Italian ski champion Sofia Goggia has slid downhill into a public relations mess following remarks in which she characterized gay men as cowardly.
Goggia, 29, is widely considered one of the paramount female downhill skiers in the world, having won a Gold Medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Her recent scandal originates from an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera. Over the course of the conversation, journalist Aldo Cazzullo Flavio Vanetti asked her about any LGBTQ athletes in professional skiing. She had a less than tactful answer.
“Among women, yes. Not for men, I would say,” Goggia said. “You have to throw yourself down the Streif in Kitzbuhel.”
Related: Olympic skier suffers “frozen penis” during cross-country race
For anyone unfamiliar, the Streif in Kitzbuhel, Austria, is considered one of the most challenging ski slopes in the world. In other words, Goggia implied that gay men are too wimpy to survive or even attempt the course. To make matters worse, she even peppered in some transphobia to boot, adding “In terms of sport, a man who turns into a woman has physical characteristics, even at the hormonal level, which allow him to push harder. I don’t think it’s right then.”
Among the most prominent figures to criticize Goggia’s comments, the deputy minister at the Italian Ministry of Interior and LGBTQ rights activist Ivan Scalfarotto spoke out to condemn her remarks.
“I read with dismay that according to Sofia Goggia a gay athlete would not be able to do a downhill,” wrote in a statement. “Before saying such things, kind Sofia, you should stop and think twice: speed is an advantage in the race but with words it can become a big problem.”
Goggia’s remarks also set off the predictable Twitter backlash, prompting her to issue a less-than-heartfelt apology the following day.
Fa più rumore un albero che cade che una foresta che cresce.
Mi dispiace e mi scuso con tutte le persone che si sono sentite offese per la frase che è uscita nell’intervista del Corriere che, sicuramente, quando l’ho pronunciata, non voleva essere di natura discriminatoria. ?— iamsofiagoggia (@goggiasofia) April 17, 2022
“A falling tree makes more noise than a growing forest,” she wrote. “I’m sorry and I apologize to all the people who felt offended by the sentence that came out in the Corriere interview which, certainly, when I said it, did not want to be discriminatory in nature.”
Sure, Jan.
The online uproar over Goggia’s comments continues on Twitter. Have a look at some of the most intense responses…
Fai anche tu RT di un gay che scia per spaventare Sofia Goggia pic.twitter.com/vCFELQJXn6
— BenzodiazePino ? (@brumbrumcrown) April 18, 2022
Io concludo l'argomento Sofia Goggia con una frase che vale per tutti anche per gay friendly :
"nom parlate con il culo degli altri" se non avete fatto la stessa esperienza o indossate gli stessi vestiti.— StefaniaL??ve_Official (@Stefanialove_of) April 18, 2022
Sofia Goggia non è stata criticata per aver detto che includere una atleta trans in una gara femminile non è corretto verso le altre concorrenti, è stata criticata per aver insinuato che un gay abbia meno coraggio di un etero: capisco che faccia comodo 'dimenticarlo', ma è così.
— Luca Dini (@sonolucadini) April 18, 2022
Il campione della parità dei diritti, il segugio professionista dell’ antifascismo e antirazzismo, augura a Sofia Goggia un figlio gay. Come se fosse un contrappasso. I figli sono tutti uguali, senza categoria. Ma per lui evidentemente è un concetto troppo complesso da elaborare. https://t.co/ql1WoQNdKn
— Fabio Ravezzani (@FabRavezzani) April 18, 2022
Stefano, da te mi aspetto qualcosa in più di un tweet ironico. Magari una riflessione sul perché nel 2022 una sciatrice che ha girato il mondo ancora si affidi al cliché ritrito dei gay mammolette, dunque incapaci di affrontare una pista complicata.
— Francesco Canino (@fraversion) April 18, 2022
Quindi Sofia Goggia ci ha confermato: “è pieno di gay nello sport ma devono nascondersi perché siamo gonfi di stereotipi”
Grazie per la sincerità.
