West Hollywood’s LGBTQ community is celebrating Amber Glenn’s Olympic gold medal while rallying behind her after she faced threats for speaking out about queer rights. Glenn won gold with Team USA in the figure skating team event on Sunday, February 8. The same day, she revealed she’s stepping back from social media following what she describes as a “scary amount of hate.”
The 26-year-old skater’s willingness to speak honestly about LGBTQ issues resonates in West Hollywood, a city built on visibility and activism. Her message to stay strong during “a hard time” for the community echoes the resilience that has defined WeHo for decades.
Gold Medal Day, Death Threats
Glenn stood on the Olympic podium Sunday wearing her team gold medal and an LGBTQ pride pin on her jacket. Hours later, she posted to Instagram Stories explaining she’s limiting her time on social media.
“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,” she wrote.
Glenn had answered questions about President Trump and LGBTQ issues at a February 4 press conference. The backlash started immediately. By Sunday, after winning gold, she told reporters the threats had dampened what should have been a celebration.
“I couldn’t believe the outlandish backlash I received for just supporting people,” Glenn said. “I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent.”
What She Said at the Press Conference
At the February 4 press conference, a reporter asked Glenn directly about President Trump and his treatment of the LGBTQ community. Glenn answered honestly. She said it’s been “a hard time” for the community. She wants to use her platform to “encourage people to stay strong.”
She also pushed back against critics who tell athletes to stay quiet about politics.
“I know that a lot of people will say, ‘You’re just an athlete, stick to your job and shut up about politics,’ but politics affects us all,” Glenn told reporters. “It’s something that I will not just be quiet about, because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives. So of course there are things that I disagree with, but as a community, we are strong and we support each other, and brighter days are ahead of us.”
Fans Rally Behind Her
Support poured in online after Glenn revealed the threats. “Thank you for your young and powerful voice!!” one supporter wrote. Another fan posted, “I have been so happy with a lot of our athletes speaking out there at the Olympics. I hope it continues and we see more keep standing up and speaking.”
Glenn said she knew there would be some backlash. She’s still disappointed by the volume and nature of the threats. With her individual competition coming up February 17, she decided to step back from social media for her own wellbeing.
“I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in,” she wrote. She signed the message with a white heart and “Xoxo.”
Despite the online hate, Glenn said the threats didn’t affect her skating performance. “I’m gonna keep speaking my truth,” she said. “I hope we can keep going forward and be positive.”
Not the Only Athlete Speaking Out
Glenn isn’t the only Team USA athlete who’s spoken about feeling conflicted this year. Freestyle skiers Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess said they have “mixed emotions” about representing the United States at the 2026 Olympics.
Lillis spoke at a February 6 press conference after being asked about representing the U.S. “A lot of times, athletes are hesitant to talk about political views and how we feel about things. I feel heartbroken about what’s happening in the United States,” he said. “I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE and some of the protests and things like that. I think that as a country, we need to focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody, with love and respect.”
Their comments divided Olympic fans. Athletes traditionally avoid political topics during competition.
Glenn Made History in Milan
Glenn is the first openly queer woman to represent the United States in Olympic singles figure skating. She qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics by winning her third consecutive U.S. national championship in St. Louis on January 10. Before Glenn, only Michelle Kwan had won three straight U.S. titles.
Glenn, 26, is also the oldest American woman to make an Olympic singles team since 1928. She’s skating in Milan alongside Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. The U.S. women’s team is trying to end a medal drought that dates back to 2006.
Glenn’s individual competition begins with the short program on February 17. The free skate and medal event is February 19.
