Openly gay American freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy had a message for Vice President Mike Pence that he posted on Instagram on Friday at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Posing with fellow openly gay Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon, Kenworthy wrote a lengthy note that ended with the line, "Eat your heart out, Pence."
"I feel incredibly honored to be here in Korea competing for the US and I'm so proud to be representing the LGBT community alongside this amazing guy," Kenworthy wrote on Instagram. "Eat your heart out, Pence."
A post shared by gus kenworthy (@guskenworthy) on
Rippon criticized Pence and his role in the Olympics in January, when USA TODAY columnist Christine Brennan asked him about the vice president leading the U.S. Olympic delegation. Rippon responded: "You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I’m not buying it."
The widespread belief that Pence supports gay conversion therapy comes from a statement he made in 2000 on his congressional campaign website: “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” While he didn’t explicitly mention gay conversion therapy, leaders in the LGBT community have said they believe that’s what Pence meant in light of his long-standing opposition to gay rights. In November 2016, The New York Times reported that Pence's spokesman at the time, Marc Lotter, denied that Pence supports the practice.
Pence's office did not immediately respond to request for comment on Friday.
Kenworthy, who came out in 2015 shortly after the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, has echoed Rippon's statements about Pence. Kenworthy, a silver medalist, said a week ago on Ellen that Pence has "directly attacked the LGBT community" in his time as a politician.
According to Outsports.com, there will be 14 out LGBTQ athletes competing in the Winter Games.
