In New Interview, Adam Rippon Says He was Called Gay Slur for Holding Hands with BF

In a new interview with Attitude magazine, Olympic figure skater opened up about recently being hit with anti-gay rhetoric.

The athlete, who is the graces the cover of the publication's November issue, said he and his boyfriend Jussi-Pekka Kajaala were holding hands in public when someone hurled a gay slur at them.

"I was walking in New York City and was holding my boyfriend's hand," Rippon, 28, said. "Some guy came up to us and said, 'I hate faggots,' then ran away. I just said, 'That's so sad that somebody would still want to do that.'"

He also discussed harassment he received online while he was competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

"When I was at the Olympics, and this shouldn't be the case, but every time I got a tweet or a message that had an American flag in their name, I was always hesitant because it was almost always a nasty Trump supporter," he told Attitude. "It was always somebody who had something bad to say about me, which is awful because I was representing their country at the Olympics and I don't even want to open a message that has my own country's flag.

"It was always something nasty and it was always something homophobic, but it doesn't bother me because I'm very comfortable and very confident with who I am, and they're not," he added.

Rippon shared the cover of Attitude on his Instagram and added a moving caption:

"I'm lucky I can live out loud and use my voice. I'm lucky for all the people who came before me so that I'm able to be me. I'm lucky for all of the amazing people I have in my life. I don't consider myself a hero but I am honored."

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