LGBTQ+ in figure skating

Sylvia

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Timothy LeDuc was featured in this NBC article that was publshed before 2022 U.S. Nationals:
He They now, officially, will be "the first openly non-binary athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics":

OutSports article on Lewis Gibson who "talks for the first time about being gay and married, on eve of the Olympics" (Jan. 26):
 
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Sylvia

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New TeamUSA.org athlete feature article on Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy LeDuc, published Jan. 27: https://www.teamusa.org/News/2022/J...-And-LeDuc-Creating-The-Space-To-Be-Different
LeDuc:
“I’ve always felt that I didn’t quite align perfectly with the expectations that were put on me,” they said. “Masculinity always felt forced, it always felt like something I had to do to feel safe, something I had to do to be successful or to be taken seriously. It was never authentic to me. … I feel so much more whole now, identifying outside of manhood.”
Since coming out as nonbinary, LeDuc contends with comments ranging from benign, if uneducated — “If you’re nonbinary, why do you wear a beard?” — to downright vicious.
“Gender and sex are different things, and gender expression is different from gender,” they said. “Gender is more of an internal sense of self — man, woman, both or neither. Gender expression can be an extension of that, but it doesn’t always have to be. Yes, I have a beard, but in competition I wear make-up. I can portray parts of masculinity and manhood, but I also feel a connection to femininity. It’s a process of letting that out and letting people see that.”
Team USA lists their 2022 Winter Olympic team size total as "223 (108 women, 114 men and one nonbinary athlete)".
 

SkateFanBerlin

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After iiving 15 years in Europe I can definitely see a difference in how men describe themselves vs the US. Men here would say they were friendly, bookish, sportiv, hard-working, fun-loving, etc. The concept of manliness wouldn't come up. And, I'm including straight guys. There's not usually that stand offish quality guys in the US have. You'll get a hug, or in France a peck from just about anybody. (It's actually messed up my gaydar). I think it's great that US guys are starting to question this fixation on masculinity.
 

Icetalavista

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US guys have that whole 'rugged individualist', frontiersman, cowboy trope to compare themselves against. The belief that 'every person for themselves against the world' is definitely part of the US make-up that needs to be consciously addressed.
 

VGThuy

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After iiving 15 years in Europe I can definitely see a difference in how men describe themselves vs the US. Men here would say they were friendly, bookish, sportiv, hard-working, fun-loving, etc. The concept of manliness wouldn't come up. And, I'm including straight guys. There's not usually that stand offish quality guys in the US have. You'll get a hug, or in France a peck from just about anybody. (It's actually messed up my gaydar). I think it's great that US guys are starting to question this fixation on masculinity.
I heard men in England and Japan are similar in terms of being reserved and not expressing themselves because men are perceived not to do such things. Vietnamese men also have a machismo thing.
 

tony

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After iiving 15 years in Europe I can definitely see a difference in how men describe themselves vs the US. Men here would say they were friendly, bookish, sportiv, hard-working, fun-loving, etc. The concept of manliness wouldn't come up. And, I'm including straight guys. There's not usually that stand offish quality guys in the US have. You'll get a hug, or in France a peck from just about anybody. (It's actually messed up my gaydar). I think it's great that US guys are starting to question this fixation on masculinity.
There are many LGBTQ (and even non-LGBTQ) that have been long-fighting against this idea of 'masculinity' and 'masc only' that even takes over the gay world sometimes because as kids, they had to always hide their feelings and expressions and acting a certain kind of way still holds up in their minds. But there are plenty of ignorant people that still assume having a beard or going to the gym or having tattoos means they are trying to be "masculine" :lol: -- and those are just very general things. I've seen comments on this board that follow the same pattern, including people who will write paragraphs and paragraphs about supporting gay rights and then turn around and talk about all 'men' being the same. And every single time, the same group of people is there to like said comments and/or defend said poster(s).

Thankfully, younger generations seem to be much more open to people being who they want to be and what they feeling comfortable doing.
 
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VGThuy

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There are many LGBTQ (and even non-LGBTQ) that have been long-fighting against this idea of 'masculinity' and 'masc only' that even takes over the gay world sometimes because as kids, they had to always hide their feelings and expressions and acting a certain kind of way still holds up in their minds. But there are plenty of ignorant people that still assume having a beard or going to the gym are them being or trying to be "masculine" :lol: -- and those are just very general things. I've seen comments on this board that follow the same pattern, including people who will write paragraphs and paragraphs about supporting gay rights and then turn around and talk about all 'men' being the same. And every single time, the same group of people is there to like said comments and/or defend said poster(s).

Thankfully, younger generations seem to be much more open to people being who they want to be and what they feeling comfortable doing.
I'm trying to think of an example of this. Would you mind providing one so I can be on the look out for it?
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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After iiving 15 years in Europe I can definitely see a difference in how men describe themselves vs the US. Men here would say they were friendly, bookish, sportiv, hard-working, fun-loving, etc. The concept of manliness wouldn't come up. And, I'm including straight guys. There's not usually that stand offish quality guys in the US have. You'll get a hug, or in France a peck from just about anybody. (It's actually messed up my gaydar). I think it's great that US guys are starting to question this fixation on masculinity.

You are in Berlin correct? That’s one of my favorite cities and my best friend just moved there 2 1/2 weeks ago for a new job. I miss him a lot
 

SkateFanBerlin

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You are in Berlin correct? That’s one of my favorite cities and my best friend just moved there 2 1/2 weeks ago for a new job. I miss him a lot
Yes, in Berlin. Funny I got a messaage, maybe here, maybe FB from a skate fan moving to Berlin.. She(?) wanted to connect. I wonder if it's your friend
 

AngieNikodinovLove

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There are 8 out gay male skaters at the Olympics. In 2014, there were 0.


When the Winter Olympics figure skating competition starts in Beijing, there will be a record eight out gay men in either singles, pairs or dance. The number was zero in 2014 and three in 2018.

I did NOT know Ambrosini was out! Congratulations to him!!!!
 

AngieNikodinovLove

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Sylvia

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BlueRidge

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Here's a fantastic article on Kaitlyn Weaver, performing as a queer woman in ice dance, and coming out from The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...as-so-much-more-to-me-than-i-was-able-to-show
I was just coming to see if this had been posted yet! What a great interview. I love Kaitlyn.

Its so moving reading her talk about struggling with things all those years I loved her skating, she was going thru things I'd gone through in some ways too years before.
 

GooserBuzz

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I heard men in England and Japan are similar in terms of being reserved and not expressing themselves because men are perceived not to do such things. Vietnamese men also have a machismo thing.

I am sorry, what is "machismo"?
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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Jason, Kevin
Eric, Filipo, Timothy
Guillaume, Louis

Ohhh and my husband Paul. So 8
 
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AngieNikodinovLove

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That’s incredible progress I mean nine out gay male athletes at the Olympics in figure skating. Plus all the ones who are not out. Congratulations on progress. Hopefully in five years or so it’s just not any big deal at all
 

Amy L

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AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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It's literally in the secondary title. :lol:



Props to Donovan for being a great ally!

Lollll
I know but I dropped my phone while Taking the clothes out and I skimmed towards the end.

Nonetheless, progress all around!!
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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It's literally in the secondary title. :lol:



Props to Donovan for being a great ally!

Lollll
I know but I dropped my phone while Taking the clothes out and I skimmed towards the end.

Nonetheless, progress all around!!
 

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