Gus Kenworthy Visited A Raccoon Cafe & The Photos Are Making Me Happy Cry
While competing in the Olympics, do as the Olympians do right? Well clearly this snowboarder has his own idea of what that entails. These photos of Gus Kenworthy at a raccoon cafe prove that this Olympian is making sure he's balancing work with some good ole' fashion fun.
Kenworthy shared some photos of him with some furry friends via Twitter on Feb. 22 while visiting Blind Alley Cafe in Seoul, South Korea. While some may find these creatures less than cute, obviously Kenworthy is a huge fan. Each photo is of him taking selfie after selfie with the raccoons, all while sporting a huge grin on his face.
I mean, who can really blame him?
Apart from the raccoons, Kenworthy is a pretty adorable specimen himself. The snowboarding Olympian has made social media essentially blow up through his hilarious tweets and quality photos. Whether it's sharing a picture of his bruised butt or gushing over his best friend and fellow Olympian Adam Rippon, Kenworthy is a must follow on both Twitter and Instagram.
While all the photos of him and the raccoons are cute, am I going too far to say that one of them looks like an actual prom picture? The raccoon's hand is literally resting on his chest.
Are you seeing this? Say hello to my new phone lock screen.
While the raccoons are obviously the main draw, they aren't the only animals gracing Blind Alley Cafe. According to the video NBC Olympics shared, the coffee shop welcomes dogs as well. Apparently raccoons and dogs get along like best of friends. Who knew?
Also judging from Kenworthy's tweet, raccoons are apparently the most relatable creatures to exist.
Same x 2.
So that means you can literally sip on a latte while stroking fat raccoons and puppies. Heaven is a place on earth, and that place is Blind Alley Cafe. Consider my ticket booked and my bags already packed.
However, social media isn't just fun and games for Kenworthy. He also uses his platform to speak up for LGBTQ+ rights. He, along with figure skater Adam Rippon, are the only two openly gay male U.S. athletes competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Despite criticism he may face from haters, Kenworthy proudly shares who he is via Twitter and other social media outlets.
It goes without saying he's truly an inspiration to us all.
Kenworthy came out as gay in 2015 while gracing the cover of ESPN Magazine. His coming out occurred a year after competing in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. When the cover was released, Kenworthy shared the photo via Instagram on Oct. 22, 2015 and added a moving caption to top it off. "I am gay," he wrote. He continued,
Wow, it feels good to write those words. For most of my life I’ve been afraid to embrace that truth about myself. Recently though, I’ve gotten to the point where the pain of holding onto the lie is greater than the fear of letting go, and I’m proud to finally be letting my guard down.
So naturally being openly gay while competing in this year's Winter Olympics must be a huge moment for Kenworthy. During an interview with Esquire, Kenworthy shared his hopes that he and Rippon competing during this year's Winter Games will inspire other athletes to express who they truly are, no matter what sport they may play.
He said,
All I can really say is to encourage anybody who's in the closet to come out, and congratulate anyone who has. I know that sports is a really scary place to find the courage to do that because it is so hetero-dominated, but there's no correlation between sexuality and sports performance and capability, and the more out people that we have in sports doing well, the more we can break down stigmas and barriers and stereotypes, and the more accepting it will be for future generations.
So when he's not fighting for LGBTQ+ rights or shredding some snow on those Olympic slopes, he's apparently visiting raccoon cafes in his free time. I'm not mad at it.
