(Getty Images)
Gus Kenworthy came out as gay on Thursday morning. The 2014 Olympics silver medal freestyle skier announced on Twitter, “I am gay.” Before coming out, he tweeted two hours earlier, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.”
Kenworthy, who competed in the winter Olympics in Sochi, is the first openly gay action sports athlete. He began privately coming out to his friends and family more than two years ago, but was hesitant to make his sexuality public, especially before competing in Russia, which has anti-gay laws. After winning the silver medal, the athlete promised himself, according to his interview with ESPN magazine, that once he became the best skier in the world he would be open about his sexuality.
Now, just a few months after his historic win at the February X-Games, during which he performed four different double corks, he’s making good on that promise. And Kenworthy’s decision to come out has been met with an outpouring of love on social media from fellow athletes, celebrities, and the U.S. freeskiing team. Chloe Grace Moretz tweeted, “So proud and amazing to see you so strong !!!! @guskenworthy couldn’t be happier for you,” while the official U.S. Olympic Team Twitter account declared they are “PROUD” to say Kenworthy is apart of the team.
Check out Kenworthy’s groundbreaking tweets below.
