Adam Rippon Is U.S.'s First Openly Gay Man To Qualify For Wter Olympics : The Torch : NPR

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• MEET ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO COMPETE THE 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
• ADAM RIPPON IS U.S.'S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO QUALIFY FOR WTER OLYMPICS
• ADAM RIPPON MAK HISTORY; BE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. MALE OLYMPIC SKATER
• GAY ATHLET ARE MAKG HISTORY AT THE 2018 WTER OLYMPICS
• ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. WTER OLYMPIAN, HAS REFED TO MEET WH VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE
• COLUMN: ADAM RIPPON, OPENLY GAY, OVER BULLYG AND SELF-DOUBT TO EARN A SPOT ON THE U.S MEN’S OLYMPIC SKATG TEAM
• ADAM RIPPON MA HISTORY AS THE FIRST OPENLY GAY AMERIN MAN TO W AT THE WTER OLYMPICS
• OPENLY GAY FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON CLED CHANCE TO SPEAK WH VICE PRINT PENCE
• GET TO KNOW ADAM RIPPON — THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO EVER QUALIFY FOR THE WTER OLYMPICS
• 16 GAY AND BI OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATERS
• 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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLEI 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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLETHE BT SIGHTS AT THE 2018 OLYMPICS OPENG CEREMONY1 / 18CHEVRONCHEVRONBY QUN ROONEY/GETTY IMAG.RICHARD LAWSON
• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
• ADAM RIPPON IS ALLOWG AMERI TO LOVE A (REALLY) GAY ATHLETE
• THE ARE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY US WTER OLYMPIANS AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP WILL INSPIRE YOU

MEET ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN TO COMPETE THE OLYMPICS

Not only did he qualify for his first Olympic Gam on January 7, but he is also the first openly gay male to qualify for the Olympics, both wter and summer gam.

“I was recently asked an terview what ’s like to be a gay athlete sports, ” the Scranton, Pennsylvania, native proved to have a good sense of humor wh his recent tweet om December 27. Ameri’s gay sweetheart Adam Rippon turns 33 today, and he certaly has plenty to celebrate. Adam, who me out as gay 2015, reprented the US at the 2018 Wter Olympics South Korea, where he won a Bronze Medal.

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

He also ma major Olympic history, beg the first openly gay man to make a U. He n take his apology, homophobia, transphobia, racist ments, and his Olympic gold medal and shove them up his ass. 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.

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

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.

ADAM RIPPON MAK HISTORY; BE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. MALE OLYMPIC SKATER

"You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that fund gay nversn therapy? 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. And now I’m an Olympic medalist and I happen to be gay.

Adam Rippon, the first openly gay man to qualify for the U.

GAY ATHLET ARE MAKG HISTORY AT THE 2018 WTER OLYMPICS

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

ADAM RIPPON, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. WTER OLYMPIAN, HAS REFED TO MEET WH VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE

In 2011, he publicly nfirmed that he was gay his memoir, Wele to My World.

Hasn't sent an openly gay man to the Summer Olympics 14 years — sce equtrians Robert Dover and Guenter Seil peted 2004.

COLUMN: ADAM RIPPON, OPENLY GAY, OVER BULLYG AND SELF-DOUBT TO EARN A SPOT ON THE U.S MEN’S OLYMPIC SKATG TEAM

Adam Rippon will bee the first openly gay U. Olympic team on Sunday, will bee the first openly gay U.

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

Rippon also has a sense of humor about beg a role mol, jokg that beg a gay athlete is “exactly like beg a straight athlete except wh better eyebrows. “I hope somebody who was my sho when I was younger n see me and have that feelg of, ‘yeah, beg gay rocks. Rippon will likely be joed South Korea by openly gay Canadian pairs skater Eric Radford.

Openly gay etyle skier G Kenworthy is also expected to make the U. Gay athlet have probably been settg Olympic rerds sce the days of the ancient Greeks.

OPENLY GAY FIGURE SKATER ADAM RIPPON CLED CHANCE TO SPEAK WH VICE PRINT PENCE

But openly gay and lbian athlet are another matter, pecially the Wter Olympics, which mak a uple of recent ton all the more noteworthy.

First, Team USA’s Adam Rippon ma history by beg the first out gay man om the US to medal a Wter Olympics by takg home the bronze for his ee skate performance.

Then, Canadian Eric Radford beme the first openly gay Wter Olympics champn after wng the gold wh partner Meagan Duhamel the pairs ee skate performance. Rippon is one of two openly gay Amerin athlet to reprent team USA for the first time the Wter Olympics, along wh etyle skig’s G Kenworthy. The number of openly gay athlet is still relatively small, and those who e out tend to do so after their first major petns – for a variety of reasons.

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

Brian Boano, the 1988 Olympic figure skatg gold medalist, announced he was gay 2013, after Print Obama named him to the official US legatn to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

16 GAY AND BI OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATERS

Figure skater Adam Rippon, who will bee the first openly gay athlete to pete for the U.

“You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that fund gay nversn therapy? “I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a iend of a gay person but that they thk that they’re sick....

