Olympic Kiss Seen Around the World

[Ronyx]

Olympic history was made last night when American slopestyle skier Gus Kenworthy received a 'good luck' kiss from his boyfriend Matthew Wilkas in front of a world-wide prime time audience. But what I found more significant was how Wilkas later described the kiss:

 

“It’s unusual, right?” says Wilkas, an actor. “It’s good that it’s televised because it normalizes it more. I would imagine it would be a huge moment for a young gay kid to see an awesome athlete so open and proud of himself and not caring what anyone thinks of his sexuality.”

 

This has been a remarkable Winter Olympics with gay and proud Olympians like Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon. Congratulations, Guys!

 

              

Edited February 18, 2018 by Ronyx

[FormerMember4]

The best part is showing LGBTQ people they are normal. Love like everyone else.

It also sends a very public message to the ones trying to send us back 50 years.

[Dodger]

I didn't see this but it's a great story. Congratulations to all the LGBTQ athletes no matter what country they are representing.

[MacGreg]

It's funny, I saw the kiss as it happened, and it didn't hit me as anything surprising or shocking or newsworthy because it was perfectly natural and ordinary to me. However, in retrospect, I appreciate the impact (hopefully positive) it likely had on the viewing world.

Edited February 18, 2018 by MacGreg

[Headstall]

I hope we see this more often. It shouldn't be such a big deal, but unfortunately, it is. Love is beautiful... judgement of it is ugly. 

[Ronyx]

18 minutes ago, MacGreg said:

It's funny, I saw the kiss as it happened, and it didn't hit me as anything surprising or shocking or newsworthy because it was perfectly natural and ordinary to me. However, in retrospect, I appreciate the impact (hopefully positive) it likely had on the viewing world.

@MacGreg  I also watched it as it  happened with my husband, Tony. It seemed so natural and spontaneous. I told Tony that is so sweet. Then I said that there would be a lot of blowback from it. It is unfortunate that something so natural to us has to be dehumanized because of other's bigotry and hatred. Our hope is in young people today- tomorrow's future. They are rejecting the archaic dogma of many of the older generation (including political leaders,)  and they are more accepting of diversity. I'm beginning to see young same-sex couples holding hands and walking arm in arm together in public. Times are changing.

[Former Member]

I thought the other thing that was significant was that Matthew Wilkas was specifically described as Gus Kenworthy’s boyfriend by NBC’s commentators and they didn’t make a big fuss over the kiss! The group included multiple Rainbow Flags too. LGBT athletes were also featured in several major TV ads.  ;-)

[Former Member]

By my count, Team LGBTQ had 11 members during this Olympics.

• Belle Brockhoff, Australia – Women’s Normal Hill Individual Ski Jump
• Brittany Bowe, US – Women’s Speedskate
• Julie Wu Chu, US – Women’s Ice Hockey
• Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, Austria – Women’s Normal Hill Individual Ski Jump
• Gus Kenworthy, US – Men’s Slopestyle
• Cheryl Maas, Netherlands – Women’s Slopestyle
• Kim Meylemans, Belgium – Women’s Skeleton
• Šárka Pančochová, Czech Republic – Women’s Slopestyle
• Eric Redford, Canada – Men’s Figure Skating
• Adam Ripon, US – Men’s Figure Skating
• Sophie Veercryssen, Belgium – Women’s Bobsled

Edited February 25, 2018 by Former Member

[Former Member]

Clearly the cameramen and the directors who are deciding who to show on camera during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for NBC are either straight men or Lesbians! If you only saw TV coverage, you’d think the majority of the athletes competing were young women! Yes, Girl Power and all that, but I want to see the guys!  ;-)

[MichaelS36]

On 18/02/2018 at 1:19 PM, Ronyx said:

@MacGreg  I also watched it as it  happened with my husband, Tony. It seemed so natural and spontaneous. I told Tony that is so sweet. Then I said that there would be a lot of blowback from it. It is unfortunate that something so natural to us has to be dehumanized because of other's bigotry and hatred. Our hope is in young people today- tomorrow's future. They are rejecting the archaic dogma of many of the older generation (including political leaders,)  and they are more accepting of diversity. I'm beginning to see young same-sex couples holding hands and walking arm in arm together in public. Times are changing.

We hold hands, kiss, in public. ..people can look the other way. I will not change who I am, or what I feel for anyone.

[Former Member]

1 hour ago, MichaelS36 said:

We hold hands, kiss, in public. ..people can look the other way. I will not change who I am, or what I feel for anyone.

If I remember correctly, you’re a cop with the training that goes along with the job – plus you have ID that identifies you as such. Most of the rest of us don’t have that. Some don’t live in places where the government and much of the population supports LGBTQ rights like you and I do. We are very fortunate to live where we do, but some others live where it is less safe to be so visible…

[mogwhy]

my heart wishes that this didn't need to be news, but my mind is cheering that it was. when i see couples, no mater the configuration of said couples, holding hands, hug or kiss i just think that's so cute and continue on my way. now i do object to being forced onto a porn set complete with soundtrack on a city street.

