Adam Rippon joins 2018 Time 100

[4everchan]

^^ Eric was out before 2014. He was living with a French Canadian man and his daughter... it was all over his social media. When he talks about the non-issue, it's exactly the feeling I have expressed.... It is not a burden in Canada the same way it is in other countries.... but then, he was given an outlet that resonated to him and he wanted to pursue that. It doesn't change what I have said all along... Jeff Buttle also married a man, ... other Canadian athletes are gay, and openly so on their social media but they do not feel the need Eric felt or let's name it, a calling... Mark Tewksbury, is from another era... he came out WAY after he was done with sport, and that's why he was showing his content with Eric, as Eric did while on top. Anyways, I cannot elaborate or else I get beyond the scope of this thread... so I will just stop there but if the reasons seem similar, the context is very different...and that's exactly why many of us, stay away from these labels as they do not define us more than they define heterosexual people.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Adam has made it known that he is loud and proud and representing LGBTQ people everywhere, not just the US, but sadly the US end of it is what has gotten the most attention for reasons I'm not mentioning here.

 

[Andrea82]

well in america you can still be fired from your workplace for being gay and teen suicide amongst LGBT youth is still EXTREMELY high. Just because ABC adds in one or two more gay characters in their sitcoms doesn't mean being gay isn't dangerous for most LGBT people. It takes someone like Adam, who may not be a top worldwide skater (even though he's made top ten at worlds and olys multiple times, so to me that definitely makes him a super elite athlete) to bite the bullet and be as flamboyant and himself as he can so that bigots can maybe change their minds or maybe be a little more compassionate when their kid comes out

And some parts of USA skating world has not always been so accepting either

That's a part of an interview with US pair skater Timothy LeDuc to NBC last year

Q: Can you share one any of the obstacles you’ve had to face in your skating career?

A: I've had many challenges along the way but one that always stands out to me is the homophobia I've faced. Once during a pair try-out, I was speaking with the mother of the girl I was trying out with. She asked me if I had a girlfriend, to which I replied, "no, I'm gay." She said that it would make her and her daughter look really bad so I should keep it to myself, and that I'd made a really bad choice to be gay, and that I shouldn't tell anyone in her family that I was because they would try to perform an exorcism on me. Another girl I had a pair try-out with asked one of our mutual friends "What kind of gay is Timothy, is he just going to freak out and drop me, can he be strong in lifts?” Somehow, being gay meant that I wasn't "masculine" or "strong" to these girls. I wonder how things may have been different in my skating career if I hadn't faced these homophobic people, but I'm happy with where I've ended up.

Q: Has anyone ever told you that you wouldn’t succeed in your sport? How did you get past that?

A: As a male pair skater, there is a certain mold you're expected to fill. To clarify, you have to be manly. I've been told since I was a child, that I'm not manly enough, that I like "girly" stuff, that I don't belong with the other boys. Once I started skating, the bullying only got worse. As my career progressed, I was turned down as a skating partner and other, more masculine, boys got the partners. It was really hard to think that no matter how hard I worked or how good my skating was, I wouldn't progress in the sport because of something out of my control. It was one of the reasons I retired for two years. I'm so happy to have found my current skating partner Ashley Cain because she understands who I am as a person and lets me be who I am. Now I hope to have the chance to be a beacon of hope for other, more effeminate young men who might be going through the same struggle I did. You don't have to be a masculine man to have merit in sports or life.

 

[luckyguy]

And some parts of USA skating world has not always been so accepting either

That's a part of an interview with US pair skater Timothy LeDuc to NBC last year

Q: Can you share one any of the obstacles you’ve had to face in your skating career?

A: I've had many challenges along the way but one that always stands out to me is the homophobia I've faced. Once during a pair try-out, I was speaking with the mother of the girl I was trying out with. She asked me if I had a girlfriend, to which I replied, "no, I'm gay." She said that it would make her and her daughter look really bad so I should keep it to myself, and that I'd made a really bad choice to be gay, and that I shouldn't tell anyone in her family that I was because they would try to perform an exorcism on me. Another girl I had a pair try-out with asked one of our mutual friends "What kind of gay is Timothy, is he just going to freak out and drop me, can he be strong in lifts?” Somehow, being gay meant that I wasn't "masculine" or "strong" to these girls. I wonder how things may have been different in my skating career if I hadn't faced these homophobic people, but I'm happy with where I've ended up.

