Ice skating is difficult, especially when your team members are different than you.
“I quit because some of the team members were actually really homophobic”
Meet, Ames. A member of Syracuse University’s synchronized skating team. They are the only nonbinary member on the team.
“I found people that I liked to skate with, It wasn’t about me being competitive, it was about me liking the sport.”
Ames started out in the skating world, identifying as completely female.
They said skating can be a toxic place, especially for those questioning their identity.
“One of the girls would give lap dances to people in the locker room to try to turn on the gay people. Which is a little messed up, isn’t it?”
That all changed when Ames went to Syracuse to skate.
“I always wanted to skate in college. That was my goal. Literally one of the reasons I went to Syracuse was because it has a team.”
Ames also said they were led to believe what a “nonbinary person” was. Instead, they created
their own definition.
“Its me, you know. I’m me, I don’t really want to be put into a box like that, you know?”
And now, they take every chance they can get to express themselves.
“I feel like I have not gotten the chance to explore my masculine side in skating. And its like, yeah I’m comfortable wearing dresses…but am I really? I wear the pants in my relationship with skating.”
Nicole La Fiandra, NCC News
