Interviewed together on Friday,
Olympians Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy talked about being out at the
Winter Games in South Korea.
Figure skater Rippon helped Team USA
take home a bronze medal in Pyeongchang. Shortly after he medaled at
the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Kenworthy came out gay on the
cover of ESPN the Magazine. Kenworthy and Rippon have
criticized the White House's selection of Vice President Mike Pence
to lead the 2018 U.S. Olympic delegation. Pence is opposed to LGBT
rights, including marriage equality.
“I feel that Mike Pence doesn't stand
for anything that I was taught when I grew up,” Rippon said. “I
think that it's important if you're given the platform to speak up
for those who don't have a voice.”
“I was offered a phone call with the
vice president that I decided not to take before the games. … I
didn't take the phone call because I needed to focus on the
competition.”
“But to be clear,” NBC's Craig
Melvin said, “you did just say, if the vice president were to call
now, you would take the phone call?”
“Totally,” Rippon answered.
Kenworthy pushed back against criticism
that kissing his boyfriend, actor Matthew Wilkas (Gayby), at
the Winter Olympics was too much.
(Related: Gus
Kenworthy, Matt Wilkas share kiss on live Olympic TV.)
“Well, my entire life, in movies and
commercials, in public, everywhere, you see straight heterosexual
love, and that's completely fine because it's normal,” Kenworthy
said. “But us also showing the same type of affection isn't
shoving in your face. It's just us existing.”
Kenworthy added that being closeted at
the 2014 games didn't allow him to “appreciate” the medal that he
won.