Tag: Adam Rippon

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Mike Pence Tweets Gay Olympian: “We Are FOR YOU”

Adam Rippon

Out U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon has no time for Vice President Pence, and it really bothers Pence.

From USA Today:

Vice President Pence on Thursday took to social media to criticize a USA TODAY Sports report as “#FAKENEWS” that U.S. Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon rebuffed a request that his office set up a conversation between the two men.

At about the same time as Pence took to Twitter, a White House official was explaining to reporters traveling with the vice president to South Korea that Pence’s team did contact the U.S. Olympic Committee. But the vice president’s office was offering— not requesting — a meeting with Rippon and wanted to give the skater as much space as possible. The official declined to be identified.

Columnist Christine Brennan reported on Wednesday that Pence had become so concerned about criticism he faced from Rippon, an openly gay athlete, that his staff reached out to the USOC to set up a conversation between the two.

Rippon turned the offer down, two people with knowledge of the proposed conversation told USA TODAY Sports. After the column was published Wednesday, Pence’s deputy chief of staff Jarrod Agen insisted no effort was made by the Vice President’s office to set up a conversation.

The whole spat began in January when Rippon made it clear he was no fan of Pence or the idea of the vice president being selected to lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympic opening ceremony.

“You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I’m not buying it,” Rippon responded.

Pence didn’t get his sitdown with Rippon, but he tweeted directly to the U.S. athlete saying, in part, “I want you to know we are FOR YOU.”

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Podcast: Out Olympians Not Happy With VP Mike Pence; 2 More Men Allege Sexual Assault By Porn Actor

In this week’s podcast:

• Olympic slopestyle skier Gus Kenworthy isn’t keen on Vice President Mike Pence leading the US delegation at the 2018 Winter Olympics

• Sir Ian McKellen celebrates the 30th anniversary of his coming out

• Two more men have come out accusing porn actor Topher DiMaggio of sexual assault. Is this a case of “he said/he said?”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

Note: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, here are just a few of the resources available to help.
RAINN
The Anti-Violence Project
The Human Rights Campaign

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Gus Kenworthy Agrees With US Figure Skater Adam Rippon On VP Mike Pence’s Olympic Role

Gus Kenworthy qualifies for 2018 Winter Olympics

Out Olympic athlete Gus Kenworthy has responded to fellow Team USA Olympian, figure skater Adam Rippon, who recently questioned the wisdom of Vice President Pence leading the Olympic delagation into the 2018 Winter Games.

Pence has a notoriously anti-LGBT history as governor of Indiana and a congressman.

From LGBTQ Nation:

“I actually found out about it from Adam Rippon’s quote about it,” he told USA Today. “I feel the same way as him. I think it’s not the person I would have expected, and I think it sends mixed messages because this is the first time we’re seeing out U.S. Olympic athletes competing in the Winter Olympics, and then we have someone leading the delegation that doesn’t support that, and doesn’t support the LGBT community, and has spoken against it. I think it doesn’t send the right message. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.”

“I think that I’ve gotten to live authentically and share who I really am with my family and friends. It’s made me feel so comfortable,” he said. “I think that it’s showcased in my skiing. I feel so free and liberated and it’s one last thing I have to think about, about being in the closet and worrying about outing myself. My skiing has benefited from that, from being free.”

“The fact that I am out, I think it’s going to warrant me having a better time in Korea, and really getting to experience it,” he added. “When you’re in the closet, you can’t enjoy anything quite as much. I don’t think I had the Olympics experience I was hoping for, and now that I’m out, I’m going to really take it all in and have such a better time.”

Kenworthy has become the face of gay US Olympians having come out in 2015 after winning a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Games.

He will be competing in his second Olympic games in slopestyle skiing.

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Podcast: Shirtless 2016 Summer Olympian Heading To 2018 Winter Olympics; A Giant In The World Of HIV/AIDS Passes

In this week’s podcast:

• Remember shirtless, hunky, handsome 2016 Taekwondo Summer Olympian Pita Taufatofua? He’s making his bid to become the first Winter Olympian from Tonga and his story is truly inspiring (Link to his GoFundMe campaign here).

• U.S. Olympic Figure skater Adam Rippon is not having Vice President Pence.

• A giant in the world of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Mathilde Krim, passed away this week at the age of 91.

• Bob Smith, the trailblazing first-out standup comedian on The Tonight Show, passed away at 59.

• West Point Chapel celebrated its first same-sex wedding between active duty service members.

 All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Podcast: America’s 1st Out Winter Olympian, Possible Once-A-Week HIV Pill On The Horizon, Bette Midler Says “So Long” To Hello, Dolly!

