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UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Jo Yurba</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">Amerin figure skater Timothy LeDuc uld make history this week. </p><p class="">On Thursday, LeDuc, who genr-ntral pronouns, and their partner, Ashley Ca-Gribble, will pete the U.S. Figure Skatg Champnships wh the hope of securg a spot on Team USA for the 2022 Wter Olympics, Beijg Febary.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">If they succeed, LeDuc would bee the first out nonbary person to pete the Wter Gam.</p><p class="">LeDuc, 31, is no stranger to historic firsts — they were the first openly gay athlete to w gold a U.S. pairs event 2019 — but makg Team USA would be pecially meangful bee LeDuc, who is om Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hasn’t always felt wele their sport.</p><p class="">In an terview on the <a href=" target="_blank">latt episo of NBCLX’s</a> podst <a href=">My New Favore Olympian</a>, they said as a person who “exists and really thriv outsi of the bary,” navigatg a genred sport n be plited.</p><sectn class="embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--medium"><div class="embed-widget__e-prentatn embed-widget__iamely-art19" style="--iame-height:0px"><div><div class="iamely-art19 iamely-player iamely-embed"><div class="iamely-rponsive" style="height: 200px; paddg-bottom: 0;"><iame data-src=" loadg="lazy" src="//" allowfullscreen scrollg="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iame></div></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">“They’re gog to be the people that don’t unrstand or would be very quick to ph me back to the box of, you know, they look at me, they see that I have a beard or they look at maybe my physil characteristics and say, ‘You’re a boy; act like a boy. What are you dog?’” they said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">LeDuc said they once had a tryout wh a girl who refed to skate wh them. </p><p class="">“She thought me beg gay was gog to be a liabily,” they said. “It was not an optn for her an otherwise great partnership that girl and I uld have had.” </p><p class="">In another cint, one of their ach pulled them asi prr to an ternatnal petn and said, “Timothy, go out and show them how mascule you are. That’s how you will w,” LeDuc relled.</p><p class="">Then, 2016, LeDuc found their current skatg partner, Ca-Gribble, who accepted them and celebrated their nontradnal partnership. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">“When Timothy and I teamed up, we never wanted to be what was looked at as the tradnal team,” Ca-Gribble said on the podst. “They always had the storyle of the male is super mascule and strong and always jt to e and save the girl who is a wilted ltle flower and is weak, or was a full-on love story, where obvly a male and a female fall love wh each other.”</p><p class="">LeDuc said Ca-Gribble unrstands their “stggle for fdg thenticy” bee at 5 feet, 6 ch tall, she is about six ch taller than her petors, and she’s been told her body isn’t right for the sport.</p><p class="">“I don’t thk Ashley was really ever terted beg the agile girl,” LeDuc said. “She’s such a powerful, amazg athlete. So for her, when I kd of me to her and said, ‘You know, I don’t really want to do this romantic style. It don’t really seem like ,’ she was like, ‘Heck yeah, I’m good wh that.’”</p><p class="">LeDuc’s journey to fdg a supportive figure skatg partner and wng gold at the natnal champnships 2019 hasn’t been an easy one. When they me out to their parents as gay at 18, they said their fay was attendg a tradnal evangelil church, so their reactn was, “We love you, but we need to change you.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“At one pot, one of my fay members brought iends home om a church group, and they basilly tried to perform an exorcism on me, tried to st my mons out and were prayg on on all sis of me, tryg to remedy my, we lled , same-sex attractn,” LeDuc said.</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">They said their parents are now supportive and were acceptg when they me out as nonbary at 28. But the figure skatg world remas rigid s tradnal genr expectatns for athlet, LeDuc said, and that’s somethg they are tryg to help change.</p><p class="">LeDuc is volved an athlete mentorship program through the Uned Stat Olympic and Paralympic Commtee’s Athlete Advisory Council.</p><p class="">“We are now tryg to pass on that rmatn to the young and up-and-g skaters, so that they n be even better athlet, so that they n have even better experienc the sport and maybe they n avoid some of the obstacl that we all faced the sport, if they get this rmatn ahead of time,” they said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">An creasg number of athlet have e out as transgenr or nonbary recent years. Openly transgenr athlet peted for the first time Olympics history durg the Summer Gam. <a href=">New Zealand weightlifter Lrel Hubbard</a> peted the women’s super-heavyweight 87 kilogram-pl (192 pound-pl) tegory, BMX etyler Chelsea Wolfe traveled to Tokyo as an alternate on Team USA and nonbary Amerin skateboarr <a href=">Alana Smh peted</a> women’s street.</p><p class="">Canadian soccer player Qun beme the <a href=">first openly transgenr and nonbary athlete</a> to w an Olympic medal followg their team’s feat of Swen the women’s fal Augt.</p><p class="">Overall, a <a href=">rerd-breakg</a> <a href=">186 out LGBTQ athlet (at least) peted at the Summer Gam</a>, acrdg to the LGBTQ sports webse Outsports. <a href=">LGBTQ athlet</a>, or Team LGBTQ, as Outsports referred to them, won <a href=">33 medals</a>.</p><p class="">Cyd Zeigler, -founr of Outsports, said many of the teams for the Wter Gam are currently beg named, so the webse don’t have an ial tally of how many LGBTQ athlet are petg. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">However, Zeigler said an email that he’s “nfint that the total will be more than double” what was the 2018 Wter Gam Pyeongchang, South Korea, where at least 15 out LGBTQ athlet peted.</p><p class="">LeDuc and Ca-Gribble will pete pairs short Thursday and pairs ee Saturday at the <a href=" target="_blank">U.S. Figure Skatg Champnships</a>.</p><p class="endmark"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>NBC Out</em></strong></a><strong><em> on </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Twter</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Facebook</em></strong></a><strong><em> & </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Instagram</em></strong></a></p></div><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Jo Yurba</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Jo Yurba is a reporter for NBC Out.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div 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gay ice skating commentator

