Adam Rippon reveals he is gay in SKATING Magazine article

[desertskates]

I don't really think it's newsworthy. But, he may just have wanted to clarify and talk about something that is an important part of himself. Especially since he is attached at the hip with the very attractive Ashley I hope he has a great season.

 

[StitchMonkey]

I don't really think it's newsworthy. But, he may just have wanted to clarify and talk about something that is an important part of himself. Especially since he is attached at the hip with the very attractive Ashley I hope he has a great season.

I think we talk about far smaller pieces of minutia in skater's lives so this is well within the scope of normal stuff we talk about. Something does not have to be "newsworthy" to be discussed pleasantly among fans.

 

[apgold]

It would be great if we lived in a world where someone discusses their sexuality and everyone shrugs. I hope that day comes in my lifetime.

Personally, Adam being gay is not news to me, but I think in the current climate where gay marriage is now legal in the US, there are more LGBT groups out there to help kids deal with their sexuality and yet there is still a lot of homophobia around the world.

If Adam saying he's gay gives kids who look up to him hope that they can someday be comfortable with themselves, than I will cheer on Adam for "coming out."

 

[Warwick360]

I don't really think it's newsworthy. But, he may just have wanted to clarify and talk about something that is an important part of himself. Especially since he is attached at the hip with the very attractive Ashley I hope he has a great season.

I said something similar and I got a warning. I am confused.

At least I feel what I said was similar.

 

[StitchMonkey]

PS: the news site somewhere I saw in the past must be the only one that didn't see it coming when it was suggesting Ashley and Rippon were a couple. :disapp:

Actually, Ashely did confirmed that they are still dating

https://twitter.com/AshWagner2010/status/650319724455133184

I thought it was a cute response from her.

 

[vlaurend]

These reactions happen every time a skater has the courage to come out. There seem to be two approaches:

1. Why is this news? (as in, didn't we all know Adam was gay, wink wink nudge nudge). Well, I'm glad that the gaydar works so well for everyone on this forum, but that's not the point; the point is that Adam had the courage to say it.

2. Why is this news? (as in, I'm so gender preference blind, color blind and everything else blind, how could this possibly make any difference to me? Such a rational fan I am!) Because not everyone is as rational, color blind, gender blind and everything else blind as you.

3. Why is this news? In the US, it's news. Unfortunately. If you don't believe me, see how much news traffic Kim Davis has generated.

It's news.

Very well stated. Of course it shouldn't *have* to be considered news, but until people in this country and across the ISU nations (Ahem! Russia!) *truly* stop caring about people's sexual orientation, it will continue to take courage to come out and say that you are anything other than heterosexual.

 

[Warwick360]

Actually, Ashely did confirmed that they are still dating

https://twitter.com/AshWagner2010/status/650319724455133184

I thought it was a cute response from her.

Ofcourse. She had to make it about herself somewhow. That's probably what her dissenters are going to say.

Still I love her. Wish she was still blonde just for Moulin Rouge. Now that is a question worth posing. Why she couldn't stay blonde for another season. Seen the interview with Rippon about it. Still not happy. :sarcasm:

 

[Warwick360]

Very well stated. Of course it shouldn't *have* to be considered news, but until people in this country and across the ISU nations (Ahem! Russia!) *truly* stop caring about people's sexual orientation, it will continue to take courage to come out and say that you are anything other than heterosexual.

I don't think Russia really cares during skating to be honest. I mean Figure skating is hardly what most perceive to be macho anyways (Forum police, please don't give me another warning). I mean hasn't Johnny weir done several shows there? and aren't there plenty of fans of him too down there? I think it's in everyday life that people don't seem much accepting unfortunately. Hence, people in regular everyday jobs letting people know who they are, not just based on sexuality, is what ends up being more effective in my feeling. But that's my tuppence.

 

[Warwick360]

3. Why is this news? In the US, it's news. Unfortunately. If you don't believe me, see how much news traffic Kim Davis has generated.

It's news.

Had to google who she was. And to think I had finally forgotten her face and name. Damn.

