Tan France reflects on coming out to family by joining Queer Eye: ‘I was just so sick of not being myself’
Tan France (Rich Fury/Getty for GLAAD)
Queer Eye star Tan France has revealed that he came out as gay because he was “sick” of not being himself.
The fashion guru opened up about his sexuality during a discussion on Sunday with Demi Lovato for National Coming Out Day.
When asked by Lovato where he found the “bravery” to come out on a global level with Queer Eye, France said: “As many people do, I came out in stages.
“I came out to my close group of friends first and I told just a couple of members of my family, and then I decided to join Queer Eye, and that meant that I was coming out very, very publicly.
He added: “It was the first time many members of my own family were hearing it.
“At the time, I didn’t see it as brave. I was just so sick of not being myself, I just wanted to relieve myself of the burden of feeling so stifled by the secret.
“And so it was more of a desperation on my own part to just rid myself of the shame and the guilt, because there is no shame and guilt in it.”
Tan France also revealed that a shirtless picture of Keanu Reeves made him realise he was queer.
Elsewhere in the discussion, Tan France opened up about the first time he realised he was queer.
“First time, no joke, my sister, when we were kids, she had a poster cut out from a magazine… of Keanu Reeves shirtless on the inside of her closet door, from the movie Point Break. And at that point I was probably eight.
“It was the first time I saw Keanu Reeves. She was saying, ‘I’m gonna marry him one day’, and I said, ‘No, I’m gonna marry him!’
“As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I was like, ‘I think I like boys.’
“And her response was, ‘Boys don’t marry boys, stupid’. She was only like 13, she didn’t know… and I was like, ‘No, I’m going to marry him one day’.'”
France added: “So Keanu, if you’re watching, watch yourself, I want to marry you one day. Who knows, he might be queer. We all like a bit of something.”
