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Another person who feels they can be themselves is always good news. Hope it inspires more to confidently be whoever they really are, whatever that may be, without fear.
This changes my view of him in no way! He's still the same guy we've always known and will continue to be not only an amazing skier, but an amazing human being as well! Keep it up Gus!
YoungGun.Yeah that's so unfortunate. I have never been able to understand the hatred that people have for homosexuals. It's just unnecessary. Society needs to chill out.
Unfortunately, a lot of the issues come down to religion. Having grown up Catholic and attended Catholic schools through high school, I can tell you the biblical interpretation of marriage is between a man and a woman. Fortunately for me, my family and I do not take the Bible as literal & factual. My cousins, both sisters, both beautiful, intelligent women are gay. One recently married. I have never been more proud than I was sitting in the front row at their wedding.
NoSkillsCrewNow you see why it's so difficult. Homophobia is a real problem in our community.
I disagree. I think I'm the action sports community as a whole, you'd be correct. But, when we look at this thread, Gus's Instagram, and other outlets that I'm sure will follow -- posts from the skiing community as a whole -- we notice that most people are open to him and are congratulating him. I think the freeskiing community might be one of the more open communities in action sports. I mean his post has almost 9,000 likes and over 1,000 comments (mostly, if not all, positive). That's a better reflection of the freeski community than the XGames Instagram posts.
I'm glad that Gus can finally live his life more openly and hopefully be even happier. He's a great guy, and he deserves a lot of respect as a skier and as a person.
Glad Gus can now be who he is. Also stoked that all of the comments I have read so far on NS are supportive. The world is becoming more accepting and that is a good thing. Be who you are. Love who you want to love. Shred on.
Always had the thought in the back of my mind that he was gay. The ESPN article is really moving. Who knew that the reason that he wasnt winning XGames is because the announcer would ask if he had a girl friend. It would just stress him out like crazy. Crazy how much pressure he would put himself in.
YoungGun.Yeah that's so unfortunate. I have never been able to understand the hatred that people have for homosexuals. It's just unnecessary. Society needs to chill out.
Seriously. I know one gay kid who graduated, people don't like him, not for being gay (which is very obvious) but because he acts like a spoiled teenage girl. I'm sorta family friends with a gay couple and the two guys are cool ass dudes and don't even seem gay. People put down my friend who is their son and its fucked, if you're gonna hate someone don't hate them because they like the same sex as themselve.
This is huge, for sure one of the highest profile names in sport to come out. Massive respect for him and proud to hear that its been accepted so well. Super happy for him as its seems from the interview that he's had a pretty hard time with it.
BWalmerI disagree. I think I'm the action sports community as a whole, you'd be correct. But, when we look at this thread, Gus's Instagram, and other outlets that I'm sure will follow -- posts from the skiing community as a whole -- we notice that most people are open to him and are congratulating him. I think the freeskiing community might be one of the more open communities in action sports. I mean his post has almost 9,000 likes and over 1,000 comments (mostly, if not all, positive). That's a better reflection of the freeski community than the XGames Instagram posts.
I'm glad that Gus can finally live his life more openly and hopefully be even happier. He's a great guy, and he deserves a lot of respect as a skier and as a person.
I understand why it might appear that way over social media. But being queer and having lived a very different experience within the ski community, one similar to Gus's, I just don't agree. It is great to see the support for Gus, but unless I see something change when I'm in the parks and I stop hearing people call things gay and other people f**s I will continue to feel unwelcome in the ski community. On NS I still see a fair amount of casual homophobia. In the parks here in Utah I hear allot of it. At my work at ski resorts I hear allot of it and never felt comfortable being openly queer in those spaces. It's great that Gus is getting support on social media but unless people change their language and actions on the ground I'm going to still feel unsafe and unwelcome in this community.
I feel the need to say I have a group of very understanding and supportive friends in the Utah ski scene who are very welcoming of me and could give two shits about my sexual orientation. But that doesn't change how the rest of the community has made me feel. I'm optimistic that things will get better, but that doesn't change how it is currently.
Saw his twitter in class this morning and caught me a little off guard.
But
Not a thing changed, I still think he's a great skier and a great human being and I still aspire to be like him.
