"As soon as the opening beats of "Poker Face" blared from the speakers, Chupp sprawled out on the mat and channeled Mother Monster. While his routine eventually included standard moves like front flips and cartwheels, it was the choreo that set him apart."
"When he returned as an adult, he vowed to show more of his wonderful gay self. That's meant fewer handstands, and a lot more dancing. "There was this whole other world of gymnastics that I dreamed of doing when I was growing up," Chupp tells Queerty. "Now I get to do it.""
"Despite the stereotypes, or maybe because of them, men's gymnastics is conservative. Flamboyancy is discouraged, and up until recently, not even accounted for. That's beginning to change, thanks to efforts from high-profile gymnasts like Australia's Heath Thorpe and a host of college-aged standouts."
""It is my mission in life to have queer gymnastics be visible and have the version of gymnastics that I'm doing become more accepted," he says. At the Gay Games, Chupp will receive that chance. Though he's currently recovering from a disc injury, he h"
A gymnast aimed to embody “Gaga” by starting his floor routine to “Poker Face,” using choreography to stand out beyond standard flips and cartwheels. After a 14-year break from gymnastics, he returned as an adult determined to show more of his gay identity, including fewer handstands and more dancing. He is part of a growing group of out male gymnasts working to make the sport more frivolous, countering conservative norms that discouraged flamboyance and previously excluded it from consideration. Changes are supported by high-profile and college-aged gymnasts, and his routines include music. He has gained attention online and plans to compete at the Gay Games while recovering from injury.
Read at Queerty
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