Thank you, Jim!

You know, I’ve always found it odd that in an artistic sport like figure skating, where typical masculine gender norms are already transgressed, it’s taken so long for skaters to be publicly out. And I assume the sport has always had a large, though unacknowledged, LGBTQ fan base. Galindo was out, but heavily policed in terms of his performances not crossing a particular unspoken gender boundary. Someone like Johnny Weir made compromises, I think, electing to be true to his personal style over being out (though everyone knew he was queer). At the time, performing the way he did and being out would have been too much for the establishment. Norms are powerful and tenacious things.

I hope the figure skating “powers that be” recognize that we the public far prefer authenticity over athletes who are boxed in by fear and shame. Because when we see that authenticity, it makes it easier for each of us to live more authentically as well. When Adam spoke out against Pence, he made it easier for me to do the same in my work. And that is why, as I say, he is just the icon we need.