Feb 27
Figure Skating Champ, 'Dancing on Ice' Star Colin Grafton Comes Out
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
American figure skater and "Dancing on Ice" star Colin Grafton has publicly come out as gay in an interview, according to LGBTQ+ athletics site Outsports.
"It's been a long journey but now I am proud of myself and I'm proud of my sexual orientation and I want to let other people know that they should be proud of every part of themselves too," Grafton, a Boston native, told Pink News.
The skater recalled encountering a toxic anti-gay sports culture in his youth. "You know, I'd be skating and the hockey players would come and bang on the side of the rink and shout words," he told the publication. "That was something all male skaters had to deal with back then."
But the World Junior Championships bronze medalist found an upside. "It wasn't easy but all of it made me stronger because I took it and focused everything on my sport," the athlete recounted. "When somebody tells you you can't do something or somebody makes fun of you, just prove them wrong."
He also talked about his personal life and the difficulties of finding love.
"You might meet someone while you're on a contract for six months and after that, you're both off in different directions so I wasn't really able to hold down a relationship because of that."
Grafton's embrace of authenticity comes after he posed for a cover of Gay London Life magazine, Outsports noted.
"Plus, Grafton last season on 'Dancing On Ice' was paired with drag queen The Vivienne," the athletics site recalled. "So even if he didn't consider himself to be 'publicly out,' he didn't shy away from giving love to the LGBTQ community."
The pro skater has also treated his fans to plenty of sexy pics on his Insta account. Check out a few of his snaps below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.