Olympic Skater Amber Glenn Credits Supernatural Fan Fiction for Early Queer Media Exposure
In a revealing interview, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Amber Glenn has opened up about her formative experiences with queer media, tracing them back to online fandoms rather than traditional mainstream sources. The champion skater specifically highlighted the role of Supernatural fan fiction in her journey of discovery during her youth.
Discovering Queer Representation Through Online Fandoms
When asked about the first queer media that resonated with her, Glenn admitted it was not intentionally created as LGBTQ+ representation. "Honestly, it wasn't like purposeful queer media. I remember seeing like fan fictions online," she explained. She recalled that the long-running fantasy television series Supernatural played a significant part in this early exposure. "Oh my God, there were so many. I used to watch Supernatural growing up, so I saw a lot of that," Glenn said, emphasizing the abundance of fan-created content within that community.
Lack of Mainstream Queer Media in Youth
Glenn contrasted her childhood experiences with the current media landscape, noting a stark absence of visible queer representation in mainstream entertainment at the time. "But growing up, there wasn't too much, honestly. Nowadays, we're so lucky that we have so much representation in media and in normal everyday life. But back then, there wasn't that much," she stated. This reflection underscores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals seeking relatable content in earlier decades and highlights the progress made in recent years.
Overwhelming Response from LGBTQ+ Fans Post-Gold Medal Win
Since her Olympic gold medal victory, Glenn has experienced an overwhelming and often humorous response from LGBTQ+ fans. She shared a lighthearted anecdote about the influx of attention, joking, "My sister is volunteering to go through all of the girlies in my DMs that are flat out making application videos to be my new boo." This comment illustrates the positive and engaging support she has received from the community, marking a full-circle moment from her early days of seeking representation to becoming a celebrated figure within it.
Glenn's story serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of queer media, from niche online spaces like fan fiction to broader mainstream acceptance, and her personal journey from consumer to icon in the LGBTQ+ community.
