhere, whether someone wants to adm or not, " he said.

Wter Olympic team; at PyeongChang Febary, his perfect, clean skate to Coldplay’s “O” helped the Amerin figure skatg team take bronze, makg him the first openly gay U. He agreed and we met—even more handsome person, but still the fox-faced boy I remember at eight years old—and over the urse of a uple of drks, I learned that he is gay too.

GET TO KNOW ADAM RIPPON — THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO EVER QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS

She asked if he was married and I said—as if this was an answer to her qutn—that, no, he was gay. And to thk his father said you two uldn’t see each other anymore bee he thought you were gay. ”I was shocked, and asked my mom a few qutns about —was the thkg that I, at eight years old, was turng Ryan gay?

In the months sce, ’s ma me so sad for ltle me and ltle him—gay boys who were unaware of the mechanisms loomg over them, who did not know they’d been spoken about, had been nsired for their difference already. He’s the first openly gay Amerin athlete to qualify for the Wter Olympics (out gay skier G Kenworthy peted his first Olympics while still the closet), and has been playfully unabashed about his sexualy, on and off the ice.

Everyone knew Johnny Weir was gay back 2006 and 2010, when his loud stum and queeny souciance were the foc of much Olympic chatter. He’s dissiar om Robbie Rogers, a soccer player whose recent retirement om MLS left zero openly gay men major profsnal sports the U.