Tyson Beckford Loves the Gays (But Not That Way)

Model Tyson Beckford hosts Bravo’s Make Me A Supermodel, a show we love to hate (and hate to love). And, like any attractive fella working in the runway biz — especially when he doesn’t sport lady arm candy like some others — Beckford’s often been lumped into the “Isn’t he gay?” category. Allow him to definitely put those rumors to rest.

He tells BET’s Clay Cane:

Are you single?
No, I’m not, but I’m like Brad Pitt and Angelina and Beyonce and Jay-Z—I just like to keep my relationship on the under. The thing I get all the time is, “Oh, he’s gay, he gotta be! We never see him out with a girl.” Well, I don’t want the world in my business because you got so many people like the bloggers, the paparazzi, YouTube, the camera phones—everybody is always in your business. Those who seen me with her know that she’s stunning. I just don’t want the world to know yet, it’s none of their business.

Yeah, all those rumors — I never thought you were gay.
Yeah, it’s just one hater that put that on me. But, don’t get me wrong, I work with GLAAD, I work with Gay Men’s Health Crisis—I work with all of that. It’s just I’m a straight man who got a little bit of style so they just say, “He’s gay.”

Whenever Black men support gay people, people get crazy about that. It’s a shame.
Exactly! My cousin is gay and I love him to death. I have more fun hanging out with him than I do my straight friends because he’s got style, he’s got flavor. I can take him shoe shopping with me and my girl, we know we’re getting the best advice. To me, it’s like the best of both worlds. As soon as people see me, “Oh, he’s gay.” I’m like, well, I don’t have that much flavor. I got flavor but I don’t have that much. I love my gay brothers and sisters.

And of course there’s no talking about Tyson Beckford without revisiting his nakedness at a certain Marie Claire pool party. Photos potentially NSFW, so we put them on the next page.