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Adam Rippon, openly gayfigure skating champion, reportedlyturned down an offer to meet withMike Penceafter lambasting him for his position on LGBT rights prompting the vice president to publicly respond.

According to a report published byUSA Today on Wednesday, a member of Pences staff reached out to the U.S. Olympic Committee to set up a conversation between the 58-year-old politician and the 28-year-old athlete back in January.

The alleged request came the same day USA Today published an interview with Rippon in which he saidhewanted to skip the standard meet-and-greet event between Team USA athletes and the American delegation, which is being led by Pence for this years opening ceremony.

You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Rippon,who publicly came out as gay in 2015, said in the Jan. 17 piece. Im not buying it.

Jarrod Agen, the vice presidents deputy chief of staff and communications director, refuted that a meeting was requested in a statement given to PEOPLE.

The USA Today report is false and should be corrected.The vice presidents office did not reach out to set up a conversation with Mr. Rippon, Agen said. As weve said before, the Vice President is supporting all the U.S. athletes in the Olympics and is hoping they all win medals.But this story is just not accurate.

Rippons rep declined to comment to PEOPLE on the USA Today report, as did USOC officials.

Adam Rippon and Mike Pence

Tim Bradbury/Getty; Chip Somodevilla/Getty

In a statement to PEOPLE back in January, Pences press secretary,Alyssa Farah, said that the vice president does not and has never supported conversion therapy. The accusation is totally false with no basis in fact, Farah said.

Despite these misinformed claims [about conversion therapy], the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang, Farrah said.

But LGBT advocates have pointedto a 2000 statementon Pences congressional campaign website where he noted that Congress should reauthorize a law funding HIV/AIDS treatment but resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.

Beyond the issue of gay conversion therapy, Pence a self-described religious conservative has taken multiple anti-LGBT positions over the years.

If it were before my event, I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they arent a friend of a gay person but that they think that theyre sick, Rippon toldUSA Today. I wouldnt go out of my way to meet somebody like that.

Mike Pence

Jeff Roberson/AP

Pence also responded, himself, toUSA Todays latest report on Wednesday, taking a cue from President Donald Trumps playbook and calling their claims fake news.

Headed to the Olympics to cheer on #TeamUSA, he tweeted. One reporter trying to distort 18 yr old non-story to sow seeds of division. We wont let that happen! #FAKENEWS. Our athletes are the best in the world and we are for ALL of them! #TEAMUSA

He also wrote to Rippon directly on Twitter, saying, I want you to know we are FOR YOU. Dont let fake news distract you. I am proud of you and ALL OF OUR GREAT athletes and my only hope for you and all of #TeamUSA is to bring home the gold. Go get em!

In his original conversation with USA Today, Rippon said he would be open to meeting with Pence after the Olympic games.

If I had the chance to meet him [Pence] afterwards, after Im finished competing, there might be a possibility to have an open conversation, Rippon said. He seems more mild-mannered than Donald Trump. But I dont think the current administration represents the values that I was taught growing up. Mike Pence doesnt stand for anything that I really believe in.

Adam Rippon

Maddie Meyer/Getty

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Rippon stood by his views when speaking to PEOPLE.

I just dont think thats right, he said, and I think there are so many people who also dont think thats right and I think right now more than ever I have this window of time to say what I feel and hopefully make a change.

My mom has always taught me to stand up for people who dont have a voice, Rippon added. Sharing my story [coming out] in 2015, I remember thinking if just one person hears this and reads it and it makes them feel like they arent alone, that would be awesome. Now to be headed to the Olympics, my story now has a bigger platform and Ive heard from so many different kinds of people.

He continued: Its so amazing and it makes me feel like coming out it was way more important than I even realized.

The 2018 Winter Olympics will air live starting Feb. 8 on NBC. To learn more, visitteamusa.org.

Excerpt from:
Mike Pence Responds After Adam Rippon Turns Down ... - people.com