US figure skater Amber Glenn has announced she will not visit the White House to celebrate her Olympic gold medal, citing her opposition to President Donald Trump. Glenn, who identifies as pansexual and bisexual, won team gold at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics last month.
Speaking at an event organised by LGBTQ advocacy group Glaad in Los Angeles on Thursday, Glenn said: 'I’m electing not to either, so I do not blame them whatsoever.' She was referring to the US women's ice hockey team, which earlier declined an invitation to attend Trump's State of the Union speech.
Glenn told Us Weekly: 'It is our right to be able to choose what we do and don’t endorse, and I think it is a decision that each individual has the right to make.' The White House has not commented on whether Glenn and her teammates were invited.
During the Olympics, Glenn had criticised the Trump administration's impact on the queer community. She also defended athletes speaking out on political issues, saying: 'I know that a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all.'
Glenn acknowledged receiving backlash from conservative voices and Trump supporters online but emphasised that the support she has received outweighs the hate. 'I know how much more important it is to have this visibility to young athletes than it is to these people that are being crabby and are hateful of empathy and kindness,' she said.