— Bianca (@LaBiaBi11) April 18, 2022
Tralasciando che i gay sc***no a montecaprino che è molto più pericoloso di lanciarsi dallo Streinz, ora tu e il giornalista che ti ha intervistato ripetete insieme a me: lui è UN trans, lei è UNA trans ?? pic.twitter.com/y3HhA0c6mF
— Porella Cuccarini ? Parodia, parodia canagliah (@PorellaOfficial) April 18, 2022
Diciamo che non è la prima volta che prende delle cantonate. Ricordo ancora in piena pandemia, con gli ospedali stracolmi e gente che moriva a frotte e lei strepitava sui social perché non avevano riaperto gli impianti. Un bel tacere non fu mai detto
— Maria Piera (@Maria_Piera) April 17, 2022
Bosch
Goggia sets off my gaydar something fierce. I get the feeling she just hates men in general.
white-queer-african
Yes @Bosch, I will be a bit more blunt. Me thinks she is a closet lesbian, but not an alley?
Bosch
So it’s not just me then?
white-queer-african
@Bosch, no definately not just you. As a gay man of 62 and out since the age of 15, I have come across, sadly, many a lesbian that hates men. Gay or straight. A great deal of them claimed to have been molested either by a father, a uncle or even a brother, hence their hatred of all men. And I hate generalisations as I have many a dear gay girlfriends.
Bosch
That’s unfortunate. I fear these problems will be with us until the end of time. The world definitely needs a big infusion of love.
Also, Goggia’s stereotype about skiing men is completely inaccurate. I mean, going down with a pole in each hand… sounds like a good time to me.
jt1990
white-queer-african finally we agree on something! Not to mention Ellen DeGeneres, who I hear is unpleasant to everyone off stage. Heard this about lesbians my whole life from both gay and straight men alike, and have experienced it myself many times. I guess the main issue is that men are competition. I had trouble out of a few different lesbians during my twenties, when I was thinner and not quite as ugly.
A few years ago, I hit on a young woman by mistake. She wasn’t just a lesbian, but found out later also a cop! Never got a cop or lgbt vibe from her. Anyway, not only was I rudely rejected, she seemed greatly offended that I even tried. In past rejections, the straight women were usually far more polite.
Fname Optional Lname
Saying lesbians hate men is just as ignorant as hearing someone say all gay men hate women.
white-queer-african
@FOL, me thinks you completely miss the point. None of the comments said all lesbians hate men?
Gadfeal
Who knows. But it high time that gay men with a childhood of being told or brainwashed with philosophies and societal messages that they were “lesser”, or “evil”, or “ill”, and who have come to terms with that RECOGNIZE that it takes a very strong mind to put up with mental torment when a child is not intellectually developed.
whitenoiz
Now if I only spoke Italian… i might care more.
jt1990
Well she isn’t wrong. Most of them can’t even handle a “mean tweet” from a senile former president. Can’t imagine the alarm when fuel goes up so high a trip to the local gay bar is no longer unaffordable…
jt1990
I meant “no longer affordable.” Dammit Queerty, why’s it so hard to make an edit around here?
MrMichaelJ
It probably would help if you weren’t a complete f8cking idiot to being with.
cuteguy
She is def a lesbo. No one agrees with her ignorant comments except MAGA loser trolls like BennytheHill.
MrMichaelJ
Unfortunately I’ve come across a few lesbian back in my hometown who will give me the evil eye. It’s just bizarre because out of any particular segment it always seems to be the lesbians who have the most issues with me. Come to think of it the two segments who have the most issues with gay men also happen to be the ones who are least likely to tip you if you’re a bartender.
Invader7
Damage control 101 : STFU Sofia. Do NOT say /do anything with the media for about 3-6 months, you ignornant kooch .. Some people are just their own worse enemy. And I do get the LESBIAN vibe..And why do some lesbians hate men? That is their issue…Long term ,intense psychotherapy will help. Prominent people saying IGNORANT things is so beyond…