Amber Glenn arrived at the 2026 Winter Olympics ready to compete and to be honest. After doing both, the Team USA figure skater said she was withdrawing from social media after receiving “an appalling amount of hate and threats” related to her comments about LGBTQ+ representation.
Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, is one of 41 openly LGBTQ+ athletes participating in the Milan-Cortina Games, marking a record year for queer visibility at the Winter Olympics. On Sunday, she added another milestone to her resume, helping her team win gold in team figure skating. She later joked that in that moment, it felt like “Team LGBTQ+” had won.
Comments that caused backlash
The backlash followed Glenn’s comments during a press conference earlier this week when he was asked about representing the LGBTQ+ community on the world’s biggest stage. Rather than offering a rehearsed answer, Glenn acknowledged the broader environment that queer Americans face.
“This is a difficult time for the entire community in this administration,” she said Wednesday, noting the continued political and cultural pressures affecting LGBTQ+ people across the country.
By Saturday, Glenn directly addressed the uproar in an Instagram post, explaining that her attempts to speak up led to harassment and threats.
“During a difficult time for many Americans, I chose to use one of the great things about the United States of America, my freedom of speech, to express my feelings as an athlete competing on Team USA, and now I am receiving an appalling amount of hate and threats,” Glenn wrote. our weekly magazine.
Choose health over algorithms
Glenn said he expected the criticism, but the scale of the response was still large. As a result, she announced that she would be limiting her online presence to protect her mental health.
“I expected it, but it’s disappointing,” she said. “I’m going to limit my time on social media for the sake of my health for now. But I’ll never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”
Glenn also placed this moment in a longer historical context, noting that the LGBTQ+ community faces repeated challenges to its rights. She emphasized solidarity and aligned queer struggles with those of other marginalized groups navigating uncertainty in the United States.
“I think we’re able to support each other in ways we didn’t have to before,” she said. “It made us so much stronger.”
Gold medal and grounded resolve
Despite being back online, Glenn made it clear he has no intention of backing down from his values. Speaking after Sunday’s gold medal win, she admitted that although she avoids social media, she is not shutting herself down.
“I’m not online at the moment, so [the backlash]” she told reporters. USA Today. “I’m going to keep speaking my truth.”
For Glenn, advocacy and athletic excellence are not competing priorities. She framed her stance as very American, rooted in individual freedom and self-expression.
“I’m going to continue to express what I believe and what I think all Americans believe,” she said. “It’s about freedom and being able to love what you like and do what you like.”
As the Milan-Cortina Games continue, Glenn’s presence both on and off the ice reflects a broader shift in Olympic visibility. Even if the reaction turns hostile, she chooses to move forward with intentions, boundaries, and a medal that proves she belongs exactly where she is.
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
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