Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy certainly didn’t hold back when asked his opinions about Mike Pence during a press conference the other day.
When asked about possibly meeting with Pence, Kenworthy shot that down real quick.
“I think I’ve kind of made my opinion on the matter pretty clear,” he said. “I don’t think that I have any inclination toward a meeting.”
He added that taking time to meet with Pence would be a “distraction” from what he’s actually in Pyeongchang to do.
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“I’m just focusing on competing but I’m very excited to be here representing the US and the LGBT community.”
Related: Gus Kenworthy shows Ellen his battle wounds, but nobody’s looking at the bruise
Asked what he’d do if he happened to run into Pence by chance, Kenworthy replied:
Well, I guess we’ll see how I handle it. I think I have always been someone that has had to compartmentalize my life because I was in the closet and I always at fear of outing myself. I always had so much going on in my mind that I couldn’t share it with anyone, so I actually feel, now that I’m out, I have less to compartmentalize.
I’ve made it very clear who I am and I think I have taken a step into a sort of leadership role for the LGBT community because there isn’t a ton of representation at the Games. It’s also just me and I’m just being myself so it’s almost easier than ever to be here and be competing and just feel free and liberated.
Related: Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon share a tender kiss: “We’re queer. Get used to it.”
Kenworthy, who is currently nominated for Favorite Winter Olympian in the 2018 Queerties, also talked briefly about getting to know fellow out athlete Adam Rippon.
“I’m very happy to meet Adam,” he said. “We got to hang out at opening ceremonies and I think he’s just a tremendous guy.”
“I’m excited for Adam and all the other out athletes here.”
Oh, and what about Pita Taufatofua, a.k.a. the Shirtless Tongan, who braved freezing cold temperatures to be his country’s flag-bearer during the opening ceremonies?
“I actually don’t know how that Tongalese guy did that because it was freezing,” Kenworthy said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for that guy, and sure, I would happily do that, but I think there are more aptly suited people to carry the flag.”
Related: Pita Taufatofua (a.k.a. the Shirtless Tongan) is back at the Olympics and everyone’s fainting
Brody
Athletes absolutely reserve the right to decline meeting with a politician whose politics clash with their own, but it’s somewhat disingenuous and presumptuous of Mr. Gremore to put the words “Girl, bye!” into Mr. Kenworthy’s mouth, when all he said was, “I have no inclination to do so, it would be a distraction, I’m focusing on the games.”
DCguy
And it’s somewhat disingenuous of you troll accounts to keep using the words “Political Differences” when what you mean is “Bigotry”.
But I love this new attempt of Mo Bro’s screenames to try to sound more reasonable. Let me guess, some of the other ones were too obviously anti-lgbt and got kicked off so you’re trying to tone it down?
It shows, your comment reads like you were gritting your teeth with every letter you typed.
Mandrake
Brody, I totally agree with you. Not sometimes, but often, Queerty contrives headlines that not only misrepresent the person in the article, but display a flagrant bias. I don’t know what DCguy’s problems are exactly, but he certainly has a few, 99% of the time sounding angry and bitter.
Brian
DCGuy is a nutjob.
Macraymusic
I agree Brody. Sometimes those at the helm with pen and pad do the LGBT community a disservice by not just stating the facts. Every is not, I repeat, not a drama queen!
mhoffman953
Every day DCguy becomes more unhinged
OzJosh
I agree on two counts. First, all this “gurl” stuff and the finger-snapping that usually goes with it is, at origin, an appropriation of black culture, and therefore offensive – even before you get to the underlying misogyny that is there too. Second, since GK said nothing of the sort, the headline unfairly taints him with the insensitive politically incorrect banter that only Queerty is replicating.
scotshot
You call it cultural appropriation?
SMH.
Macraymusic
Exactly!
He BGB
Has pence updated any of his hate and ignorance since those days as gov of Indiana? As Joy Behar said on the View this morning he can’t be worse than Trump as president (if trump,is impeached etc) because Trump is as bad as you can get. It all depends on if the evangelicals continue to be hypocrites and look the other way when someone does or says something unjesus, to coin a new word.
scotshot
Pence has updated his hate and ignorance. He’s doubled down on it.
Trump or pence (whichever) have their sights on us and it’s just a matter of time. i’m thankful for the support of our friends.
Kieran
Your headline is total Fake News. Stop making Gus sound like he’s competing on Drag Race. He’s a man competing at the Winter Olympics.
Onecaddy13
Competing????? Then he should not be so disrespectful and concentrate on his craft.. I too am gay but just tend to ignore the ignorant. I would never disrespect anyone nor his/her office. I think they’re Gus/Adam) making way too much of this and now they know they have a very large platform and are taking full advantage, and the media make them sound like both he and Adam seem to be the only two openly gay men on earth. Give it a rest!!!! Girl bye!!!
dwes09
Yes, in fact, competing. And he is man enough that he can do two things at once: prepare for competition, and voice his well worded opinion.
And last time I looked standing up to someone who feels you are less than human (what pence thinks of us, and would act on given the chance) was not disrespecting them, but giving them what they deserve.
Regardless of their “office” when someone is a verifiable threat to your well being, they are owed no respect and opposition is valid self-defense.
As for the stupid headline, it seems to only be the regressive snowflakes who always need some little thing to bitch about that take offense to Queerty’s expected click-baityness.
rj_topher
Kenworthy is a respectable athlete I’ll give that up. But after that I think he leaves a lot to be desired. What should we make of anyone who has to show his bare ass on the slopes (really, what are we suppose to do with that)? And what about his posted pics showing himself in his tightly whities? So much focus on oneself speaks volumes about a need to be in the limelight among other things. Such bs. Who really cares about the politics of anyone who comes across as so absorbed with himself? A little humility would be a welcome improvement.
dwes09
Many athletes, both male and female, bared their asses for that SI issue. Are they also the target for your bile, or just the gay one?
Athletes make a living with their bodies, and spend a lot of time working on them. And if they are asked to show them why the heck not? He (and many other athletes) express a great deal of humility in all aspects of their lives, while giving a great deal of pleasure to others through the showing and use of their bodies. Besides he is gay, and showing off is hat we do in social media…what world have you been living in?
Seems to me that the self absorbed one is the one who assumes their prejudices describe the only valid way to be, and their judgement of others is the only correct judgement there is.
Lacuevaman
be glad when his 15 minutes are over