Adam Rippon reveals he is gay in SKATING Magazine article
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I hope you're not affronted by the fact that people didn't know his name. Google wasn't allowed remember? Hard to verify facts without it. Because without wiking I did remember going through his profile in the past, but one can only remember so many names at a time.
Oh my god. I forgot that man. But was he out when he was playing. Personally I'm not a fan of his. Perhaps being a bit judgemental but to cheat on his wife multiple times, let alone marrying when you know you're gay. But what irks me is now he flaunts it with nude covershoot with his current partner. If I was her, I'd be irked. I'm glad Gareth is happy but could do with some tact after all that unfolded.
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Why, I am a little surprised not to see the name Matthew Mitcham mentioned yet - an Olympic champion, no less. :yes:
I'm not CaroLiza_fan but I will confess to being rather affronted by the disrespect shown John Curry in this thread. He wasn't just "the guy who was before Robin Cousins", he was an Olympic, World and European Champion in his own right - and yes, Curry WAS out while competing, he was outed by the press just after his Olympic title and went to Worlds as an out skater.
I'm not CaroLiza_fan but I will confess to being rather affronted by the disrespect shown John Curry in this thread. He wasn't just "the guy who was before Robin Cousins", he was an Olympic, World and European Champion in his own right - and yes, Curry WAS out while competing, he was outed by the press just after his Olympic title and went to Worlds as an out skater.
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No, I wasn't affronted. I was just surprised, because he is always the first person I think of when somebody talks about gay skaters.
But, that is hardly surprising since I live in the UK. And people who have a genuine interest in figure skating (as opposed to Olympics fans) still talk about him in the highest regards.
Plus, I'm connected with his Pairs partner on Facebook, and she frequently talks about him!
Ah, didn't realise there was a no Google rule. Well, I only used Wikipedia to get the numbers to accompany the post (didn't have enough fingers to work out which Olympics year in the 70's he won the 3 golds!
)(Incidentally, with most of the people mentioned so far, I have either not heard tell of them, or else I didn't know they were gay. So well done for getting most of them without help!)
CaroLiza_fan
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People still need to make public statements because there is still a large amount of homophobia in the USA and in the world. These public statements help those who feel alone and ostracized, they are a good thing. The more people see and know people who are 'out' the more their stereotypes and biases will change.
I wonder if people feel the same way when public figures or athletes announce they are getting married? I don't hear the "who cares!" Choir then.
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Well, there''s another on your list to be affronted by then.
And oh gosh. How I could forget Matthew Mitcham too. DAmn. Especially considering I watched him live on TV winning Gold in Beijing. But then again, he did drop off the radar after the dismal performance he made at London. :shocked:
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Well, it is still sad that people (and the media) feel the need to speculate about people's life, not just sexuality. I don't really think it can be seen as a one way street. It's one thing to keep a speculation in one's mind. Quite another to have things plastered on the National Enquirer. Although I don't think that would happen with Rippon any time soon yet. Not a big star yet.
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I don't remember Curry being outed at all in 1976? But then again, we are talking about the athlete himself saying something, and in 1976, that would not have happened. Just can't imagine it. (I do need to read this book, sounds fascinating).
Have no idea who this Matthew fellow is? A pro soccer player? (In the USA, figure skaters would be better known
) And have we mentioned NBA player Jason Collins? The only active out NBA player as far as I know.
Have no idea who this Matthew fellow is? A pro soccer player? (In the USA, figure skaters would be better known
) And have we mentioned NBA player Jason Collins? The only active out NBA player as far as I know.Announcing a marriage and announcing about being gay, are very different matters, in my opinion.
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Good for Adam. He's a great role model for other young people.
Long time lurker here, but I felt the need to toss in my two cents.
As a gay man who started skating as a young teen, I certainly would have appreciated the knowledge that not only did other people like me exist, but were celebrated. Middle and high school were hell for me and my sport of preference only served to exacerbate the constant bullying and harassment. Even at the skating rink, homophobic comments were made by coaches and other skaters that I considered friends or otherwise looked up to. What I would have given to have someone I could point at and think, "That's me!"
