Ice skater gay
LGBTQ Figure Skaters
Figure skating is one of the most iconic of winter sports, as evidenced by its popularity as an Olympic competitive event. There is an abundance of talented LGBTQ individuals in the sport, though the list of prominent individuals is entirely populated by gay men. The list is long, but it is only recently that figure skaters have declared their sexual orientation while competing - most have waited until retirement and fought public recognition of their sexual self. Skaters still comment on the pressure to remain in the closet while competing and to avoid speaking out about LGBTQ rights, though it is also considered one of the gayest sports.
Britain's lgbtq+ Captain Robert Jones popularized the sport of figure skating back in 1772 with his highly popular book 'A Treatise on Skating'. The book was reissued with engravings in 1775; a second edition printed in 1780 with a new ballad 'The Skater's March'; and many other editions printed including 1797, 1823, 1825, 1855, and more. Skates manufactured to Jones' design could be obtained at Riccards Manufactory in London.
These individuals are almost entirely National Champions, and the bulk possess co
John Curry
From Ondrej Nepela in ’72 to Timothy LeDuc and Adam Rippon today, a look at ice skating’s rainbow stars
COY COVINGTON | Contributing Writer
covingtoncoy@gmail.com
There is the perception that the world of figure skating is crowded with gay men. But is that really true?
If you subscribe to the “one in 10 people is gay” theory, then statistically, there would have to be a good many unbent men in figure skating. Of course, that statistic works in reverse, so there must also be a proportionate number of gay people in the sport.
In the past, many LGBTQ people in ice skating hold felt that coming out would harm their careers, so almost all stayed in the closet until their competitive careers were over. The sport seemed to agree that this perception was a liability to reaching a broader audience.
The figure skating world is indeed a bit staid and stuffy, but doors are being nudged opened. This was especially true during last June’s Pride month. Jason Brown, one of the most beloved skaters on the planet, French singles skater Kevin Aymoz and Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Paul Poirier all came out as queer — and practically all at once it
1869 - Callie Curtis caused a stir when he masqueraded in Victorian flamboyant as 'Miss Godbout, the lady from New Brunswick' to compete in a women's skating competition in the state of Fresh York.
Jackson Haines
1871 - Jackson Haines took to the ice at Wenceslas Square in Prague, dressing as a woman in one program and doing a little same-sex ice dancing with his Austrian protégé Franz Bellazi in another. Haines' flamboyant performances, coupled with the fact he left his wife and children behind in America, have led some to ponder his sexual orientation.
1905 - Gustav V, then Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway, showed a special interest in figure skating, awarding World Champion Ulrich Salchow a particular prize. During his reign as King of Sweden, Gustav V was embroiled in a scandal when the Royal Court paid off a man who claimed he was the King's lover.
1938 - Virginia sportswriter Gayle Talbot complained that Sonja Henie should be "charged with having a made a lot of... fancy Dan's out of this country's ice skaters." Over the years, many gay men skated in Henie's Hollywood Ice Revue.
Bobby Specht
1942 - U.S. Champion Bobby Specht connected the cast of the Ice Capades. Bob Tu
Scott Hamilton on gays in skating
In the U.S., 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton is probably the best-recognized and wealthiest male figure skater. A major element of his popularity is his lovable, good-guy persona. But one not-so-lovable Hamilton trait has been his lifelong homophobia, which he discusses with uneasy frankness in his 1999 autobiography Landing It.
Hamilton became well-known in the 1980s not only for his triple lutz and impeccable figures, but also because he rebelled against ornate or effeminate-looking figure skating costumes and favored the athletic look of a speed skater-like bodysuit.
"Frankly, I was sick of people constantly assuming I was gay because I was a figure skater," he wrote (p. 191). "This fear of being labeled definitely played a role in my choice to radically change my costumes in my last year of amateur skating." It was not until 1997, in his "Figaro" program for the Stars on Ice tour, that he had the security to wear an ornate costume, and even then it was in the context of an ironic, comedic parody. Hamilton commented publicly that he was nervous about that costume, but audiences standard it readily.
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