Olympian Brian Boitano says had he not
been selected to travel to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, he
would not have come out gay.
Boitano, the 1988 Olympic figure
skating champion, announced he's gay two days after he was tapped by
President Barack Obama to join a 10-person delegation to represent
the U.S. at the Sochi Games. The inclusion of two openly gay
athletes – tennis legend Billie Jean King and hockey player Caitlin
Cahow – made headlines for what appeared to be a symbolic message
from the White House to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in June
signed a controversial law banning the promotion of “gay
propaganda.”
“I don't feel that I can represent
the country without revealing this incredible side of myself,”
Boitano told the AP on Thursday. “This is an important moment, and
to represent my country in Russia, it's a platform that is so
important for me.”
“The president is kind of saying to
Russia that as a strong country, we believe in this and if you don't
follow along, we will leave you behind in this thought process,”
Boitano
added.
(Related: Billie
Jean King: Obama is saying gays belong in U.S. with Sochi
delegation.)