Adam's coming out is a personal affair, both for himself and for people like me. As he himself acknowledged, his status as a role model for other gay skaters is crucial within a sport which likes to pretend we don't exist. Thanks to increased visibility within society of gays and lesbians, the notions of LGBT persons have begun to diversify beyond mere stereotypes. While being gay is not the only facet of one's identity, it is certainly a very examined one considering the disproportionate importance society has pinned to it. Unless we make ourselves visible and remind the world of our normalcy, we cannot complain about our portrayal as one-dimensional punch lines. I applaud Adam and hope that others in similar positions will make the most of their opportunities to impact countless current and future lives.
As a gay man who started skating as a young teen, I certainly would have appreciated the knowledge that not only did other people like me exist, but were celebrated. Middle and high school were hell for me and my sport of preference only served to exacerbate the constant bullying and harassment. Even at the skating rink, homophobic comments were made by coaches and other skaters that I considered friends or otherwise looked up to. What I would have given to have someone I could point at and think, "That's me!"
Adam's coming out is a personal affair, both for himself and for people like me. As he himself acknowledged, his status as a role model for other gay skaters is crucial within a sport which likes to pretend we don't exist. Thanks to increased visibility within society of gays and lesbians, the notions of LGBT persons have begun to diversify beyond mere stereotypes. While being gay is not the only facet of one's identity, it is certainly a very examined one considering the disproportionate importance society has pinned to it. Unless we make ourselves visible and remind the world of our normalcy, we cannot complain about our portrayal as one-dimensional punch lines. I applaud Adam and hope that others in similar positions will make the most of their opportunities to impact countless current and future lives.
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May I thank the posters like WeakAnkles, Loryne, CanadianFigureSkatingGuy etc. who have explained why this matters to their community. Their opinions do matter more, IMO, on this issue.
Only because people are just assumed to be straight unless confirmed otherwise mostly. We live in a heteronormative world that has straight as the default in many, if not most, minds. And, yes, that permeates much of life even down to babies. A little boy gurgles and smiles and someone laughs and says, "Oh, what a charmer. He is going to be such a ladies' man when he grows up." A little girl looks pretty in a dress and people say, "Oh, you'll have to beat the boys off with a stick when she's older." Until that changes, young people are growing up in a world that designates them as not the 'norm' and this affects their sense of self. That is why visibility of lgbt people (both celebrities and the ordinary man in the street) is so important.
Yet, look at how few even in such a stereotyped sport as FS are out. Why is that? And in other sports the number of out people is very small or non-existent still. Why is that? Something is holding people back. Well, this article gives a very good idea as to why and it shows how far we still have to go.
There is a lot of prejudice and sheer hatred even in countries that have good legal protection and rights for lgbt people. And, even when there is a lack of direct prejudice one still hears attitudes that are directly against equality.
Coming out is changing. Years ago a celebrity would definitely do it in a big magazine article. Increasingly, it will be just as likely to be a 'no big deal' reference to a same sex partner that will alert the media. That doesn't mean it won't have a big effect on that 10 year old girl growing up in Mississippi or that 18 year old man surviving in Uganda or that 16 year old boy feeling suicidal in Texas. It is even a wonderful thing for that young person whose family is accepting and yet still has to steel themselves every day with the requisite armour to 'come out' every single time they mention normal things straight people take for granted being able to talk about to a new person in their lives.
Studies also show that the more people know a real person in their lives that is lgbt, the more their attitudes are likely to change. Look at Donald Rumsfeld! So visibility matters.
Well done, Adam, and may your contribution to that visibility be a guiding light to someone.
