The Coming Out of an Olympic Star
On Dec. 16, while skating on tour in the French Alps, Brian Boitano said he received a call from the White House gauging his interest in being named by President Obama to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The names of others in the delegation were kept from him, Boitano said. Still, he eagerly accepted and the announcement was made the next day. While reading the news on his Twitter account, Boitano said he came across this headline: “Out athletes chosen by President Obama to send a message to Putin.”
Included in the American delegation, he learned, were two openly gay athletes: Billie Jean King, the pioneering tennis player, and Caitlin Cahow, a two-time Olympic medalist for the United States women’s ice hockey team. Obama’s choices appeared to repudiate a Russian crackdown on gay rights, including a law that banned so-called gay propaganda.
At age 50, Boitano, the 1988 Olympic figure skating champion, decided it was time to make a public announcement of his own. On Dec. 19, he issued a statement saying he was gay.
He said he had long ago come out to his family and friends but now wanted to make it widely known in support of Obama’s message of diversity and tolerance.
In an interview Monday, Boitano said the decision was essentially made on the spur of the moment. “We were going on the president’s behalf and we were standing up for that message that I completely believed in,” he said, adding that he told himself: “I can’t go to Sochi and not make this official. I need to get past my comfort zone of being a private guy like I’ve been my whole life.”
Over lunch, Boitano, who will be hosting a TV show about house renovation set to debut this month on HGTV, added: “I think this message is so strong and is such a worthwhile cause and is going to be on such an enormous platform to make a difference. I felt like I was on another Olympic team.”
While in Sochi, Boitano said, he will willingly answer questions by reporters and others, but he does not plan to criticize Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president, or make a symbolic gesture like wave a rainbow flag in support of gay rights.
“First, I feel you really need to respect the country you’re visiting,” he said. “Second, I really feel we are making a giant statement just being there, getting off the plane and saying, ‘Look, we’re famous athletes from America, we’re successful, we’re gay and we’re here representing our country and our president.’ Do you really have to say anything more?”
At the same time, Boitano said he would not discourage others, including athletes, from protesting against the Russian law. And he said it would be a “big P.R. nightmare” for the United States Olympic Committee if it sent any athlete home for demonstrating.
No government or Olympic official had contacted him to suggest what he should or not say in Sochi, Boitano said.
“I’m not going to be like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe you have rainbow nail polish on, that’s terrible,’ ” Boitano said. “I think everyone should do what they’re comfortable doing and not be pushed to do something out of their comfort zone, especially when they’re competing.”
Yet it seems unlikely that there will be widespread protests by American athletes against the legislation, Boitano said.
“Athletes have a job to do and a dream to meet up with,” Boitano said. “Their job is to represent our country in the best way they can and focus on the job at hand. To plan on something else to take away from your focus is not a realistic thing.”
Instead, he said, King, Cahow and he will serve as surrogates for the athletes. “It’s a very powerful tool,” Boitano said. “They don’t have to do that. That’s the reason we’re getting off the plane.”
His Russian friends have described a complex situation regarding gay life there, Boitano said, telling him there are gay clubs and organizations in Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a more conservative attitude prevailing in smaller cities. Many are confused about the reach of the law, he said.
“People are worried about the blurred lines,” Boitano said. “What is covered? Is it written propaganda? Holding hands? TV commercials? Writing in your private journal? They haven’t been specific about what it entails. I think they meant to do that because they’re looking at a broad umbrella to cover everything they might consider questionable.”
While competing, Boitano said, he did not come out for a number of reasons. He was extremely private. The 1980s and early 1990s were a time of greater intolerance. He was leery of anything that might cause skating judges to vote against him. And, contrary to the belief of many, he said, most skaters of his era were heterosexual.
“Sometimes they talked smack in the dressing room about gay things,” Boitano said. “When you’re 19 and you know you’re gay, you say, ‘I better shut up about that because these guys are going to pick on me.’ ”
After he won at the 1988 Olympics, Boitano said, an agent of his at the time, whom he would not name, told him: “I don’t know if you are gay or not, but you need to go on TV and tell everybody you’re not gay or at least allude to it, so I can work on projects and endorsements for you.’ I don’t think anyone would ever say that to any kid today.”
Last week, on the “Today” show, Matt Lauer told Boitano he was not surprised to learn that Boitano was gay. Some of Boitano’s friends found the remark inappropriate.
“I would say, even though it wasn’t a surprise to you, it might be a surprise to other people,” Boitano said of Lauer on Monday. “The reason I’m doing this is to support the president’s message in Sochi. A lot of Russians don’t know me. That’s the message I’m sending: I’m gay and I’m standing here as an Olympic champion, representing my country. I needed in some way to make it official.”
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