Seven More Fabulous Out Gay People of Figure Skating (and One Bisexual Woman)

I met US pairs skaters Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc at the 2017 US Nationals where they won the pairs bronze medal.

HOT!! – on January 23rd I published my third and most recent installment of this series – Seven more fabulous out LGBTQ+ athletes of figure skating.

Blog author Stan Kimer, in addition to training as an adult competitive figure skater himself, is a career development and diversity consultant with a deep expertise in corporate LGBTQ diversity strategy and training. Please explore the rest of my website (which includes my own figure skating page) and never hesitate to contact me to discuss diversity training for your organization, or pass my name onto your HR department.

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Important Note: This blog only features athletes who voluntarily, personally and publicly disclosed themselves as gay.

Since my original “Fabulous Out Gay Men of Figure Skating” is almost two years old, I decided to write this second installation with 2018 being an Olympic year. In addition to my original blog’s Adam Rippon and Eric Radford more than likely competing, Brian Orser coaching and Johnny Weir announcing the 2018 figure skating at this year’s Olympics, this blog contains a few more people we should be seeing there.

Before or after reading this blog, you may want to relook at the original 2016 blog where I also provided some information and link about figure skating not only being a legitimate sport, but about how truly difficult it is.

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These fabulous men who are excellent role models and testament to hard work are, in alphabetical order:

Christopher Caluza cuddles a koala in Australia as he travels the world on a cruise line’s figure skating staff.

Christopher Caluza – This dual-citizen Filipino-American figure skater began his early career skating for the US, and then later for the Philippines. Christopher was the Filipino national champion in 2012 and 2013, and represented the Philippines at the Figure Skating World Championships for 3 years. He is now retired from competitive skating and enjoys seeing the world while skating in the ice cast of Royal Caribbean Cruises. Christopher is very active on Facebook as an out proud man who advocates for respect and equality for all people.

Guillaume Cizeron – UPDATE: On 17 May 2020, in honour of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, he came out as gay with a post on Instagram showing him with his boyfriend. This extremely handsome and sexy man from France (check out his public Facebook page!) is a two time world ice dance champion with his partner Gabriella Papadakis. Papadakis and Cizeron currently hold the world’s record top ice dance international competitive score and are one of the favorites to win Olympic gold in 2018.  UPDATE:  Papadakis and Cizeron did indeed win the Olympic gold medal.

J. Scott Driscoll – Scott was a competitive American skater in the junior and senior ranks in the early 1980s, and then a frequent medalist thereafter in the US Open Professional Championship ranks. Now coaching in Palm Springs, California, what is extraordinary about Scott is his use of his skating to promote anti-bullying and acceptance of LGBT people through his beautiful and dramatic program, “Your Love Matters.” Link to performance on Youtube.

Timothy Goebel – This American skater, the Olympic men’s bronze medalist in 2002, known in the skating community as “the quad king,” helped usher in the “quad jump revolution” within men’s figure skating. Probably the most technically proficient skater of his day, Timothy made Olympic history in 2002 by being the first man to successfully land a quadruple salchow in combination at an Olympic competition. This one time US gold medalist and three time silver medalist married his long time boyfriend Thomas Luciano in April, 2017.

Timothy LeDuc – This dark-haired tall handsome American pairs skater initially competed with three different partners from 2009 – 2014 with their best senior’s pair finish of 7th in the US Championships with DeeDee Lang in 2014. After retiring and then performing on a cruise line ice skating performance staff, Timothy was called out of retirement to re-enter competitive pairs skating with a new partner, Ashley Cain. The tremendously hard working team accomplished the amazing feat of placing third at the 2017 US Nationals in just their first year together! Be looking for this tall pair with their gorgeous extensions and long lines to compete for US and world medals in the years to come.

Javier Raya of Spain (left in photo) came out by expressing his happiness of finding the love of his life, Andrew Nicholson.

