- Amber Glenn had an open conversation about President Donald Trump's effect on the LGBTQIA+ community during a press conference at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- The Team USA figure skater told reporters that she will “not just be quiet” about politics just because she's Olympian.
- Amber stepped back from social media following her comments, but is still committed to sharing what she believes in.
Amber Glenn, figure skater for Team USA, isn't shying away from political conversations during her time at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The athlete is using her platform to support member of the LGBTQIA+ community and speak out the difficulties its members have been facing due to the Trump administration, which has ruffled a few feathers in the process.
In a Wednesday, February 4 press conference, Amber—who came out as bisexual and pansexual in 2019—explained that the LGBTQIA+ community has fallen on tough times in recent years following the election of President Donald Trump, noting that her community's struggles have also begun trickling down to other marginalized groups in the United States.
“It’s been a hard time for the community overall in this administration. It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights,” she said during the conference. “And now, especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities. I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger.”
The figure skater, who is the top-ranking women's figure skating champion in the United States, understands the heavy load she bears by daring to speak on politics at the Olympics. “I know that a lot of people say, ‘You’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all,” she told reporters.
Amber continued, “It is 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.”
Following her comments at the press conference, which she posted to Instagram, Amber revealed that she started receiving threats online—but she will continue to stand by what she believes in.
“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 in a February 7 Instagram Story. “I did anticipate this, but I am disappointed by it.”
The figure skating star concluded her statement by sharing that she will step back from social media for the duration of the games: “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. 🤍 Xoxo, Amber.”
