Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy says he
hopes his participation at the Winter Olympics can help change hearts
and minds.
At the 2014 Sochi Games, Kenworthy took
home a silver medal. A few months later, he announced his sexuality
in an ESPN the Magazine cover story.
With two months to go until the
PyeongChang Olympics in South Korea, Kenworthy told Paper
magazine that he wants to do well for his country and the LGBT
community.
“Looking ahead to this year's games
and thinking about this games compared to four years ago, obviously a
lot has changed in the world and things have changed for you
personally and your profile has risen. Does representing Team USA
take on any extra meaning or any extra pressure now than it did
before?” Paper asked the professional skier.
“Our political climate right now is
crazy and I don't agree with legislation that's being put in place, I
don't agree with what's happening in our country, I don't agree with
the president and his policies but I do think that the Olympics is an
amazing time to put aside those things and all come together for
sport,” Kenworthy answered. “No, I don't stand for what's
happening now in the U.S. but in a lot of ways, I'm still so proud to
be an American – it's my home and I'm so excited to represent the
U.S. and I hope that people will be able to forget about everything
that's going on and come together and watch the Olympics. In terms of
the LGBT community, I want to do well for them as much as I want to
do well for my country and I want to prove to people that being gay
in sports is no different from being straight in sports. I want to be
successful for that reason, especially because I feel like our
liberties as LGBT people are threatened right now. I think I have the
opportunity to maybe change opinions because representation and
visibility is all that you can really have to combat homophobia and I
think to see someone at the Olympics who is out and gay and proud and
competing – maybe it will change perceptions.”