Q: Has anyone ever told you that you wouldn’t succeed in your sport? How did you get past that?

A: As a male pair skater, there is a certain mold you're expected to fill. To clarify, you have to be manly. I've been told since I was a child, that I'm not manly enough, that I like "girly" stuff, that I don't belong with the other boys. Once I started skating, the bullying only got worse. As my career progressed, I was turned down as a skating partner and other, more masculine, boys got the partners. It was really hard to think that no matter how hard I worked or how good my skating was, I wouldn't progress in the sport because of something out of my control. It was one of the reasons I retired for two years. I'm so happy to have found my current skating partner Ashley Cain because she understands who I am as a person and lets me be who I am. Now I hope to have the chance to be a beacon of hope for other, more effeminate young men who might be going through the same struggle I did. You don't have to be a masculine man to have merit in sports or life.

Thank you for this important interview which shows unvarnished the real life in figure skating in the shadow of celebrity gays like Rippon and Radford. I wish Tim and Ashley all the best.

 

[el henry]

Thank you for this important interview which shows unvarnished the real life in figure skating in the shadow of celebrity gays like Rippon and Radford. I wish Tim and Ashley all the best.

I do not understand this reference to “celebrity gays”, it sounds like an insult and I’m sure you didn’t mean it that way.

Adam and Eric came out precisely to help the young Tim LeDucs of the world, as has Tim LeDuc himself. Their experiences show why it is important for young people to hear their stories. I don’t know that Tim has ever been asked, but based on this interview I am certain he would be proud of Adam’s recognitions and journey,

 

[aname]

I don’t know that Tim has ever been asked, but based on this interview I am certain he would be proud of Adam’s recognitions and journey,

I googled "adam rippon tim leduc" and this Outsports article was the top result. Excerpt:

“I am so fortunate to have people who have come out before me to pave the qay to make it easier for me to be out,” LeDuc said. “People like Rudy Galindo, Eric Radford and Adam Rippon have changed the perception of people being out during their amateur careers.”

Speaking of "celebrity gay" Eric... During the Olys, Eric said this about his fellow "celebrity gay" Adam:

Radford said he felt “lucky” he didn’t have to deal with the level of political pressure that Rippon is facing.

“I feel very lucky that I’m not Adam, and I don’t have to deal with that whole political side of things.

“I got a call from our Prime Minister [Justin Trudeau]… he tweeted [my skating partner] and I. He’s been so supportive and kind and nice.

“I give all of my support to Adam and everything he’s doing – especially in the skating world.”

 

[luckyguy]

Timothy LeDuc seems to be a wonderful young man. His statement in Outsports about Rudy Galindo, Eric Radford and Adam Rippon is very nice.

Two informations from the article are new for me:

We live in a country where 40% of the homeless youth are part of the queer community

Despite the outward appearance to some, figure skating still has strong roots in a very conservative American base

 

[Lester]

I don't understand what you are trying to say.

Of course some young gay folks are bullied now. Thank heavens, it is better than it was when I was young, when it was unfortunately pretty much acceptable. Those were sad, sad days. :disapp: I think the media here (in the US) has come a long, long way and for the most part does support the LGBT community. Do you have any proof of widespread non-support among the media?

The fact that someone like Adam can be open about his life and his truth may hopefully make it better for younger gay folks. And therefore make it better for *everyone*, gay, straight, old and young.:agree:

Everyone is bullied as a child.

Also Adam is famous and currently hot and this is why he is treated well and celebrated for every thing he says or does. His being gay is unlikely to do anything for less successful people of any sexuality, they live in a different reality.

 

[el henry]

Everyone is bullied as a child.

