What to Know
Team USA figure skater Amber Glenn isn’t completely surprised by the how people reacted to her speaking out about politics. But at the same time, the response has been “scary” for her, prompting her to step back from social media. Because Amber, 26, is a queer woman who is outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights, she was asked to share her feelings about President Donald Trump’s approach to LGBTQ+ issues.
In response, she said, “It’s been a hard time for the community overall under this administration.” She later revealed that her comments sparked intense MAGA backlash, which included “a scary amount of hate/threats.”
Amber encouraged people to come together and “stay strong.”
After stating that Trump’s second presidency is a difficult time for the LGBTQ+ community, Amber also said “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 went on to explain that the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric are impacting other communities as well. “Now especially, it’s not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and 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,” she said.
She continued, “I hope I can use my platform and my voice…to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times.”
BREAKING: American figure skater Amber Glenn just powerfully spoke about how she is using her platform to support LGBTQ+ Americans under the Trump Administration. This is amazing. pic.twitter.com/VRyKbsMUWT
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) February 7, 2026
She seemed to anticipate the backlash on some level.
While none of what she said sounds offensive, Amber seemed to recognize that people would be angry that she was talking about politics at all. She said, “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. 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.”
Overall, it seems like a pretty positive and encouraging take, but for some reason, she received a lot of hate afterwards. Again, it wasn’t totally unexpected, but it was obviously not pleasant to deal with, either.
Amber took to social media to speak up about the backlash.
In a post shared to her Instagram Stories, Amber said she would be spending less time on social media. She also struggled to comprehend why she received so much hate for simply sharing her thoughts and feelings that someone literally asked her to share.
“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.
She continued, “I did anticipate this but I am disappointed by it. 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.”
Amber’s Instagram story:
— Amber Glenn Updates (@AmberGlennDaily) February 7, 2026
“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- pic.twitter.com/16zg4cgYY3
The backlash was especially upsetting because she was just sticking up for people.
On Sunday, February 8, after her free skate, Amber said she has “never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent — human rights and decency,” per the Associated Press. She added, “I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this.”
Per USA Today, she also said, “I couldn’t believe the outlandish backlash I received for just supporting people. Of course, I have people supporting me, and I’m not online right now because of it, but I’m gonna keep speaking my truth. I’m gonna keep representing what I believe in and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want.”
