Gay TV star would’ve been ‘first in line’ to change his sexuality after relentless homophobic bullying
Darren Kennedy (Instagram)
Gay Irish television presenter Darren Kennedy has said that he would have been “first in line” to change his sexuality when he was growing up due to homophobic bullying.
Kennedy said he often faced taunts for being gay from his classmates before he even knew he was gay.
“Being gay was really tough when I was young,” he told Ireland’s Sunday Independent.
Gay television star Darren Kennedy said there were ‘a lot of taunts’ in his all-boys school.
“I went to a really GAA-oriented school. That all-boys thing killed me – in a mixed school, I would have been fine. There were a lot of taunts.”
He added: “If there had been a pill [to change his sexuality] I would have been first in line to take it.
I went to a really GAA-oriented school. That all-boys thing killed me – in a mixed school, I would have been fine. There were a lot of taunts.
“People say, ‘Oh your gift becomes your burden’ but it’s hard to have that perspective when you feel you’re carrying that burden. But now I think that would have been terrible – what a loss it would be.”
He said his career has also been hindered by his sexuality.
Homophobic bullying meant that he just wanted to “finish school and get the hell out of there”.
“But what’s funny is that the same people who bullied me now come up to me and ask for selfies for their girlfriends. Nine times out of 10, I don’t remember them,” he said.
Sadly, Kennedy also revealed that being gay has hindered his television career.
“People have tried to stab me in the back. But I try not to give time or space in my life to people who tried to get at me. Sometimes it’s been harder to ignore, though. It once got back to me that they didn’t want me because I was too gay. It was an RTÉ (Ireland’s national broadcaster) show. I won’t say which one.”
