Gus Kenworthy‘s birthday celebrations are off to a cheeky start.
😉😉😉
The Olympic hunk observed his 33rd birthday Tuesday with a big piece of cake, complete with rainbow sprinkles and mini Peppa Pigs.
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“Take a bit of Gus’s birthday cake,” the frosting read.
We would love to! (Head to pic two.)
Kenworthy, who often uses his platform to spread awareness for LGBTQ+ issues, also included a birthday call to action. The three-time Olympian is riding in the 2025 AIDS Life Cycle, a 7-day, 545-mile tour from the Bay Area to Los Angeles.
Next year will be the iconic event’s final ride.
“It’s my birthday today and in lieu of affirmations, gifts or n*des (or in addition to them) if you want to wish me a happy birthday you can do so by clicking the cute lil’ link in my bio and being one of the first people to make a tax-deductible donation to my @aidslifecycle ride!,” he wrote.
Last time Kenworthy participated, he raised over $250,000. This time, he’s calling on his fans to “🔝” that total.
Aside from conjuring up delightful images in our little gay heads, Kenworthy’s cheeky innuendo is an important part of his persona. He’s unabashedly gay gay gay, and it’s refreshing!
Gay male athletes have historically played down their identities for obvious reasons. With so few out athletes competing at the pro or college levels, coming out is still considered a risk. Agents and advisors worry about their clients ruining their commercial careers. Horror stories of Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova losing all of their endorsements in the aftermath of their outings are still fresh.
But that’s just not the reality today. For example: out Olympians flaunt their queerness, and make bank. From Tom Daley to Megan Rapinoe to Adam Rippon, LGBTQ+ Olympic icons rake in major endorsements as their true selves.
Related*
From the closet to the podium & beyond: How LGBTQ+ Olympians have become unbeatable
Out athletes are unapologetically leaning into their identities and being embraced for their whole selves.
Kenworthy is also a commercial hit, starring in campaigns for Visa, Monster Energy, Samsung and other major brands. The freestyle skier and 2014 silver medalist is probably one of the most well-known U.S. Olympians of his generation.
And he doesn’t filter himself… at least nearly as much as many of his sporting predecessors. Kenworthy goes beyond the thirst traps (though there are plenty of those), and goes straight for the jock-ular.
His pictures from Burning Man were quite the visual feast (sorry, you’ll have to scroll)!
In one now-iconic photo from the festival, Kenworthy is riding his bike on the desert sand… with his bum out! The image in question is depicted on his birthday cake.
kinda love that gus kenworthy left the olympics and didn't gaf about the respectability habits expected of male celebrities and said u gonna see this fuzzy hole in this jock and what about it
— von mars (@SatyrOnMars) September 10, 2024
As Kennedy has learned, there’s power in showing.
“Being a queer athlete was, for much of my life, a very isolating experience,” he wrote on Instagram after the Paris Games.
But as Kenworthy embraced more aspects of his queer identity, his discomfort turned into elation. He realized his fears of expulsion were unfounded.
“Not only did it turn out that my fears were unfounded—but in fact, the reaction was quite the opposite. I was met with so much love and support,” he writes in an essay for Out. “The following season was the best of my career. I guess it’s true what they say: ‘The truth shall set you free.'”
That is the case indeed! Now, time for some cake! 🍰
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