MILAN — Amber Glenn said she ‘couldn’t believe the outlandish backlash’ she received for speaking out about LGBTQ issues in the United States.
The first-time Olympian figure skater revealed her feelings about the response to her comments after Team USA won team event gold on Sunday, Feb. 8.
‘I couldn’t believe the outlandish backlash I received for just supporting people,’ she said. ‘Of course, I have people supporting me, and I’m not online right now because of it, but I’m gonna keep speaking my truth. I’m gonna keep representing what I believe in and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want. So, I just I hope we can keep going forward and be positive.’
After her performance in the free skate, Glenn said she has ‘never had so many people wish me harm before.’
“That was really disappointing, and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this,’ she added.
Glenn, who is part of the LGBTQ community, is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights and mental health awareness. Given her advocacy, she was asked by reporters ahead of the Games on Wednesday, Feb. 4 about President Donald Trump’s approach to the LGBTQ community. Her response was that “it’s been a hard time for the community overall.”
“It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights,” she said. “Now especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger.’
She added she wanted to use her platform during the Winter Olympics to encourage people ‘to stay strong in these hard times.”
“I know that a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all,” Glenn said. “It is something that I will not just be quiet about, because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So, of course, there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead.”
Glenn posted a response on her Instagram story on Saturday, Feb. 7 regarding the reception to what she said.
“When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel. I did anticipate this but I am disappointed by it. I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I truly believe in,” she wrote.
Glenn isn’t the only U.S. Olympian to speak on representing Team USA and the political climate in the country; Alysa Liu, hockey star Hilary Knight, freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess and aerials freestyle skier Chris Lillis all have.
Trump specifically called out Hess in a social media post, labeling him as a ‘real loser.” Vice President JD Vance has attended events in Milano Cortina, including the opening ceremony, where he was booed.
Despite the unsatisfactory showing, Glenn said she didn’t think the comments had anything to do with her performance.