Gay roller skater
QUEER VOICES IN ROLLERBLADING
INTRODUCTION | Jonathan Labez @JMLabez
Being queer in rollerblade culture has been a story that has remained on the peripheries for much of its history. The reasons vary but several stand out. The cis-heterosexual bias of a predominantly masculine sport and an unconscious partiality towards those who reflect your beliefs and beliefs (the latter of which is tribalism integral to all people). Then there are societal and cultural rules that enforce stringent values (gender roles for instance) and repress homosexual lives with threats of discrimination and violence. Lastly, are the limited channels the sport has offered to talk about these issues. It should be said these aren’t singular to rollerblading, merely magnified from the society which they are cast from. As society becomes more enlightened, so does the sport. Attitudes from 20 years ago touch dated and uncouth. Media like Hop Street Podcast recently interviewed Tim Adams to openly converse about being queer . It is something I can’t speak would have happened even 10 years ago. The boom of social media has also shifted perception in our subculture by allowing people to locate those of fond mi
The queer people finds freedom on their wheels
It's 8 p.m. on a Friday bedtime at the Skate Park of Tampa and Cynamon is on four-wheeled skates and practicing her slides on a flat rail.
Cynamon — who is gender non-conforming and two-spirit — is a St. Petersburg resident who's spent a lot of time on wheels since the pandemic started.
"I ponder that's now more than ever really important for us all to be able to acquire spaces where we don't feel appreciate we're judged or threatened. And we're just able to be and hold queer joy, which is super magical,” Cynamon said.
Cynamon started skating during the George Floyd protests, because it was easier to obtain around. It was there that she found refuge and solidarity in the skating community.
“It was a way for me and one of my other friends to store up with the protests. I'm five foot and she is not much taller. And it was kind of just a way to be fit to walk and stay, especially when there's times where we are doing two or three protests starts a day.”
They started calling themselves the "Gay Commie Skate Crew," after insults hurled at them by counter-protesters. Cynamon said the name was an act of taking those labels back, and reclaiming
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Exclusive | TV & Film
In a historical debut on Max's first-ever roller skating competition series "Roller Jam," the all-Black queer skating group, Haus of Sk8, showcased their passion and talent to a national audience.
The six-episode series, founded by HGTV's Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network and hosted by the vibrant Jordin Sparks, is a dazzling showcase of roller skating excellence, with crews performing stunning routines inspired by different decades. In addition to receiving a $150,000 cash prize, the winning team will also be awarded a $10,000 donation to their local rink.
Judged by a star-studded panel that includes two-time U.S. Olympian and national figure skating champion Johnny Weir, roller-skating legend Terrell Ferguson, and rotating celebrity guest judges appreciate Michelle Williams, Maureen McCormick, Pepa, and Joanna Gaines herself, the competition is fierce, but Haus of Sk8 stands out not just for their skills but for their unapologetic representation of Black gender non-conforming culture.
Making their debut on episode two, Haus of Sk8—comprised of pro skaters Laron, Don, Marshon, and This article originally appeared on VICE Netherlands. ‘It’s Very Freeing’ Roller skating has going through something of a renaissance ever since the start of the pandemic. Advocate in the days of bread-making and home workouts, people got into the sport as a way to exercise and plunder a breath of fresh breeze. In the past couple of years, new roller skating clubs have popped up in cities all over the world, many of them are queer and inclusive. There’s the Los Angeles-based Gay Skate Alliance and We Got This and Queer Skate LDN in London; Toronto has the Queer Quads; Berlin the Jam Skate Club; and Amsterdam’s skaters have jumped on the bandwagon, too, with the Queer Skate Club. I spoke with Job Bulder, owner of THE Derby Shop, a roller skating shop in Amsterdam. She confirms that she’s also seen more and more people interested in roller skating since the pandemic, and homosexual people in particular. “The roller skating community is generally very open,” Bulder explains. “I assume that makes queer people touch more comfortable than in heteronormative sports.” I decided to hang out with the Queer Skate Club, which has been meeting in front of the EYE Production Museum in Amste