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

But Pence is now nyg he ntacted Rippon and tellg USA Today that he do not support gay nversn therapy—spe wrg on his 2000 ngrsnal mpaign webse that “rourc should be directed toward those stutns which provi assistance to those seekg to change their sexual behavr.

“It was jt so appropriate, ” the openly gay former Olympian said.

I hate to see the way that trans people are talked about, bee wasn’t too long ago that that was the way that queer people, gay people, lbians, were talked about.

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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLEI 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 POPULARDONALD TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELF WAS JT DEALT A SER SETBACKBY BS LEVJOE MANGANIELLO DEBUTS DIVORCE INKBY KASE WICKMANMSNBC IS HAVG ITS SUPER BOWL WH DONALD TMP’S INDICTMENTSBY CHARLOTTE KLETHE BT SIGHTS AT THE 2018 OLYMPICS OPENG CEREMONY1 / 18CHEVRONCHEVRONBY QUN ROONEY/GETTY IMAG.RICHARD LAWSON

You n watch the full Stars on Mars clip Speaks On Transgenr People In Sports | Stars On Mars Your Se ArticlLance Armstrong Cri Victim Transphobic Podst Pch Wh Calyn Jenner ›Adam Rippon Celebrat 30th Birthday Skatg to Ben Platt's 'River' ›Adam Rippon Giv Spectacular Performance Olympic Debut ›Gay Olympian Adam Rippon: 'I Won't Go to the Whe Hoe' ›Gay Olympian Adam Rippon Turns Down Meetg Wh Mike Pence ›. “Beg a small gay kid om the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania, is a hard way to grow up, ” he tried to change his mannerisms to be “normal, ” but he uldn’t pretend to be somethg he was not.

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

”Rippon, 28, me out publicly as gay late 2015. Comg out as gay is still difficult for petors. There’s sort of this ia that you’re skatg so you’re jt gay and when you’re young you try so hard to not f to that stereotype and you kd of reprs that.

” Beg gay, Rippon said, “is not somethg that f me. He left not only as a bronze medalist, but also as the first openly gay man to make a U. Health InsurancePaid VatnRemote Work OpportuniDental Insurance401k Wh MatchgVisn InsurancePromote From WhFlexible Work HoursPersonal Sick DaysPerformance BonCalculatg your job g out, the fact that he’s gay seems to acpany his name virtually every story wrten about him.

He hop that one day he and other “gay Olympians” will jt be referred to as “Olympians, ” like all the other athlet around them. For now, he’s the first and one of only two openly gay men to reprent the U.

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

“There’ve obvly been other gay athlet before. At the same time, Rippon told The New York Tim that beg gay the sport felt like a taboo.

“When I was younger I tried to be everythg but gay, ” he said. “Everyone lls you gay when you’re young: ‘Oh you skate, you’re gay. ’ But si you’re like, y you are, you’re very gay.

“When athlet e out and say that they’re gay, mak a ltle more normal and ls of a big al—pecially the athletic muny, ” he told the magaze. Sce returng to the stat, he’s been terviewed by a slew of publitns, appeared on The Ellen DeGener Show, attend the Osrs, -hosted the Trevor Project gala, received the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibily Award, been honored at the Natnal Gay and Lbian Chamber of Commerce’s Bt of the Bt gala, supported the GLAAD Camp Ambassadors Program wh an onle fundraiser, been named to the TIME 100 List of Most Influential People and posed for ESPN’s Body Issue. For Rippon was sry to be the first openly gay Amerin athlete headg to the Wter Olympics, but was srier to be the first his fay to go to the gam.

THE ARE THE FIRST OPENLY GAY US WTER OLYMPIANS AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP WILL INSPIRE YOU

Acrdg to two people wh knowledge of the suatn who were not thorized to speak publicly about , a member of Pence’s staff requted the nversatn wh the openly gay Rippon after readg the skater’s rogatory remarks about him a USA TODAY Sports story that had been published onle jt an hour, the two people said, cled the Olympics secury workers h wh vomg illns; ary personnel lled for backupMore:G Kenworthy feels like 'whole new person' leadg to PyeongchangThe spat between the vice print and the figure skater began when I asked Rippon last month about Pence’s selectn for the ceremonial role of leadg the U. ”The ments om Rippon about gay nversn therapy that so riled Pence e om a wispread belief stemmg om a statement Pence ma 2000 on his ngrsnal mpaign webse: “Rourc should be directed toward those stutns which provi assistance to those seekg to change their sexual behavr. ”While Pence didn’t explicly mentn gay nversn therapy, lears the LGBT muny have said they believe that’s exactly what Pence meant light of his long-standg opposn to gay rights.

17 askg what the webse statement was referrg to, if not gay nversn therapy. Men’s figure skatg champn who is one of the first openly gay U.

“If were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a iend of a gay person but that they thk that they’re sick, ” Rippon said. "Rippon, who said he was bullied and teased as a boy growg up Scranton, Pa., me out publicly as beg gay an October 2015 story Skatg magaze. Sign up for the newt darlg of “the love that dare not speak s name” club skated his way to the history books Sunday night when Adam Rippon, 28, the first openly gay U.