NoSkillsCrewbut unless I see something change when I'm in the parks and I stop hearing people call things gay and other people f**s I will continue to feel unwelcome in the ski community.
This is a huge issue.
I know that I grew up saying that shit, but its got to go. Its not "just a word" it has connotations which are unacceptable.
Plain and simple when anyone hears someone use homophobic words, we simply have to start saying "Bro, that shit aint cool anymore."
There's being a reckless badass that doesn't give a fuck, and then there's hate crimes. Times have changed for the better, and we need to catch up immediately.
I know that I grew up saying that shit, but its got to go. Its not "just a word" it has connotations which are unacceptable.
Plain and simple when anyone hears someone use homophobic words, we simply have to start saying "Bro, that shit aint cool anymore."
There's being a reckless badass that doesn't give a fuck, and then there's hate crimes. Times have changed for the better, and we need to catch up immediately.
Times seem to be changing in good and bad ways, I remember back in my days of working in motorsport the 'banter' was grim and looking back on it I cannot believe some of the things I used to say, guess thats called growing up.
Its sad that even in this day and age people have the fear about coming out, and even sadder the viscous bile it brings out in some people who cannot accept that it simply shouldn't matter. Its sadly the same for the treatment of women too when they speak out on causes. I'm glad that most people I know these days are very accepting people but the ones who I have encountered who spread the hate and vitriol have been given a global platform from which to do it 24/7 which is making them worse.
when I stopped calling things/people gay as a negative thing (super prevalent when I was in middle school), I just replaced it with soft. Works perfectly.
When you take a look at what Gus has done for us (cleanest doubles, progression of the sport, making freeskiers look like awesome people in the olympics, and who could forget PUPPIES) Gus is a god damn trophy.
I'm not trying to say "I'd go gay for Gus" because saying that really belittles homosexuality and makes it sound like a choice. I will say is that whoever gets to have him as a part of their life should consider themselves blessed because Gus is an absolute saint.
With that said, I will totally be dishing out my # if I ever see him.
ANYONE WHO FUCKS WITH THIS MAN IS FUCKED UP i dont mean sexually i just mean hating on his Iv always thought gus to be one of my favorites and never had a single thought that he would be gay I thought he pulled down mad bitches but looking back on it I guess I could see it now that its pointed out but reading the article and shit was so inspirational and im glad gus can finally be him I feel so bad for Gus though that he had to hold it in for so long like being gay and crying after sleeping with a girl in a world where being gay is just being excepted not to mention the action sports world where everyone is too cool but gus is a trophy anything Id love to meet him even more than before.
jpastorAlways had the thought in the back of my mind that he was gay. The ESPN article is really moving. Who knew that the reason that he wasnt winning XGames is because the announcer would ask if he had a girl friend. It would just stress him out like crazy. Crazy how much pressure he would put himself in.
Seriously that should change and just say significant other. I feel like the freeskiing community might be hard to come out to making it look unsupportive but really once you do we are the most accepting its like a new feature it looks scary and you might eat shit but once you hit it your are totally fine with it and see its easy. Stoked to see him throw down now im proud he is the poster child for freeskiing gay or not
Read the comments. Even read the comments on Gus's instagram post in the OP.
Also I saw this on twitter while in class and I was caught off guard. I looked at it a second time and realized that he's still the same person. Gus is still a kickass skier and person in the end who has contributed a lot to freeskiing in many positive ways.
Interesting to see how all the comments on NS are supportive then the majority of comments on the ESPN article are hateful... Hmmm NS has grown up or skiers just support skiers...
StaticHopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg, come on out boys!
Just based off demographics, 2ish percent of the U.S. male population identify as gay and 238,000ish members on this site now. There should be about 4,500+ gay members. 12.5% of the people in my hometown are LGBTQ.
This is obviously wonderful news but I hope that people's first thought of Gus continues to be that he's a fucking sick skier and not that he's 'that gay guy in our sport'.
Well actually that should be up to him but if it happened that way it'd demonstrate that we as a society are beyond it being novel or unusual
so many sad panda ESPN commentors wondering "why this is news" or "freeskiing?, is that a new form of Poker". They aren't hearing about that same drawn out piece of NFL gossip for the third time this week so they are so super bummed. GOOFUS.
