Every once in a while, a Pride Month Instagram post comes along that makes the gays pause mid-scroll, clutch their iced oat milk lattes a little tighter, and whisper, “Okay, serve.” This week, Olympic skier-turned-heartthrob Gus Kenworthy did just that with a carousel so warm and adorable, it practically left a glitter trail down our timelines.
RELATED: Gus Kenworthy’s Charity Ride Was Skintight and Iconic
For those who might not know: Gus Kenworthy is more than just a pretty face with great taste in swim trunks. He’s a British-American freestyle skier who won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, but he made headlines again in 2015 when he came out as gay in an ESPN interview — a groundbreaking moment in the world of professional sports. Since then, Gus has become a visible and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, using his platform to promote queer joy, representation, and rights. Whether he’s starring in American Horror Story or kissing his boyfriend on the ‘gram, he’s showing the world that queerness belongs everywhere — including on Olympic podiums.
RELATED: Gus Kenworthy’s Return Isn’t Just Sport — It’s Statement
Captioned “my (p)ride or dies,” the post is a joyful celebration of love, queerness, and just enough thirst-trap energy to make you text your situationship and immediately regret it.
Let’s break it down.
Gus, beaming, kisses his boyfriend Andrew Rigby on the cheek — the kind of soft, sunshine-soaked affection that feels like the gay equivalent of a home-cooked meal. It’s gentle. It’s romantic. It says, “We communicate.” And honestly? We needed that.
Then there’s Gus biking shirtless, tattoo out, grin on full display like a golden retriever who just won a triathlon. It’s giving “hot boy summer,” but with SPF and therapy. His pride here isn’t loud—it’s lived-in. There’s a quiet confidence in his joy, a reminder that queerness doesn’t need to shout when it’s finally safe to dance in the daylight.
The next few slides, he’s surrounded by friends, laughing, sweaty, alive. There’s no exact context, and there doesn’t need to be. It’s pure, unfiltered queer friendship — the kind where everyone’s in on the joke and nobody has to shrink. These aren’t just party pics. They’re proof that chosen family is real and thriving.
Of course, the internet screamed at the shot of Gus’s gloriously hairy chest, adorned with a sticker that reads: “no photos, no videos.” Gus, baby… you posted it. This is performance art. This is irony with abs. This is what Oscar Wilde would’ve wanted if he’d been around for Pride in the age of Reels.
And then — bam — full kiss. Gus and Andrew, lips locked, unapologetic. No rainbow emoji, no hashtag. Just love. Honestly, it’s so wholesome it makes The Notebook look emotionally repressed.
Kenworthy’s Pride post isn’t just a thirst trap or a love letter. It’s a little bit of both. It’s vulnerability with good lighting. It’s softness as resistance. And more than anything, it’s a reminder that queer joy is political — and also hot.
So thank you, Gus, for giving us exactly what we needed: a reminder that Pride can be romantic and ridiculous, sweaty and sweet, and maybe—just maybe—a little bit gay.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be refreshing Andrew Rigby’s page for the other side of the kiss.
Happy Pride, lovers. May your summer be Gus-level soft and sticker-level defiant.