Tom Daley has spoken about his sexuality for the first time since coming out in a YouTube video in December.
Much debate over Tom’s official sexuality was sparked after the video was posted — though he revealed that he was dating a man, he insisted he “still fancies girls” and led many to believe he was bisexual.
Daley put an end to the speculation on Channel ITV 2’s chat show Celebrity Juice last night, telling host Keith Lemon that he’s “now gay.”
“So Tom, let’s get right to the crunch here – you’re a gay man now?” Lemon asked. “I am,” Daley replied.
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Lemon then asked Daley if he has a boyfriend, to which Daley replied: “Yes, I do… It was the whole kind of reason behind it.”
“I was terrified,” he added. “I didn’t know what the reaction was going to be. I mean, you always think the worst.”
He then goes on to explain the reasons behind coming out on YouTube: “Because I wanted to be able to say what I wanted to say on my own terms without anyone twisting anything.”
Here’s the video:
unbiasedparrot
YEEEEEEES!!! They need to stop bringing up the boyfriend thing all the time. He’s always single and available in my mind :).
Tackle
I think we all kinda knew this. While bisexuality do exist, I don’t think many were buying this line from Tom. But good for him for “really” coming out.
redcarpet
Many a gay man makes a pit stop in Bi-ville on the way to Homoburg. Daley is a public example.
It’s just how it is. Doesn’t mean Bi-ville doesn’t have a native population.
FitChicago
There is something disconcerting about the “now gay” line from the question/response “So Tom, let’s get right to the crunch here – you’re a gay man now?” Lemon asked, “I am,” Daley replied.
DLB should have crafted a better response (considering it’s obvious Daley knew the question would be asked). “…a gay man now?” should have been answered “I always have been” followed by that explanation of why he claimed to be bi in the YouTube video.
The wording they went with could easily cause those homophobic c*nts to claim the gays are converting people or some idiotic, insane claim as such dummies are known to make.
john.k
@FitChicago: It’s a somewhat anarchic comedy show (as you might gather from the host’s manner) so not really conducive to carefully considered responses to quick fire questions.
FitChicago
@john.k: Unless Tom agreed to it, there is absolutely no way that question would have been asked. I’m familiar with the show and, considering the rest of his answer, I think “I always have been” would mesh perfectly with the rest of his statement.
Headlines that read: “Tom Daley declares ‘I am a gay man now'” just give those homophobic c*nts a chance to say “See I told you it was a choice” or “See I told you they weren’t born that way” and the homophobic c*nts are obnoxiously annoying and loud. Sadly people buy the drivel they babble.
Zodinsbrother
Celebrity Juice is very much NOT a chat show. It’s a very, VERY rude panel based game show. It often featured dildos and full frontal male nudity for example.
Niall
Called it.
Now where’s that user who’s name I can’t be bothered to remember that overreacted when I pointed this out.
DarkZephyr
Its great that he was gay but it would have been ok if he was Bi too. 🙂 Either way he likes the boys and that is awesome. 🙂
DarkZephyr
@DarkZephyr: Gaah and that would be “IS gay”.
jace69
@FitChicago: A very wise slant on how this happened and this interview.
Not being patronising but this is very ‘English sense of humour’ and wasn’t malicious just sarcastic.
People will always try and find a way to rip apart anything you say, that’s the ‘nature of the beast’.
I hate to say it, how many people will be there to support Tom, if, it all goes wrong and he hits the rails.
I had to do it on my own at 20 and I wasn’t fully out.
6months on auto-pilot isn’t fun.
I’m proud of what Tom has done, Olympically and personally and he will have to do something terribly wrong to lose my support.
ingyaom
What’s up with that Speedo? Why don’t they just swim nude?
jace69
@FitChicago: The host Keith Lemon
(Leigh Francis)and the show ‘Celebrity Juice’ is known for picking fun at the panel.
Tom would have been well aware of what he was getting into.
I understand the comments above and feel your sentiments.
I’m 45 now and ‘so I’m told’, I pass as straight ‘on the street’.
