Milan-Cortina peak moment on day 2
USAT’s Sam Cardona Norberg, Jordan Mendoza and Peyton Titus break down all the biggest moments from day two of the Winter Olympics.
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MILAN — Amber Glenn said she can’t believe the bizarre backlash she received for speaking out about LGBTQ issues in the United States.
The first-time Olympic figure skater shared her thoughts on the reaction to her comments after Team USA won the gold medal in the team event on Sunday, February 8th.
“I couldn’t believe the incredible backlash I received just for helping people,” she said. “Obviously I have people who support me and I’m not online right now because of that, but I’m going to continue to speak my truth. I’m going to continue to express what I believe and what I think all Americans believe is that we should be free and be able to love what we want and do what we want to do. So I just hope that we can continue to move forward and stay positive.”
After his performance in the free skate, Glenn said, “I’ve never had so many people wish me harm.”
“It was really disappointing and I think it dampened the excitement a little bit about this,” she added.
A member of the LGBTQ community, Glenn is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights and mental health awareness. In light of her advocacy, she was asked by reporters ahead of the Olympics on Wednesday, February 4, about President Donald Trump’s approach to the LGBTQ community. Her answer was: “It’s a difficult time for the whole community.”
“This is not the first time we have had to come together as a community and fight for human rights,” she said. “Especially right now, it’s not only impacting the queer community but a lot of other communities as well. I think we’ve been able to support each other in ways that we didn’t have to before. It’s made us so much stronger.”
She added that she wants to use her platform during the Winter Olympics to encourage people to “stay strong during these difficult times.”
“I know a lot of people say, you’re just an athlete, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affects all of us,” Glenn said. “This is something that affects our daily lives, so we’re not going to just stay silent. So, of course there are things we don’t agree with, but as a community we are strong, we support each other, and there are brighter days ahead.”
Glenn posted a response to his Instagram Story on Saturday, February 7th, regarding the reaction to his comments.
“During a difficult time for many Americans, I decided to use one of the great things about the United States of America (freedom of speech) to voice my feelings as an athlete competing on Team USA, and now, when asked how I feel, just using my voice is terrifying. “I expected this and it’s unfortunate. For now, I will limit my time on social media for my own health, but I will never stop using my voice for what I truly believe in,” she wrote.
Glenn is not the only U.S. Olympian to speak on behalf of Team USA and the country’s political climate. Alisa Liu, hockey player Hilary Knight, freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess, and aerial freestyle skier Chris Lillis all do it.
President Trump specifically criticized Hess, calling him a “real loser” in a social media post. Vice President J.D. Vance attended events in Milan-Cortina, including the opening ceremony, but was booed.
Glenn had what she called a “lackluster” performance in the free skate and had some trouble early on, finishing in third place in the standings, with the United States and Japan tied before the men’s competition was over.
Despite his unsatisfactory performance, Glenn said he didn’t think the comments had anything to do with his performance.
