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Italian Olympic downhill ski cthampion Sofia Goggia got into hot water after she made some comments about skiers who are gay.
She quickly tried to backpedal, but people weren’t having it.
Goggia, 29, was speaking with an interviewer for Corriere Della Sera, an Italian newspaper. During the interview, she was asked about there being any LGBTQ+ athletes in the sport.
She responded:
“Among women yes. Not for men, I would say. You have to throw yourself down the Streif in Kitzbuhel.”
The Strief in Kitzbuhel, Austria is one of the most challenging slopes for skiers in the world. The implication is either gay men are too scared to try, or if they did, they wouldn’t survive the course.
To make matters worse, she also sprinkled in some transphobia.
“In terms of sport, a man who turns into a woman has physical characteristics, even at the hormonal level, which allow him to push harder. I don’t think it’s right then.”
So, according to Goggia, gay men are too scared to ski and transwomen have an advantage over women when it comes to all sports.
It seems like she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
Oh well, was this on your homotransphobia bingo? Italian alpine skiing superstar Sofia Goggia denying homosexual male professional skiiers exist because they'd have to go down difficult hills\n\nThen proceeds to say that "men turning into women" shouldn't race against her— Tensor Romo (@Tensor Romo) 1650215517
its just so disappointing— mira (@mira) 1650472130
Scaring enough @goggiasofia ? https://twitter.com/brumbrumcrown/status/1516033551959044096\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/jWVM25dmcS— Luca Pagani (@Luca Pagani) 1650371900
It\u2019s not controversial, it\u2019s homophobic and transphobic.— Pauli (@Pauli) 1650474624
Sofia Goggiapic.twitter.com/kLNGU27969— Cuore Immacolato di Maria (@Cuore Immacolato di Maria) 1650196632
Retweet to scare sofia goggia #Heartstopperpic.twitter.com/yWzfhxIs5w— 24 dan (@24 dan) 1650723642
Among those calling out Goggia, one of the most prominent is Italian Deputy Minister of the Interior and LGBTQ+ rights activist Ivan Scalfarotto.
He said in a statement:
“I read with dismay that according to Sofia Goggia a gay athlete would not be able to do a downhill.”
“Before saying such things, kind Sofia, you should stop and think twice: speed is an advantage in the race but with words it can become a big problem.”
As one would expect, the criticism was too much for Goggia.
The Italian athlete made a post on Twitter attempting to apologize.
Fa pi\u00f9 rumore un albero che cade che una foresta che cresce. \nMi dispiace e mi scuso con tutte le persone che si sono sentite offese per la frase che \u00e8 uscita nell\u2019intervista del Corriere che, sicuramente, quando l\u2019ho pronunciata, non voleva essere di natura discriminatoria.— iamsofiagoggia (@iamsofiagoggia) 1650214043
The following is a translation provided by Twitter:
“A falling tree makes more noise than a growing forest.”
“I am sorry and I apologize to all the people who felt offended by the sentence that came out in the Corriere interview which, certainly, when I said it, did not want to be of a discriminatory nature. 🌈”
However, it was too little too late,
Homophobe Sofia goggia @fisalpine do you condone her homophobic and transphobic views?— Eldorado (@Eldorado) 1650282239
Goggia: "Gay men are cowards."\nIt's IMPOSSIBLE to read that and not see discrimination.\nThis "apology" is hollow. \nYour "humanity" is repulsive.— Raymond Jones (@Raymond Jones) 1650563952
try harder. that non-apology apology is not accepted— Joe Rodriguez (@Joe Rodriguez) 1650700482
@redbullITA @Pirelli Will you Terminate your contract with homophobic and transphobic alpine Skier Sofia goggia? @fisalpine do you condone her hateful Views.— Eldorado (@Eldorado) 1650396158
Many commenters felt the apology issued by Goggia was insincere and dismissive of the issue.
As one person tweeted in Italian:
"Dear [Sofia Goggia] people 'did not feel offended', you offended them."
"It is not a question of our sensitivity."
"It's a question of what you said, which is discriminatory and conveys stereotypes and toxic machismo."
"You make the forest of prejudices grow too."
Cara @goggiasofia le persone "non si sono sentite offese", le hai offese. \nNon \u00e8 questione della nostra sensibilit\u00e0. \n\u00c8 questione di quello che hai detto, che \u00e8 discriminatorio e veicola stereotipi e machismo tossico.\nLa foresta dei pregiudizi la fai crescere anche tu.pic.twitter.com/8b35Ztr1YP— Masha&Orsini \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa (@Masha&Orsini \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa) 1650261270
It’s sadly all too common for athletes to hold prejudiced views against their fellow athletes who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
And it’s important that it’s called out when people see it.