Javier Raya – Javier Raya is viewed as the “number two” male skater in Spain just behind 2-time world and 5-time European champion Javier Fernandez. Javier Raya, a crowd favorite with his emotional skating, is the 5-time Spain silver medalist and will surely be making his second Olympic appearance in 2018. He proudly came out as a gay man in May 2016 by posting a charming photo kissing his boyfriend Andrew Nicholson and writing, “I have to say that right now I feel like the luckiest person in the world!”

David Wilson – this out and proud world-class choreographer has worked with several Olympic medalist in the past and will likely have several of his skaters participating in the 2018 Olympics. After his competitive career was cut short at the age of 18 due to Osgood-Schlatter disease, he toured with various ice shows before the entering the choreography field. David has now established himself as one of the top and in demand choreographers and his clients have included Olympic competitors and medalists like Jeremy Abbott, Patrick Chan, Yuzuru Hanyu, Kim Yuna, Fumie Suguri and Johnny Weir.

Popular multiple time Japanese champion Fumie Suguri (photo_by_Carmichael)

And though this blog is specifically about gay men, I would like to do a shout out to female skater Fumie Suguri. This four-time Japanese National Champion finished 5th in the 2002 Olympics and 4th in 2006. She came out in the Japanese media in 2014 as bisexual, quite a bold move within the Japanese culture.

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Additional related blog! Please read “Five Key Messages on The Importance of Out Gay Olympic Athletes”

Note January 18, 2018: A few weeks after publishing this blog, Outsports did an interview with and story about Timothy LeDuc. Link to the story.

Added February 8, 2018: A fantastic short television segment and interview with Timothy LeDuc who us featured in this blog.

Seven Fabulous “Out” Gay Men of Figure Skating

I got to meet one of my all time favorite skaters, the strikingly handsome and current US champion Adam Rippon, when I won the US Figure Skating trip to Champs Camp in 2013.

I got to meet one of my all time favorite skaters, the strikingly handsome and current US champion Adam Rippon, when I won the US Figure Skating trip to Champs Camp in 2013.

HOT!! – on January 23rd I published my third and most recent installment of this series – Seven more fabulous out LGBTQ+ athletes of figure skating.

Important Note: this blog only features athletes who voluntarily, personally and publicly disclosed themselves as gay.

NOTE January 2018: Since this blog is almost two years old and this being an Olympic year, I have now written and published “Seven More Fabulous Out Gay Men of Figure Skating (and One Bisexual Woman.)” Do check it out. LINK

Important New Blog! Please read “Five Key Messages on The Importance of Out Gay Olympic Athletes”

UPDATE December 2016: Please take the time to listen to this outstanding and marvelous radio interview with 2016 US National champion Adam Rippon from WVIA Public Media of Northeastern Pennsylvania (24 minutes). Adam takes us on his journey of personal growth up to his inspiration for his musical choice for his 2017 program, which he is also using this season.

UPDATE January, 2018: Here is a new fantastic video of Adam Rippon sharing his “coming out” story.

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Recently, Out Magazine came out with their list of “100 Hot Out Gay Men” which included people in entertainment, sports, politics, business, etc. WHAT – and not a single figure skater was on the list! Therefore, since the World Figure Skating championships are being held next week (March 30 – April 3) in Boston, first time in the USA in 8 years, I am publishing my own list of seven hot out gay men of Figure Skating.

And before going any further, I am going to quickly dismiss any discussion about figure skating not being a true sport. I challenge anyone to give it a try – figure skating requires a tremendous amount of balance, stamina and flexibility. In fact, check out this article on why figure skating is indeed one of the most difficult sports in the world. And figure skaters look calm, cool, collected and fabulous while competing.

My list of outstanding men include skaters from the past and present. In alphabetical order:

Brian Boitano. This 1988 Olympic Champion continues to be a perennial spokesperson for US Figure Skating and has hosted his own popular cooking show. President Obama appointed Brian, as an out proud gay man, as one our American delegates to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014 to counter some of the close-minded anti-gay rhetoric of Russian President Vladmir Putin (see my blog “Russia, LGBT Rights and the Psychology of Bullying”)

I had the wonderful privilege of attending Rudy Galindo's induction ceremony into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2013.

