Ellen DeGeneres, Gus Kenworthy: Mike Pence 'strange' choice to lead Olympic delegation
Tue. February 6, 2018 4:31 PM by OnTopMag.com
During an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show, out Olympian Gus Kenworthy reiterated his criticism of the White House's selection of Vice President Mike Pence to lead the 2018 U.S. Olympic delegation to South Korea.
The 25-year-old Kenworthy is one of just a handful of out athletes heading to the Olympic Winter Games. A second out athlete on Team USA is figure skater Adam Rippon.
"It just seems like such a strange choice for me, because I feel like we're in 2018 almost – not almost, we're in 2018 – we're going into the Olympics and myself and Adam Rippon are the two first openly gay males competing in the Olympics and it's just incredible to see how times have changed, because of people like you and athletes in the past and so many people that have paved the way. But then to have someone leading the delegation that's like directly attacked the LGBT community and a cabinet in general that just sort of stands against us and has tried to do things that set us back. It just seems like a bad fit," Kenworthy said.
"I feel like the Olympics is all about inclusion and people coming together and it seems like it's not really doing that," he added.
"Yeah, I agree with you," DeGeneres responded. "I think it's a weird choice."
(Related: Adam Rippon: "Not trying to pick a fight" with Mike Pence.)
The 25-year-old Kenworthy is one of just a handful of out athletes heading to the Olympic Winter Games. A second out athlete on Team USA is figure skater Adam Rippon.
"It just seems like such a strange choice for me, because I feel like we're in 2018 almost – not almost, we're in 2018 – we're going into the Olympics and myself and Adam Rippon are the two first openly gay males competing in the Olympics and it's just incredible to see how times have changed, because of people like you and athletes in the past and so many people that have paved the way. But then to have someone leading the delegation that's like directly attacked the LGBT community and a cabinet in general that just sort of stands against us and has tried to do things that set us back. It just seems like a bad fit," Kenworthy said.
"I feel like the Olympics is all about inclusion and people coming together and it seems like it's not really doing that," he added.
"Yeah, I agree with you," DeGeneres responded. "I think it's a weird choice."
(Related: Adam Rippon: "Not trying to pick a fight" with Mike Pence.)
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine