In a new interview with LGBT glossy The
Advocate, figure skater Adam Rippon says that being gay is not a
“lifestyle choice.”
The 28-year-old Rippon, who came out as
gay to Skating magazine in 2015, is one of just a handful of
out athletes heading to next month's Olympic Winter Games in South
Korea.
In the interview, Rippon said that he
found it “silly” that his sexuality could negatively affect his
sports career, though he admitted that being queer can lead to
discrimination.
“People felt maybe the judges would
not push somebody who was openly gay,” he said of being publicly
out. “I thought all of it was kind of silly.”
“There's still laws that say you can
discriminate against an LGBT person because it's 'against your
religion.' Still, you don't have complete freedom in some places.”
“I don't want people to say we like
Adam and we’re OK with his lifestyle choice,” he
added. “A lifestyle choice is buying a jacket or having a fun
pair of shoes. That’s a choice, but being gay is part of who I am.”