 

[ice coverage]

After much consideration, we have decided to re-open the thread, especially now that the source of the news, SKATING Magazine, is now available online:

http://content.yudu.com/web/y5b2/0A1uvwc/Oct.2015.SKATING/index.html

The article is on page 22. ...

Thank you for the link to the article in SKATING magazine, Mrs. P.

Two points that should not get lost in the ongoing discussion of whether Adam's coming out is surprising and/or newsworthy:

(1) Adam himself had tweeted, "It's not shocking but hopefully helpful..."

Below are his tweets from Oct 6, when this thread was closed. I'm reposting them from Adam's fan thread.

Tweets ... from Adam Rippon ‏@Adaripp:

Thank you to everyone for all your kind words! I wanted to come out so that my story might help someone who is struggling like I did once
3:49 PM - 6 Oct 2015
https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/651529641719541760

It's not shocking but hopefully helpful... We're all different and you will always be loved if you're your true and authentic self.
3:53 PM - 6 Oct 2015
https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/651530706812669952​

(2) As Mrs. P says, the cover story about Ashley and Adam begins on page 22. Adam's coming out is the subject of just a few paragraphs -- starting at the bottom of page 25.
It is one part of a much wider-ranging story in SKATING magazine. And it is not the headline.

(That said, it is true that icenetwork had based a short article of its own on just that one part of the SKATING magazine story.)​

---

I think we talk about far smaller pieces of minutia in skater's lives so this is well within the scope of normal stuff we talk about. Something does not have to be "newsworthy" to be discussed pleasantly among fans.

:agree: Thank you, Stitch.

 

[tvuckic16]

I thought we already knew that... LOL, or maybe I just assumed. Either way, good for him.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I had two primary thoughts on this, based both on the news and the reaction to said news.

First was, way to go Adam. That took balls. I hope that this means US figure skating has reached a turning point where the inherent homophobia within the sport itself and the association is being eroded.

Second was to cringe at the long string of "duh", "the sky is blue" type reactions. Because that, that reminds me all too much of the awful way Ian Thorpe was treated, the way everyone would say "we KNOW he's lying, we KNOW he's gay", the constant attacks on him to reveal his sexuality. And all I could think was, "Why do you care so much? Does it matter? Does he become a slower swimmer because he's maybe gay or maybe straight? No! He's still a champion! Why is everyone hounding him about it? It's his business!"

Agreed. So many people are like "Hah! We knew it!" As if people take pride (no pun intended) in their inherent gaydar and "catching" somebody (LOL, especially when Adam admitted it on his own terms). Good for Adam. It's not news, but clearly it's an article about more than just his sexuality.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with making assumptions about people (we do all the time), but when it comes to personal/private lives, there's the line.

 

[noskates]

Seriously, this is not news. He's given interviews before, it was all over his website, and he's never been secretive about it. But, it still bothers me on some level that someone has to "come out" at all. It's nobody's business what his lifestyle is quite frankly. He's a figure skater. We watch him skate. I don't really care what he does in his personal life.

 

[Mrs. P]

It was newsworthy enough for icenetwork and the NBC Olympics website to report on it. If nothing else, it's a way for Adam to move on. It's easy for us as fans to say, "Oh it's just about the skating!" But it's obvious from the article that Adam felt unburdened when he no longer had to keep it to himself.

Also, I think we have to think about people who are in the LGBT community. When they see that someone is not ashamed of their sexuality, they probably feel empowered. I'm sure there are fans of Adam's who are celebrating this big time.

 

[el henry]

It was newsworthy enough for icenetwork and the NBC Olympics website to report on it. If nothing else, it's a way for Adam to move on. It's easy for us as fans to say, "Oh it's just about the skating!" But it's obvious from the article that Adam felt unburdened when he no longer had to keep it to himself.

Also, I think we have to think about people who are in the LGBT community. When they see that someone is not ashamed of their sexuality, they probably feel empowered. I'm sure there are fans of Adam's who are celebrating this big time.