Adam Rippon may be the first out figure skater to pete the Olympics, but he's not the only gay man to have land an axel on the world stage.

Contents:

WAS JOHNNY WEIR AN ‘OUT’ GAY ATHLETE WHEN HE PETED AT THE OLYMPICS OVER A AGO?

* gay ice skating commentator *

Gay NBC figure skatg mentator Johnny Weir has been the target of some cricism durg the Olympics. The heat directed at the out gay figure skatg champn hasn't e om anti-gay Rsians, but om gay Amerins here at home.

THREE OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATERS E OUT — 2 GAY MEN AND 1 QUEER WOMAN

Three figure skaters, Amerin Jason Brown and Canadians Pl Poirier and Kalyn Weaver, me out as gay and queer for Pri Month. * gay ice skating commentator *

We mt do everythg we n to stand up to those homophob!". Yet here we have a well-known gay Amerin - Johnny Weir - dog that very thg, standg up to the Rsians and refg to back away om who he is, and LGBT people are slightg and attackg him for . The out gay journalist appeared as a gut on another CNN show over the weekend to lob anti-feme jabs at Johnny.

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 {MARG-BOTTOM:0.625REM;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#323232;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1;FONT-WEIGHT:800;} SPAN{LE-HEIGHT:1.6;FONT-FAY:GILROY,HELVETI,ARIAL,SANS-SERIF;}{FONT-STYLE:NORMAL;PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;FONT-SIZE:0.75REM;LE-HEIGHT:1.3;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;TEXT-TRANSFORM:PALIZE;}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;FONT-FAY:RALAS,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;LOR:#323232;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;}}{PADDG-RIGHT:0.3125REM;LOR:#595959;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-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} 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;} STRONG{FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;FONT-WEIGHT:BOLD;} EM{FONT-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;}(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-STYLE:ALIC;FONT-FAY:CHARTER,GEIA,TIM,SERIF;} 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

"No one lik a gay mstrel show," Lemon said, "so let's jt put that out there. About some of his flamboyant and over the top and all those, seems those are the people who get the attentn, but they don't reprent all of gay Ameri.".

You don't have to be a whe, middle-aged gay sports fan om Massachetts to reprent me. But cryg Johnny for beg a "gay mstrel show" and plag that he's gettg too much attentn for sends Lemon's very clear msage. Too often we get ught up worryg about stereotypil portrayals of gay men.

Yet when to more "feme," "flamboyant" men who f the age-old stereotyp of gay men, some feel the need to lash out.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY ICE SKATING COMMENTATOR