Only because people are just assumed to be straight unless confirmed otherwise mostly. We live in a heteronormative world that has straight as the default in many, if not most, minds. And, yes, that permeates much of life even down to babies. A little boy gurgles and smiles and someone laughs and says, "Oh, what a charmer. He is going to be such a ladies' man when he grows up." A little girl looks pretty in a dress and people say, "Oh, you'll have to beat the boys off with a stick when she's older." Until that changes, young people are growing up in a world that designates them as not the 'norm' and this affects their sense of self. That is why visibility of lgbt people (both celebrities and the ordinary man in the street) is so important.
Yet, look at how few even in such a stereotyped sport as FS are out. Why is that? And in other sports the number of out people is very small or non-existent still. Why is that? Something is holding people back. Well, this article gives a very good idea as to why and it shows how far we still have to go.
There is a lot of prejudice and sheer hatred even in countries that have good legal protection and rights for lgbt people. And, even when there is a lack of direct prejudice one still hears attitudes that are directly against equality.
Coming out is changing. Years ago a celebrity would definitely do it in a big magazine article. Increasingly, it will be just as likely to be a 'no big deal' reference to a same sex partner that will alert the media. That doesn't mean it won't have a big effect on that 10 year old girl growing up in Mississippi or that 18 year old man surviving in Uganda or that 16 year old boy feeling suicidal in Texas. It is even a wonderful thing for that young person whose family is accepting and yet still has to steel themselves every day with the requisite armour to 'come out' every single time they mention normal things straight people take for granted being able to talk about to a new person in their lives.
Studies also show that the more people know a real person in their lives that is lgbt, the more their attitudes are likely to change. Look at Donald Rumsfeld! So visibility matters.
Well done, Adam, and may your contribution to that visibility be a guiding light to someone.
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An interesting article about sports figures and the pressure for heteronormativity:
http://www.outsports.com/2015/9/28/9393709/aaron-rodgers-olivia-munn-green-bay-packers-gay
(Yes, there is an entire website devoted to LGBT athletes and related issues.)
http://www.outsports.com/2015/9/28/9393709/aaron-rodgers-olivia-munn-green-bay-packers-gay
(Yes, there is an entire website devoted to LGBT athletes and related issues.)
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The big mean British judges...!He had a torn abdominal muscle - I'm amazed he did as well as he did!
I don't remember Curry being outed at all in 1976? But then again, we are talking about the athlete himself saying something, and in 1976, that would not have happened. Just can't imagine it. (I do need to read this book, sounds fascinating).
Have no idea who this Matthew fellow is? A pro soccer player? (In the USA, figure skaters would be better known
Apparently Curry told a journalist in what he thought was a friendly conversation. Said journalist realised he had a scoop - this was the day after he won the Olympics - and wired it off. And yes, the book is fascinating, but so very sad and difficult to read.
At least some things have improved. I think if a coach tried to send a student off to a "gay cure camp" these days the establishment would intervene pretty quickly.
Matthew is Matthew Mitcham, 2008 Olympic Champion in the men's 10m platform. Openly gay from the outset, even before he was chosen for the Olympic team. There was quite the fuss because a company who was paying for all the athletes' other halves to go over to Beijing initially refused to pay for his partner to go. Until the press got involved of course. Also slightly infamous for the NBC coverage of said diving event, which completely glossed over the fact that he was gay and actually re-framed the post-dive interview so that you could only see his arm around his mother, and not his partner who was standing on his other side with his arm around him.
Otherwise known as The Guy With The Perfect Dive.
Anyway, I actually woke up in the middle of the night last night and had to write down another one while I was thinking of it! Natalie Cook, Australian beach volleyball player and Olympic champion.
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About John Curry, didn't his coaches send him to America to be coached by Carlo Fassi with the specific goal of butching up his skating so he could win an Olympic medal? I also read that the reason he took up skating in the first place was that his father thought dancing was an inappropriate activity for a boy, unlike the manly art of figure skating.
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Thanks, if I had read, I would have seen diving, but why read? Like anything else here, if Americans don't win, and you don't follow the sport, you don't know it.
:shocked:
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Hope to see you posting more often.Similar threads
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