Amber Glenn got threats, ‘outlandish backlash’ to comments about LGBTQ community

Olympic American figure skater Amber Glenn said she was taking a step back from social media after receiving “a scary amount of hate/threats” after she shared her feelings about representing the LGBTQIA+ community at the Olympics. 

In a post on her Instagram story, Glenn expressed disappointment with the vitriol she’s received since her comments last week. 

“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,” Glenn wrote Saturday, per US Weekly. “I did anticipate this, but I am disappointed by it.”

Amber Glenn of Team United States competes in Women Single Skating – Free Skating on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Getty Images

She also posted a picture of herself at the press conference and said she’d be taking a step back from social media. 

“I will be limiting my time on social media for my own well-being for now,” she wrote. “But, I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.  Xoxo, Amber.”

Glenn, 26, identifies as pansexual and publicly came out in 2019. 

She is the first openly-queer woman to represent the United States in Olympic figure skating, winning gold on Sunday in the team event. 

Amber Glenn of the United States takes a celebratory lap around the rink following the Figure Skating team event medal ceremony. Richard Ellis/UPI/Shutterstock

Glenn took questions last Wednesday when she addressed the “hard time” for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“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. “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 Olympic figure skater also said at the time that she would not be pushed away from speaking about politics or her beliefs. 

“It is something that I will not just be quiet about because it is something that affects us in our everyday lives,” she said. “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.”