Gay Olympic Athletes Make History and Change the Game
Adam Rippon made history this weekend, becoming the first openly gay man from the U.S. to medal at the Winter Olympics.
And the founder of Outsports.com says the bronze medal-winner may have opened the door for other LGBT youth to find a place in the world of sports.
“The fact that Adam backed it up with a great performance on Sunday night and America fell in love, that’s the message that kid is receiving: ‘I can be Adam, and I can still be loved by America, too,’” Cyd Zeigler said. “It’s not just the kid watching Adam be his authentic self. It’s then watching his classmates and other people on social media totally embrace it.”
Rippon and fellow out Team USA member Gus Kenworthy, a freestyle skier who races this weekend, have been widely applauded at the Winter Games. But they also sparked controversy with a selfie captioned “Eat your heart out, Pence.”
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who led the U.S. delegation at the Olympics’ Opening Ceremony, has been criticized for his support of “religious freedom” laws and reported advocacy of “conversion therapy.”
The VP tried to ease any tension, tweeting at Rippon, “I want you to know we are FOR YOU. Don’t let fake news distract you.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/adam-rippon-and-gus-kenworthy-break-the-rainbow-ceiling-at-the-winter-olympics).
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Tenzing Norgay, who shares the honor of first ascent with a New Zealander he guided, was honored with Kami Rita, who submitted the mountain for the 28th time this summer, and Sanu Sherpa, who has twice climbed all of the world's 14 highest peaks.
NFL player R.K. Russell made history in 2019 when he was the first ever active player in the league to come out as bisexual. He's also an accomplished poet and writer and his new book The Yards Between Us: a Memoir of Life, Love and Football is out. Russell sat down with Cheddar News anchor Hena Doba to talk about his experiences.
Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.