Media personality and ex-husband of high-powered attorney Star Jones, Al Reynolds, has come out as bisexual. For most of his life as a public figure, Reynolds had been a topic of speculation.
People had called him out as ‘gay, closeted, and sham’ and even nastier names. For the longest time, he wasn’t ready to think about it or even process it. Well, he had finally found the courage to speak up about it.
In an interview with Radar Online, he shared his journey from being raised in a devout Southern Baptist family to the struggles he faced with his identity and how he navigated through them. He also talked about the process he went through to explore himself on a deeper level, accept his truth, and revel in the light of it.
Meet Al
RELATED: Breaking Her Silence: Dove Cameron on Revealing Her Bisexuality
Reynolds was the youngest of six, and he grew up in the home of a deeply religious Southern Baptist family. He lived in binaries and was taught early on that those intimate with a person of the same gender were the worst of all. And as a Black man, that message was amplified.
He battled through the conflict between his identity and what his upbringing taught him. It led him to a difficult phase in life: homeless, unemployed, and addicted to drugs.
The centermost – and the worst of it all – was the deep-seated feeling of shame and unworthiness of the love of God. As a result, he threw himself into studying and earned three degrees to cope with all that.
Afterward, he turned to work to distract him. Along the way, he met people from all walks of life who had different points of view on life as well. The experience he gained taught him that he had the power to seek happiness and a life that would fulfill him.
Accepting Himself
RELATED: Annette Bening Expresses Complete Support for Transgender Son Stephen Ira Beatty
“Today, I accept myself as a bisexual man.”
Reynolds finally freed himself from the binaries that ruled his life for so long and embraced the truth that he was a bisexual man. According to Reynolds, he had learned that, at least for him, sexual orientation was not binary.
He also added that all of his past relationships had been honest and based on his attraction to the other person. Reynolds added that he doesn’t equivocate or waver when in love.
He also opened up that the decision to go public about it was to encourage himself to walk his own path. He believes it will help him stop living in fear or shame.
Another reason is to give others hope that no matter their beginnings or the obstacles they have been through, there will be a fulfilling life ahead of them.
Life as a Bisexual Man
RELATED: Tyler Posey Comes Out with the Help of Girlfriend, Phem
Living as a bisexual man comes with a lot of struggles. According to a 2013 study conducted by Pew Research, bisexual men were the least socially accepted compared to bisexual women, gay men, and lesbians.
Speaking with Inverse, licensed mental health counselor and certified sex therapist Michael Stokes said, “one of the biggest issues bisexual men face is feeling misunderstood.”
In the article published by the digital outlet, they pointed out the two most common and biggest misconceptions about bisexual men.
First, they were inherently promiscuous. Second, bisexuality doesn’t exist, which is called ‘bi-erasure’ or bi-invisibility.’ Simply put, in the binary scheme of everything, you’re either straight or gay.
Even in the LGBTQ+ community, there have been very similar pushes. So bisexuals have always experienced feelings of not belonging in the space when they have every right to occupy it.
Having someone with a platform like Al Reynolds helps create more visibility and strengthens the representation of the bisexual community. It’s also important that we all advocate for acceptance and inclusivity toward all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
