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Jon_TafferFucking mobile disappearing keyboard.. Meant to say not that there's anything wrong with that
Absolutely nothing wrong with it. I met Gus at the Dew Tour in Killington a few years back, very approachable guy and great skier. Just a major human interest story for the skiing community.
Wow, it feels good to write those words. For most of my life, I’ve been afraid to embrace that truth about myself. Recently though, I’ve gotten to the point where the pain of holding onto the lie is greater than the fear of letting go, and I’m very proud to finally be letting my guard down.
My sexuality has been something I’ve struggled to come to terms with. I’ve known I was gay since I was a kid but growing up in a town of 2,000 people, a class of 48 kids and then turning pro as an athlete when I was 16, it just wasn’t something I wanted to accept. I pushed my feelings away in the hopes that it was a passing phase but the thought of being found out kept me up at night. I constantly felt anxious, depressed and even suicidal.
Looking back, it’s crazy to see how far I’ve come. For so much of my life I’ve dreaded the day that people would find out I was gay. Now, I couldn’t be more excited to tell you all the truth. Maybe you’ve suspected that truth about me all along, or maybe it comes as a complete shock to you. Either way, it’s important for me to be open and honest with you all. Y’all have supported me through a lot of my highs and lows and I hope you'll stay by my side as I make this transformation into the genuine me - the me that I’ve always really been.
I am so thankful to ESPN for giving me this opportunity and to Alyssa Roenigk for telling my story to the world. I think about the pain I put myself through by closeting myself for so much of my life and it breaks my heart. If only I knew then what I know now: that the people who love you, who really care about you, will be by your side no matter what; and, that those who aren’t accepting of you are not the people you want or need in your life anyway.
Part of the reason that I had such a difficult time as a kid was that I didn’t know anyone in my position and didn’t have someone to look up to, who’s footsteps I could follow in. I hope to be that person for a younger generation, to model honesty and transparency and to show people that there’s nothing cooler than being yourself and embracing the things that make you unique. Head over to ESPN.com or click the link in my bio to read the full story and keep your eyes peeled for the November issue on newsstands soon! #outinsports #comingout #gay #beyourself #bornthisway
I kinda guessed this ...he was ether gay or he was a legend cus I seemed like he would get a ton of bitches. Shit I'm straight but id go gay for gus! #GayforGus2k15
While I and many others wish this was the case, the freeskiing community just isn't there yet, unfortunately.
This is a pretty powerful moment. I've been around freeskiing for a lot of years now and this sport has always been pretty rife with homophobia, at least in language if not in literal practice. Hopefully Gus' brave decision to come out while still very much in the spotlight is reciprocated with a significant push toward wider LGBT acceptance in our community as a whole.
Guss is honestly one of the best skiers in the game maybe even all time. Gay, straight, or whatever, nothing changes that. Guss can throw triples 40 feet in the air without flinching but was scared to come out for a long time.... think about that.
absolutely agree, but unfortunately, it is the world we live in. who am i to say that someone should not feel pressure or anxiety about their sexual preference? I can't tell someone they are wrong for feeling that way when they have a reason to.
nellyyyWhile I and many others wish this was the case, the freeskiing community just isn't there yet, unfortunately.
This is a pretty powerful moment. I've been around freeskiing for a lot of years now and this sport has always been pretty rife with homophobia, at least in language if not in literal practice. Hopefully Gus' brave decision to come out while still very much in the spotlight is reciprocated with a significant push toward wider LGBT acceptance in our community as a whole.
Yeah action sports as a whole has a pretty bad track record, which is embarrassing.
Today it is senseless to have any sort of homophobia, and it needs to go away completely. So props to Gus for sending it and helping start what will rapidly lead to acceptance across the board.
Good for Gus- doesn't change anything about how much we enjoy or don't enjoy his style of riding. A few years ago ~2004 or so I think this would have been a bigger deal or a surprise.
Stoked for Gus! It sounds like it was a really hard thing to do. Hopefully he can lead a happier life now that he doesn't have to actively focus on hiding his sexuality.
It really kind of makes me sad though that the ski community was one of the reasons he took so long to come out. I'd like to think that we've made progress on this front, but I'm sure some of the posts below will show that we still have a ways to go.
Gus just broke the hearts of thousands of young girls on Instagram.
But seriously, huge respect to him for coming out. That takes some serious balls considering his background and how famous he's become. I wasn't sure if a big name skier was going to ever come out because of how masculine our sport is, Gus just tore that wall down and changed the game. You're the man Gus!
Good on Gus for being willing to live his life without fear of judgment. Used to hate his skiing, been a fan of it now for a few years to the point where I always check out his comp runs and footage.
Doesn't change my opinion of the guy in the slightest, or if it does I just respect that he's choosing not to hide a part of himself for fear of rejection or whatever amongst the industry.
I hope we get to a place where people's sexuality is totally irrelevant and a non issue.
This is very interesting, not that he is gay but the fact that he is such an amazing skier. When I saw his post on Instagram it brought up the question in my mind of, is he a good skier because he pushed himself because of the fact he was gay? I am wondering if his excellence in skiing is like Caitlyn Jenner's excellence in track. Think about it, they both made it to the Olympics. I think that it's a great thing that Gus has done and it takes lots of courage to come out like this
Being a queer skier this in an amazing thing to see. I've been out to the NS community since an article and big discussion thread hit about gays in skiing. And it's easy to be out on NS because you guys don't know me in real life and I can shed the hate from the internet.
I agree it is crazy hard to come out to the ski community. When I've dated other skiiers its always been a tough thing for me to hide it from my friends when on and off hill. The few that knew were respectful but I still didn't feel particularly safe within the community. The amount of casual homophobia in the ski community especially the park community is high. And weather you say you accept LGBTQ people or not, the language and actions of the community doesn't always reflect that.
Gus coming out is a big deal to me and it's amazing to see his courage. He has been one of my favorites since those Nike edits back in the day and will continue to be (unless his skiing starts to suck). This makes me hope that it will be easier for me to be out within the ski community. And it is nice to see the support he is getting from you all.
Go Gus!! (I don't want to go as far as to say I saw this coming, but I guess I'm not too surprised.) The article is a great read and really highlights some of the expectations of masculinity and fitting in that exist in freeskiing and action sports. Just imagine how nerve-wracking it would be to constantly be asked if your girlfriend is in the crowd, knowing that no such person exists for reasons you can't tell anyone. I do hope this sparks a shift in the dialogue that pervades not only skiing, but the entire action sports community, and that people will think twice before using homophobic language.
NoSkillsCrewNow you see why it's so difficult. Homophobia is a real problem in our community.
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.