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UTC</time></div><div class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Jo Yurba</a></span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">Amerin figure skater Timothy LeDuc uld make history this week. </p><p class="">On Thursday, LeDuc, who genr-ntral pronouns, and their partner, Ashley Ca-Gribble, will pete the U.S. Figure Skatg Champnships wh the hope of securg a spot on Team USA for the 2022 Wter Olympics, Beijg Febary.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">If they succeed, LeDuc would bee the first out nonbary person to pete the Wter Gam.</p><p class="">LeDuc, 31, is no stranger to historic firsts — they were the first openly gay athlete to w gold a U.S. pairs event 2019 — but makg Team USA would be pecially meangful bee LeDuc, who is om Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hasn’t always felt wele their sport.</p><p class="">In an terview on the <a href=" target="_blank">latt episo of NBCLX’s</a> podst <a href=">My New Favore Olympian</a>, they said as a person who “exists and really thriv outsi of the bary,” navigatg a genred sport n be plited.</p><sectn class="embed-widget embedWidget embed-widget--medium"><div class="embed-widget__e-prentatn embed-widget__iamely-art19" style="--iame-height:0px"><div><div class="iamely-art19 iamely-player iamely-embed"><div class="iamely-rponsive" style="height: 200px; paddg-bottom: 0;"><iame data-src=" loadg="lazy" src="//" allowfullscreen scrollg="no" allow="encrypted-media *;"></iame></div></div></div></div></sectn><p class="">“They’re gog to be the people that don’t unrstand or would be very quick to ph me back to the box of, you know, they look at me, they see that I have a beard or they look at maybe my physil characteristics and say, ‘You’re a boy; act like a boy. What are you dog?’” they said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">LeDuc said they once had a tryout wh a girl who refed to skate wh them. </p><p class="">“She thought me beg gay was gog to be a liabily,” they said. “It was not an optn for her an otherwise great partnership that girl and I uld have had.” </p><p class="">In another cint, one of their ach pulled them asi prr to an ternatnal petn and said, “Timothy, go out and show them how mascule you are. That’s how you will w,” LeDuc relled.</p><p class="">Then, 2016, LeDuc found their current skatg partner, Ca-Gribble, who accepted them and celebrated their nontradnal partnership. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">“When Timothy and I teamed up, we never wanted to be what was looked at as the tradnal team,” Ca-Gribble said on the podst. “They always had the storyle of the male is super mascule and strong and always jt to e and save the girl who is a wilted ltle flower and is weak, or was a full-on love story, where obvly a male and a female fall love wh each other.”</p><p class="">LeDuc said Ca-Gribble unrstands their “stggle for fdg thenticy” bee at 5 feet, 6 ch tall, she is about six ch taller than her petors, and she’s been told her body isn’t right for the sport.</p><p class="">“I don’t thk Ashley was really ever terted beg the agile girl,” LeDuc said. “She’s such a powerful, amazg athlete. So for her, when I kd of me to her and said, ‘You know, I don’t really want to do this romantic style. It don’t really seem like ,’ she was like, ‘Heck yeah, I’m good wh that.’”</p><p class="">LeDuc’s journey to fdg a supportive figure skatg partner and wng gold at the natnal champnships 2019 hasn’t been an easy one. When they me out to their parents as gay at 18, they said their fay was attendg a tradnal evangelil church, so their reactn was, “We love you, but we need to change you.”</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“At one pot, one of my fay members brought iends home om a church group, and they basilly tried to perform an exorcism on me, tried to st my mons out and were prayg on on all sis of me, tryg to remedy my, we lled , same-sex attractn,” LeDuc said.</p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">They said their parents are now supportive and were acceptg when they me out as nonbary at 28. But the figure skatg world remas rigid s tradnal genr expectatns for athlet, LeDuc said, and that’s somethg they are tryg to help change.</p><p class="">LeDuc is volved an athlete mentorship program through the Uned Stat Olympic and Paralympic Commtee’s Athlete Advisory Council.</p><p class="">“We are now tryg to pass on that rmatn to the young and up-and-g skaters, so that they n be even better athlet, so that they n have even better experienc the sport and maybe they n avoid some of the obstacl that we all faced the sport, if they get this rmatn ahead of time,” they said.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">An creasg number of athlet have e out as transgenr or nonbary recent years. Openly transgenr athlet peted for the first time Olympics history durg the Summer Gam. <a href=">New Zealand weightlifter Lrel Hubbard</a> peted the women’s super-heavyweight 87 kilogram-pl (192 pound-pl) tegory, BMX etyler Chelsea Wolfe traveled to Tokyo as an alternate on Team USA and nonbary Amerin skateboarr <a href=">Alana Smh peted</a> women’s street.</p><p class="">Canadian soccer player Qun beme the <a href=">first openly transgenr and nonbary athlete</a> to w an Olympic medal followg their team’s feat of Swen the women’s fal Augt.</p><p class="">Overall, a <a href=">rerd-breakg</a> <a href=">186 out LGBTQ athlet (at least) peted at the Summer Gam</a>, acrdg to the LGBTQ sports webse Outsports. <a href=">LGBTQ athlet</a>, or Team LGBTQ, as Outsports referred to them, won <a href=">33 medals</a>.</p><p class="">Cyd Zeigler, -founr of Outsports, said many of the teams for the Wter Gam are currently beg named, so the webse don’t have an ial tally of how many LGBTQ athlet are petg. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt" data-ttid="ad__ntaer"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100" data-ttid="ad__ntaer__ner"></div></div><p class="">However, Zeigler said an email that he’s “nfint that the total will be more than double” what was the 2018 Wter Gam Pyeongchang, South Korea, where at least 15 out LGBTQ athlet peted.</p><p class="">LeDuc and Ca-Gribble will pete pairs short Thursday and pairs ee Saturday at the <a href=" target="_blank">U.S. Figure Skatg Champnships</a>.</p><p class="endmark"><strong><em>Follow </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>NBC Out</em></strong></a><strong><em> on </em></strong><a href=" target="_blank"><strong><em>Twter</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href=" 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