In this week’s Randy Report podcast:

• America has it’s first openly gay Winter Olympian – figure skater Adam Rippon

• The Human Rights Campaign released its annual report ranking state LGBT rights and protections

• A possible once a week pill for HIV patients looks promising in testing studies

• A Wisconsin school district is dropping its challenge to a transgender student’s lawsuit for bathroom privileges

• Woofy out Olympic freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy stars in a new Head & Shoulders commercial touting all kinds of pride

• Bette Midler says “So long, dearie” to Hello, Dolly! on Broadway

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Podcast: US Winter Olympic Team Has Its 1st Out Athlete; Trump’s Homophobic Judicial Nominees; Out Actor Alan Cumming To Star In New CBS Drama “Instinct”

In this week’s podcast:

• The U.S. Winter Olympic team has it’s first openly gay athlete with figure skater Adam Rippon

• Illinois’ ban on the so-called ‘gay panic’ defense has gone into effect

• NYC has its first openly gay and HIV+ City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson

• Newly-elected Alabama Sen. Doug Jones’ hottie gay son served up serious side-eye at his dad’s swearing-in, and the internet loved it

• Another judicial nominee from Donald Trump is severely homophobic – what a shock!

• Ground-breaking TV series “The Fosters” will come to an end after this season

• Alan Cumming will make history starring in a new CBS drama this season

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report

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Skater Adam Rippon Becomes First Openly Gay U.S. Athlete To Qualify For Winter Olympics

After missing out on the 2010 and 2014 Olympic teams, 28-year-old Adam Rippon made history today as he became the first openly gay U.S. athlete to qualify for the Winter Olympics.

But the achievement doesn’t come without some controversey.

After an exceptional short program Thursday night at the U.S. Nationals, Rippon fell on his opening quad jump in the long program and missed two critical triple jumps. Those mistakes landed him in fourth place.

But the U.S. Nationals, while important, don’t dictate the Olympic team.

Due to his strong international resume (2016 U.S. champion, two-time Junior World Champ), he was chosen for the team instead of U.S. Nationals second place finisher Ross  Miner, who clearly had the long skate of his career Saturday night.

Rippon joins 2018 National champion Nathen Chen who won with a 40 point lead over his competitors. The third member of the Men’s U.S. team will be 17-year-old Vincent Zhou who claimed the bronze medal last night and many believe to be the future of American men’s figure skating.

Rippon, who came out in 2015, spoke to reporters this week about how much the moment means to him and the LGBTQ community.

“I think in this day and age, it’s so important for you to be proud of who you are. I can’t believe I am where I am today. I was just a little gay kid in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania,” said Rippon. “Growing up I didn’t have a lot of role models. I said if I was ever given a platform and had a chance I would share my story.”

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Skater Adam Rippon Could Be One Of The Few Openly Gay Skaters At 2018 Olympics After Strong Short Program

Adam Rippon

Twenty-eight-year-old figure skater Adam Rippon had an excellent night at the 2018 U.S. National championships last night coming in just a tad behind reigning national champ Nathan Chen.

Rippon, a two-time world junior champ, scored a personal-best of 96.52 points which leaves him within striking distance of Chen who notched a 104.45 in the short program.

Rippon, who came out in 2015, missed out on the 2014 Olympic team due to a flu that kept him from posting his best at the nationals that year.

More bad luck followed as he missed nationals last year due to a broken foot.

But Rippon isn’t dwelling on past disappointments.

From The L.A. Times:

“Every disappointment I’ve ever had has made me so much stronger and so much better. I wouldn’t be the person I am now, I wouldn’t appreciate what I’m doing right now as much as I do if I didn’t have those ups and downs of not making the team, of breaking my foot, of feeling like I’ve come up short.”

He was shaky during the six-minute warmup but coaxed himself to relax. “I said, ‘Girl, you tight,’” he recalled. It worked, putting him in position to become one of the few openly gay figure skaters to compete at the Olympics.

He joked that being a gay athlete is “exactly like being a straight athlete, only with better eyebrows,” but he’s serious about being a role model to kids because he never had one.

“I think sharing my story has made me a better competitor because I don’t really care what other people think of me. I’m able to go out there and I’m really able to be unabashedly myself. And I love myself,” he said. “When I’m able to go out there and just really be me, I’m able to put my hard work forward and I want somebody who’s young, who’s struggling, who’s not sure if it’s OK if they are themselves, to know that it’s OK that there are so many people out there who have the same worries. …If you set your mind to something, you can truly do anything.”

The men’s free skate competition is on Saturday.

Watch Rippin’s short program below.