That means that even now 2014, I won’t attract aggression and homophobic attention. This shouldn’t be the norm, the norm should be that anyone camp, effeminite, muscular, butch dyke, lipstick lesbian should suffer no descrimination.
Bit like people ssay that my dog is a dangerous dog. A Rotweiler off the lead isn’t a dangerous dog, it’s the owner!!
pscheck2
I’m glad he finally has clarified his sexuality and not keep up the charade (and coyness!) that he is str8 (have gf);; maybe bi (have bf,too) or str8 out ‘it’s no ones business but my own!’ So many of these celebs (both in the entertainment and sports fields) like to be coy and ambiguous about their sexuality when rumors start floating around questioning them about it.
Captain Obvious
Duh.
Danny Hilton
The host Keith Lemon is using a popular line from UK comedian Catherine Tate, who has a famous sketch that uses the line, “I’m a gay man now Mommy.” I’m sure the host was trying to make light of the situation by phrasing it in this comical way. But his phrasing would probably have come across as a bit strange to a non-UK audience.
Anyway, here’s the clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Jxxv1CpDw
hotshot70
I want to meet the one person in the world that didn’t belive he was gay! This is the only reason an article like this would be printed, if someone didn’t know!
hotboyvb81
I love the bitch slapping so many people got for saying he was lying about the ‘fancing girls’ part. Alot of people said it was to keep his female fans happy/supporting him (especially with a TV showing about to start, guess they were right!
DickieJohnson
OKAAAY!!! Now that the great & earth-shattering surprise has been cleared-up, will Queerty please stop having to talk about him constantly??? The boy is not going to “Save the World”, or even MS!
damienbasile
I wish people didn’t feel like they had to use bisexuality as a bridge to coming out fully as gay. While they feel it softens their transition it ultimately does damage to their credibility, and hurts bisexuality by minimizing its validity.
NG22
I knew it. Once you go (Dustin Lance) Black, you don’t go back. I imagine Tom’s been in Gay University for the last year, since Lance is such an important activist.
No wonder he felt ‘safe’ enough to come out. Lance is, in some ways, the perfect first boyfriend. So comforting, emotional, kind… The sex is probably great too.
jonathanyoungii
good for him. as much as I am a believer in Bi-Ville it’s always nice to have more much appreciated residents of Homoburg.
newecreator
I wish I was gay but still bisexual.
stanhope
Dustin Lance Black’s p#ssy would make you forget about girls. I saw the pics…mighty fine stuff he has.
Bonny1986
@stanhope: Seen them too – and he’s a good “rimmer”
Zodinsbrother
@damienbasile: That presumes people are doing so deliberately when in fact discovering your sexuality can mean you may take a couple of views before you finalise. I read an interview with Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel) in which he said that for a little while he wondered if he was gay but now knows he is straight. It’s not unusual for people to go through periods of getting it wrong.
The problem for bisexual people is it’s easier for them to pass as straight an many, especially those in the public eye, chose to remain closeted about their bisexuality. We all know some of the names but they continue to pretend to be straight.
Saralikesyarr
Goddamnit.
F-ing bastards. You know I really hate it when cowardly gay people say they’re “bi” until you come out as gay.
It just makes it harder for those of us who are actually bisexual.
Grow a spine and stop lying to people, you’re causing harm to actual bisexual people by making it harder to end bisexual sterotypes and prejudcices. Good for you, you’ve come out as gay, and done real harm to people’s understanding of bisexuality as a result of calling yourself bi, when you’re actually not.
F-ing cowards.
Grow a freakin spine and just say you’re gay if you’re gay. Don’t call yourself bisexual when you’re actually not. Not only is it lying, and dishonest, it perpetuates discriminatory behavior against bisexuals.
Saralikesyarr
Tom Daley should apologize to bisexual people for misleading the public, and perpetuating this myth that all bisexuals are just gays or lesbians waiting to finally have the courage to come out.
He really owes bisexuals an apology.
His public figure status lends himself to media review, that average people don’t have.