Agreed:agree: I have never really understood the response to a skater coming out on skating forums: "well who cares I only care about X's skating makes no difference to me nope not ever"

1. Of course we care most about X's (in this case Adam's) skating. We are in that tiny community of skating fans who are posting on forums to discuss skating. Everyone here cares about skating, skating, skating

2. As one of my favorite sweatshirts says, "It's NOT about you". Adam felt like it was important to him to live authentically. And to represent skating to the LBGT community. It's about what is important to Adam. Whether any random fan, considers it important to them, meh

3. It's not about Adam's private life, or who he is dating (see number one, cause we're all about the skating, skating, skating, so who cares?); it's about who he is.

Now, that new hair color of Adam's...

 

[Skater Boy]

While many of us are going duh!, no surprise, we all knew etc. I really hope there comes a day we aren't hearing about sexuality but rather Adam lands that 4lutz and reaches his full potential. Forget about his personal life; he is a great skater and I think could be better than Brown.

 

[RABID]

And in other news the sky is blue and people like chocolate...these are things we know.

It's 2015...a male figure skater "coming out" as gay isn't really newsworthy anymore, especially when it was implicitly known by 99% of the community anyway...there was that 1% out there that completely missed the obvious but, oh well. Good for him for making it official but I'd be more shocked if someone out there thought he was straight.

Yes, indeed. I remember watching the Sochi Olympics in England and the very old guy living with my mum couldn't stand it. He thought he could get under my skin by telling me Robin Cousins, "He's rather fruity, isn't he?" Without taking my eyes off the TV I casually responded, "many of them are". He didn't have a word to say after that other than the whinging he put my mother through that evening.

 

[WeakAnkles]

He is only the third male skater to be out while competing (fourth if you count the fact that Weir briefly returned to competition after coming out). Whether or not it was "obvious," that fact alone makes this newsworthy. It should spark some discussions about conservatism in the sport at large, and what Adam's coming out might mean, or should mean.

I'm coming in temporarily from the sidelines for this, because it is important. And I am glad to see that the thread was reopened, which I think was absolutely the right thing to do, so to the moderators.

Don't think this is newsworthy? Ok. Name me 10 out, ACTIVE gay athletes in the top echelon of their sport.

No googling.

Yes, it's EMINENTLY newsworthy for that reason alone.

We still live in a society and world where so many people think that even the hint of a rumor that an athlete might be gay would be enough to damage his career. There is a reason that LGBT rights took off after Stonewall.

Gay men and lesbians came out.

By the tens and hundreds and thousands.

Want to make something anathema? Force it to go into hiding. Make it the mysterious "other" that is forbidden to be seen or heard. And that kind of silence is deadly. Silence=Death.

Want to know what that's like for a professional athlete? Watch the documentary, "Back on Board: Greg Louganis." It's an eye-opener.

It's pretty cavalier to shrug this off as "no news" or "no big deal."

For sports, it's still a huge deal. Which is a shame, but that's the way it seems to go. Adam coming out is one big bright light thrust against the anathema of "who cares" and "why is this news" and "don't say a word because it'll kill your career."

Well, back to the sidelines I go, but I did want to post that.

 

[el henry]

I'm sorry you are on the sidelines, WeakAnkles, because I agree with you.

I am rather appalled at "well, we all knew" or the "who cares, I'm just here for the skating" response. I have to say, I find both those responses rather smug and self-congratulatory.

As a straight married woman who has never in my over 55 years on the planet had to personally confront the issue, I can't be smug; all my congratulations go to Adam!

 

[Warwick360]

Don't think this is newsworthy? Ok. Name me 10 out, ACTIVE gay athletes in the top echelon of their sport.

No googling.

Yes, it's EMINENTLY newsworthy for that reason.

Do you mean actice as in out while they were still acitve or do you mean active as in out and still playing currently?

Because surely take out US and many top countries and you'd be hard lucked to find 10 athletes from a particular country, gay or not to fill that list. :disapp:

So hardly a list to make a point.

However if you mean in retrospect as well, challenge accepted.