Also Adam is famous and currently hot and this is why he is treated well and celebrated for every thing he says or does. His being gay is unlikely to do anything for less successful people of any sexuality, they live in a different reality.

This would be an incorrect statement.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...eceives-one-letter-stands-out-rest/328461002/

[While Adam was at the Olympics, he received a letter. The letter] was from a young man, an 18-year-old from the Midwest, who said he was gay but comes from a family that doesn’t accept his sexuality, Rippon’s agent, David Baden, said in a phone interview Monday.
“The young man said he’s been struggling so much and felt he had no way out,” Baden said, “but when he heard about Adam’s story, he felt that Adam was giving him hope. He said Adam’s bravery inspired him to write and that even though he’s still struggling, seeing Adam as such an incredible example helps him.”

Adam talking about his own story, as a child growing up not rich and not famous and in a former rustbelt area of NE Pennsylvania

https://www.glaad.org/releases/olympian-adam-rippon-launches-glaad-campaign-lgbtq-youth

"I’m working with [GLAAD's] youth engagement program and you know this is so important because we’re reaching these kids and they’re becoming activists in their community. When I was young, to have somebody out there that I could’ve looked up to, it would’ve made a world of difference, and it would’ve changed my life. "

Adam's story is important and Adam's story can, and has, helped others. Whether we as posters understand that help or experience that importance is not really the point. It just *is*.

 

[ice coverage]

... His being gay is unlikely to do anything for less successful people of any sexuality, they live in a different reality.

I was an eyewitness to a grass-roots example that "less successful" people strongly identify with Adam:

After the 2018 Nats gala in San Jose ended, the announcer repeatedly urged the skaters to leave the ice immediately. But a crowd of fans of course gathered down at the front row near center ice, hoping for interaction. Adam was among the skaters who lingered as long as possible to give hugs, take selfies, etc.

I was in a different area, directly above the entrance to the ice. A young female adult came over with a large handmade pride banner to show Adam.
She figured that when he eventually did leave the ice, her rainbow banner would be in his line of sight.
As she patiently waited for him, she was bursting with excitement.
When Adam finally was hurrying off the ice (as one of the very last to leave), the young woman called down to him. He glanced up, and paused to give her banner an appreciative look. Sorry that I forget the wording on the banner -- might have been as simple as, "Adam, I'm proud to be gay."
I will never forget Adam's warm and humble response . He looked her in the eye, and said, "I am too." (IIRC, he also blew her a kiss before he had to move on.)
I happen not to be gay, but it makes me emotional even now as I recall how much this brief moment of connection with Adam meant to the young woman.​

An example of the power of so-called "celebrity" to touch lives in a positive and significant way.

---

Everyone is bullied as a child. ...

No, I do not agree at all.

Regardless, it is painful to be on the receiving end of bullying.
Adam and Eric are doing their part to destigmatize one "reason" for bullying. Good for them.

 

[aname]

Everyone is bullied as a child.

According to this site, "LGBT youth are nearly twice as likely to be called names, verbally harassed or physically assaulted at school compared to their non-LGBT peers."

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

FWIW- As some seem to be stating here I just want to let it be known that it didn't take this sudden attention recently to make Adam the way he is: Humble, respectful and appreciative.

He has always been this way. Very good guy. :agree:

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Adam has made it known that he is loud and proud and representing LGBTQ people everywhere, not just the US, but sadly the US end of it is what has gotten the most attention for reasons I'm not mentioning here.

This :agree:

 

[4everchan]

FWIW- As some seem to be stating here I just want to let it be known that it didn't take this sudden attention recently to make Adam the way he is: Humble, respectful and appreciative.

He has always been this way. Very good guy. :agree:

and incredibly good looking

 

[luckyguy]

I am skeptical that Adam's popularity will change something in a positive way for gays. It is more a wishful thinking than an expectable reality.

There were many prominent figure skaters who were known as gay (Ronnie Robertson, Ondrej Nepela, Toller Cranston, John Curry, Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, Johnny Weir and others. And they changed nothing.