[Former Member]

12 minutes ago, mogwhy said:

my heart wishes that this didn't need to be news, but my mind is cheering that it was. when i see couples, no mater the configuration of said couples, holding hands, hug or kiss i just think that's so cute and continue on my way. now i do object to being forced onto a porn set complete with soundtrack on a city street.

So you’d be okay as long as they turn the soundtrack off?  ;-)

[mogwhy]

2 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

So you’d be okay as long as they turn the soundtrack off?  ;-)

no. i don't even want to watch a match of tonsil hockey, gay or straight

[Mikiesboy]

5 hours ago, droughtquake said:

If I remember correctly, you’re a cop with the training that goes along with the job – plus you have ID that identifies you as such. Most of the rest of us don’t have that. Some don’t live in places where the government and much of the population supports LGBTQ rights like you and I do. We are very fortunate to live where we do, but some others live where it is less safe to be so visible…

He was a cop ... however even when he was he wasn't a street cop any longer and I'm fairly sure he's talking about when he was off duty as we didnt usually walk around holding hands when he was at work. Now with his new jobs.. we dont because we both work.  I'm sure He'll have more to say when He's back online. 

 

And yes we are lucky we live where we do and we are both very aware of the reasons why we are. We stand on the backs of others gone before us, who helped get us here. Michael knows that and it's why he feels like he does and acts like he does. Not because he was a cop, but because of Gay men and women who stood up and said You can't do this to us anymore. He holds my hand in public because he loves me, and because he thinks we should carry on the job, and continue to send the message: We're here and we are not going away.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Mikiesboy

[Former Member]

3 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

He was a cop ... however even when he was he wasn't a street cop any longer and I'm fairly sure he's talking about when he was off duty as we didnt usually walk around holding hands when he was at work. Now with his new jobs.. we dont because we both work.  I'm sure He'll have more to say when He's back online. 

 

And yes we are lucky we live where we do and we are both very aware of the reasons why we are. We stand on the backs of others gone before us, who helped get us here. Michael knows that and it's why he feels like he does and acts like he does. Not because he was a cop, but because of Gay men and women who stood up and said You can do this to us anymore. He holds my hand in public because he loves me, and because he thinks we should carry on the job, and continue to send the message: We're here and we are not going away.

I’m sorry if that I sounded angry or offended. That wasn’t my intent. I just wanted to point out that some of us are more fortunate than others.

 

I love that you pointed out that we are where we are because others fought for our rights! Too many people are unaware of the sacrifices made by those who came before us. Nobody teaches us our history, we have to go search for it ourselves (which helps explains the many faux pas committed by newly Out celebrities and athletes). Fortunately, there are many excellent books, movies, and documentaries out there if we spend a little time looking.

 

The LGBTQ community does not have a way for our ‘grandparents’ to tell their stories to our young people except through those books, movies, and documentaries…  ;-)

[Mikiesboy]

4 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

I'm sorry if that I sounded angry or offended. That wasn’t my intent. I just wanted to point out that some of us are more fortunate than others

 

I didn't think you were. Some of us are more fortunate, in Toronto mostly things are good for us. Michael was lucky in that his family just do not care, they love you no matter what. He was just accepted. So he has a lot of support. I was just accepted by them in the same way.

 

He's never hidden that he's Gay. He says, I am a citizen and I'm as good as anyone else and I will hold your hand out there in the world. 

 

We are aware our freedom came at a cost and that's why we cannot forget and we have to stand up and be counted by holding hands in public ... and a kiss now and again.   

[Parker Owens]

This kiss makes me glad, because it shows just how far we've come since the dark ages when I was growing up. tim used words like accepted and support; words which rarely applied to earlier generations, it seems.

[MrM]

This is so timely for one of my projects. I just had my two Olympic characters in my story do this. I’m so glad that sometimes life imitates art, even unawares.

[MichaelS36]

17 hours ago, droughtquake said:

If I remember correctly, you’re a cop with the training that goes along with the job – plus you have ID that identifies you as such. Most of the rest of us don’t have that. Some don’t live in places where the government and much of the population supports LGBTQ rights like you and I do. We are very fortunate to live where we do, but some others live where it is less safe to be so visible…

I was a detective. However, hand holding was off duty. I was not the cop who misused my position. Yes, I'm aware not all have the freedoms we do, but our actions can filter through, other people and countries can see we stand up for ourselves. To help others, we need to stand up to any who would put us down. So I hold tim's hand, I kiss him in public. The last guy who called me a f*gg*t, was asked to step outside, where I said I'd be happy to show him how much of a f*gg*t, I am. He declined my invitation.  No, I wasn't on duty I was trying to see a film. He went away and tim and I had a nice evening.