U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn revealed she received a “scary amount of hate/threats” following comments she made last week ahead of competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics about Donald Trump’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
Glenn, the first openly queer woman to represent the United States in Olympic figure skating and who won team gold on Sunday, said she would now be taking some time away from social media.
During a press conference ahead of the start of the Milan Cortina 2026 Games last week, Glenn told a reporter it had been “a hard time” for the community and said she wanted to “encourage people to stay strong,” while vowing to continue speaking up.
On Saturday, Glenn addressed the backlash to those comments in an Instagram story, writing: “When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel.”
Several athletes have acknowledged feeling a mix of emotions about representing the U.S. this year. American skier Hunter Hess drew the ire of Trump, who branded him a “real loser.”