Do you remember the reactions to gay skaters not too long ago?

Canadian skating officials say the sports needs to get macho.

"They've got to really showcase that male skating is really about masculinity, strength and power," said Canadian figure skater Elvis Stojko.

Skate Canada, the sport's governing body in Canada, hopes to expand figure skating's audience ahead of the 2010 Olympics. The solution: to project an image of "masculinity" that will draw in the "hockey crowd."

Along with the more masculine presentation, skating officials say it's also time to throw away the frilly, sequin-clad outfits in favor of simpler, more uniform looks.

Figure Skating Gets Macho Makeover

Do you still remember Ryan Bradley's

"Mom, I'm not gay" ... "Mom would be proud of me"

at 2008 Skate Canada?

I am sure that many USFSA officials are not happy about this.

 

[lyndichee]

I am skeptical that Adam's popularity will change something in a positive way for gays. It is more a wishful thinking than an expectable reality.

There were many prominent figure skaters who were known as gay (Ronnie Robertson, Ondrej Nepela, Toller Cranston, John Curry, Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, Johnny Weir and others. And they changed nothing.

Do you remember the reactions to gay skaters not too long ago?



Figure Skating Gets Macho Makeover

Do you still remember Ryan Bradley's at 2008 Skate Canada?

I am sure that many USFSA officials are not happy about this.

This is a disgusting display of someone who is trying to mask their real agenda. Listen, Adam doesn't care about whatever climate around LGBT issues you're trying to push.

So because people are hostile against the LGBT community we should continue being accepting of this discriminatory behaviour? It will always be wishful thinking?

Adam is saying enough is enough and everybody should be treated equally for being who they are. Stop trying to tell people what the reality of being gay is because Adam has experienced it and he is actively changing it.

You're not happy with the reaction, not USFSA. They are quite happy with what Adam has accomplished given how much support they have given him. Stop trying to make indirect implications on how we should view Adam's endeavours. If you don't like it, then don't participate. Stop trying to inject discussion about how bad it is to be publicly LGBT when that fact has already been acknowledged and now Adam is confronting it.

 

[el henry]

I am skeptical that Adam's popularity will change something in a positive way for gays. It is more a wishful thinking than an expectable reality.

There were many prominent figure skaters who were known as gay (Ronnie Robertson, Ondrej Nepela, Toller Cranston, John Curry, Brian Boitano, Brian Orser, Johnny Weir and others. And they changed nothing.

.......

But that is exactly the point: “*known* to be gay”. Not out, not proud, but hiding who they were, at least while they competed, and leaving it to speculation. As a Toller fangirl back in the day, I know that all too well.

How much better to claim who you are, to be true to who you are, in private and in public.

This thread is already full of examples and news citations that Adam’s popularity has changed the perception in a positive way. So already it is not wishful thinking, but a reality. :agree: Is it perfect? Of course not. But, to use a phrase now applicable in the US, it gets better.

 

[millie]

I can’t believe the things that I am reading in their thread! Where are you guys living? I know in my neck of the woods, the LBGT are respected and has all the rights and privileges that a heterosexual has.....right to go to the bathroom of your choice, get married do whatever. In a workplace, if someone brings up your sexuality in a degradatory way, they lose their job. A business cannot deprive you of a job or advancement. If the media, is negative and calls names, out the door they go. You have the choice on your birth certificates to choose male, female, or X, it’s the law . Just saying...

 

[luckyguy]

This is a disgusting display of someone who is trying to mask their real agenda. ...

Please calm down and stop with your insinuations. You are wrong about me.

 

[lyndichee]

Please calm down and stop with your insinuations. You are wrong about me.

Prove me wrong.

What is the point of you continuously saying that it is hard to be LGBT and public about it? Adam says it is hard and wants everyone to be happy with who they are and change the attitudes people have towards others. What is the point of continuously trying to bring up it is hard when it is acknowledged?

Again, this is not just about LGBT.

Adam is a role model for everyone to be themselves. He starts by setting an example and the public's admiration for him has proven that is it working.

https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/963586595629576192