Saralikesyarr
@Zodinsbrother One of the problems with many gays or lesbians, is some of them actually are bisexual, or at least “not averse” to having say, a threesome with, or doing something with the opposite sex, in certain circumstances.
But because there’s this strong political identity that people “must” be 100% gay, if they identify as gay (no 4-5’s on the Kinsey scale allowed), so many gays or lesbians use being gay or lesbian as a political statement, because of the rights implications involved.
Someone is “born gay” so if you still like or are not averse to the opposite sex in certain circumstances, it’s highly shunned to say so, once you’ve come out as “gay” or “lesbian”.
There’s this idea also, that somehow, bisexuals aren’t as serious in a relationship, as though a bisexual is just going to leave you for the opposite sex.
But you know what? A gay or lesbian partner is just as likely to leave you for another gay man or lesbian. This idea that bisexuals are incapable of committed relationships is just discriminatory.
There’s so many stereotypes that so many gays and lesbians have of bisexuals, and I think much of their resentment, really from the fact that to most bisexuals, being bi, really isn’t such a big deal to us, or a big part of our identity. We don’t introduce ourselves as being bi. A great many of us are not in the closet, we just are not so insecure that we feel the need to wear our sexual identity on our sleeve. I realize that creates political problems, and a great many of us are out, and do openly say we are bi, because we are aware that it is important for the LGBT community for us to do so, but there are so many stereotypes about us. Gays and lesbians are just plain often rude to us for no reason.
Lesbians are completely dismissive and shunning as soon as they find out you’re bi, and I’ve heard the horror stories with gay guys the way they treat bi men.
There’s a quote I heard recently that describes many bi people that I think explains it nicely to gays and lesbians: That may bi’s can drive a blue car or a red car, but they are a one car garage”.
I once had a lesbian friend tell me that it really hurt when a girlfriend left her for a guy. But why? She just as easily could have left her for a woman. The only reason I could fathom is that my friend was just insecure. And feeling that the reason her girlfriend left her was because she “lacked” something that a guy could give her. That’s totally not understanding bisexuals at all.
Unlike gays or lesbians, the gender really is irrelevant to us. A penis or lack thereof is not what decides the relationship for us. We are attracted to humans, not genders.
But for so many gays and lesbians, gender is such a factor in their sexual orientation, they can’t even seem to imagine or comprehend how it wouldn’t be for someone.
So I think a lot of this prejudice towards bisexuals on the part of gay people and lesbians is really just their insecurities, and lack of an understanding of a different perspective.
GeriHew
Err. It was celebrity game-show host Kieth Lemon that told Tom Daley he was a gay man now. And Tom Daley replied: “I am” and confirmed that he has a boyfriend – which we all knew already anyway.
If that’s all the confirmation you need that Tom Daley is actually homosexual and definitely not bisexual then I guess you must really desperately want Tom Daley to be gay.
MMDD
@GeriHew: Exactly. Yet another misleading title to yet another misleading article. Nowhere does he say he’s not bisexual. And for what it’s worth, there are bisexuals out there who call themselves “gay” when they’re in same-sex relationships because according to them, “it’s just easier” than having to explain their sexuality. Yet when that relationship ends and they start dating a member of the opposite sex, people scratch their heads and say, “But I thought he was gay?” So they end up having to explain anyway. Bisexuals should be honest from the very start about their orientation.
simonreg
@Danny Hilton: Brilliant!
CoachS
Gay? Bi? Who cares? He’s pretty much the hottest guy around and if anyone can turn straight dudes gay – it’s TD. I didn’t even realize there were words in this story after seeing the picture.
jazz4108
Im american and he make me wish I was british just so I could live a little closer. Who am I kidding im 40 and he would be jailbait but I still can dream….right?
Saralikesyarr
@MMDD
Yes, I agree.
GeriHew
@Cam: I don’t think everybody is bisexual. But I’ll defend anybody’s right to be bisexual – even yours CAM.
And no, that doesn’t mean I’m trying to recruit you.
Clark35
I don’t remember this guy identifying as bisexual. I remember him claiming he was “straight” though.