US skier Gus Kenworthy's kiss with his boyfriend at the Winter Olympics was caught on live TV — here's why he's so happy about it

• US skier Gus Kenworthy — who came out as gay in 2015 — recently competed in the men's slopestyle at the Winter Olympics.
• Prior to his qualifying run, the 26-year-old kissed his boyfriend Matthew Wilkas.
• Although the two-time Olympian didn't initially realize that NBC caught and aired the kiss, he expressed on Twitter that he's "so happy" the network did. 
• "My childhood self would never have dreamed of seeing a gay kiss on TV at the Olympics but for the first time ever a kid watching at home CAN! Love is love is love."

Gus Kenworthy may not have medaled in the Pyeongchang Games, but he's still winning the hearts of many fans — including his "Seoul mate" Matthew Wilkas.

Prior to Kenworthy's qualifying run for the men's slopestyle on Saturday, the couple shared a quick kiss that was caught on camera. Olympic viewers were immediately enchanted by the exchange, sharing messages of support and LGBTQ+ pride on social media.

The two-time Olympian didn't realize that NBC had aired the intimate moment when it happened. Once he became aware of the news, he took to Twitter to share his happiness, as well as an important message about representation.

"Didn't realize this moment was being filmed yesterday but I'm so happy that it was," he wrote. "My childhood self would never have dreamed of seeing a gay kiss on TV at the Olympics but for the first time ever a kid watching at home CAN! Love is love is love."

Kenworthy's boyfriend, however, had a more nuanced approach.

"It was the tiniest kiss in the world. I could've made out with him had I known,"Wilkas joked with reporters. "I think it's positive, I think it's great exposure, a great thing for our community, but I also partly think, 'what's the big deal?'"

Still, Kenworthy is happy to contribute to LGBTQ+ visibility at this year's games, especially since the 2014 silver medalist came out as gay a year after competing in Sochi. 

"That's what I wanted to do at the last Olympics, to share a kiss with my boyfriend at the bottom,"Kenworthy told Reuters. "To be able to do that, to give him a kiss, to have that affection broadcasted for the world is incredible. The only way to really change perceptions, break down homophobia, break down barriers is through representation and that's definitely not something I had as a kid."

In a separate tweet, Kenworthy opened up about his disappointing performance in the slopestyle finals, writing that "the Olympics aren't solely about the medals."

"Being here now, out and proud and living my life authentically, I'm walking away more fulfilled without a medal than I did at the last Games with one," he wrote. 

Although Kenworthy was originally concerned that he'd lose sponsors and friends upon coming out, he has since risen to bonafide icon status in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Kenworthy and beloved figure skater Adam Rippon are the only two openly gay athletes on Team USA— and have even made headlines for making comments against Vice President Mike Pence, who has been historically unsupportive of gay rights.

The Olympics have historically celebrated unity, and this year's encouraging displays of LGBTQ+ representation is an important addition to that mission.

Want more? Read all of our coverage of the Winter Olympics here.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: JIM ROSS: Here's who will take over WWE after Vince McMahon