I had the wonderful privilege of attending Rudy Galindo’s induction ceremony into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2013.

Rudy Galindo. This skater of Mexican descent overcame economic and personal hardship to win his senior US championship on his 8th try, in 1996, becoming the oldest men’s champion in 70 years. And he won the world bronze medal that year! He also was a pairs national champion with his skating partner Kristi Yamaguchi. Rudy is the first openly gay US champion and also later shared about being HIV+. He went on to a stellar professional career with his entertaining “YMCA” program, and was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2013. Rudy and is now making his mark as a coach and choreographer, including working with current US Silver Medalist Polina Edmunds.

Randy Gardner. Randy Gardner was a 5-time US and one-time World Champion in the late 1970s with his skating partner Tai Babilonia. Randy had remained active in the skating world, continuing to skate in shows and coaching at Dorothy Hamill’s Adult Figure Skating Camp. Randy has now embarked on a new venture, starring in his one man show “Go Figure!” about his fascinating personal and skating life. (Link to a 3 minute Youtube video about the show.)

I have so much enjoyed being coached by World Champion Randy Gardner at the past two Dorothy Hamill Adult Fantasy Figure Skating Camps.

I have so much enjoyed being coached by World Champion Randy Gardner at the past two Dorothy Hamill Adult Fantasy Figure Skating Camps.

Brian Orser. Brian Orser of Canada finished second in the 1988 Olympics to Brian Boitano in the famous Olympic “Battle of the Brians.” Brian Orser has now gone on to be one of the most successful international coaches on the planet, having coached two Olympic champions (Yuna Kim of Korea and Yazuru Hanyu of Japan) and currently coaches the top two men in the world (Hanyu and Javier Fernandez of Spain.)

Eric Radford. In December 2014, Eric Radford of Canada publicly came out as gay in an interview with the LGBT publication Outsports, becaming the first competitive figure skater ever to come out at the height of his career while still a contender for championship titles. Then in March, 2015, Eric and his partner Megan Duhamel won the world pairs title, making him the first openly gay figure skater ever to win a gold medal at that competition. He is an ambassador for the Canadian Olympic Committee’s #OneTeam program to combat homophobia in sports.

Adam Rippon. Adam Rippon comes out as gay in a feature story of US Figure Skating Magazine a few months ago and how does he follow up the story? By going out in January and winning his first US Seniors title to go with his two silver medals! The current US Men’s Champion with his fashion-model stunning good looks is one of the hardest working yet kindest and most loved skaters in US figure skating today. Raised by a single mother, this oldest of six children also serves as fine supportive role model and loving older brother to his five siblings.
See also video of Adam’s coming out story.

I enjoyed meeting Johnny Weir at a fan club gathering at the 2010 US Nationals, the second time Johnny qualified for the US Olympic team.

I enjoyed meeting Johnny Weir at a fan club gathering at the 2010 US Nationals, the second time Johnny qualified for the US Olympic team.

Johnny Weir. Sure, the flamboyant and outspoken 3 time US champion and 2 time Olympian Johnny Weir may have his critics, but three things cannot be denied about this fine young man.
1. He is now emerging as a superb figure skating broadcasting announcer who takes his work seriously and showcases his vast knowledge of figure skating and every single competitor.
2. He is an excellent spokesperson for diversity and individuality, and treating all humans with dignity and respect.
3. He always treats all his fans and especially children with kindness and personal attention. I have personally witnessed Johnny at arenas after events and even if there is a long line of adults and children wanting to say hi or take a photo, he stays until he gives some time to the very last person.

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Blog author Stan Kimer, in addition to training as an adult competitive figure skater himself, is a career development and diversity consultant with a deep expertise in corporate LGBTQ diversity strategy and training. Please explore the rest of my website (which includes my own figure skating page) and never hesitate to contact me to discuss diversity training for your organization, or pass my name onto your HR department.