Antoni Had A Hard Time With the ‘Queer’ In ‘Queer Eye’

· Updated on May 29, 2018

Queer Eye’s standout heartthrob Antoni Porowski will be gracing an upcoming cover of Gay Times. In the interview, he talked Queer Eye, snacking, and sexual fluidity. Call Antoni what you wantThe Guacamole Fixer, The Oliva Pope of Snacksbut don’t label his sexuality.

For Porowski, the word “queer” means a lot more to him than just the title of his hit Netflix show. But like many LGBTQ folk, Antoni experienced a great deal of internalized homophobia, especially after being cast on the show. So much so, that he was actually embarrassed to use the word.

“When I first started telling people about the show, I would embarrassingly catch myself whispering ‘queer,’” he said. “I don’t know if I was embarrassed or I had some kind of shame, but it still felt taboo from childhood.”

However, being in the show, surrounded by queerness, actually helped the “food and wine expert” to break his own self-loathing and stigmas about LGBTQ people. “It’s kind of nice because now I say it really confidently. The more you immerse yourself in something, the less precious it gets.”

Finally, the chef-turned-Insta-model said he doesn’t actually identify as gay or bisexual, but is rather sexually fluid. “I’ve always considered myself a little more fluid along the spectrum,” he said. “So even being called bisexual…I remember in my early twenties I was like, ‘But bisexual means I can only like girls and guys, what if I like something else?’ Maybe it’s just my rebellious nature. I’m me, I’m Antoni, and I’m all these things.”

Being labeless is totally kosher, as is identifying as gay, bisexual, or pansexual and Antoni recognizes the importance that labels play in other queer people’s lives. “Some people want to define themselves, and they should as it’s part of their identity. For me personally, I’ve never really had a label for myself,” he said. “Today I’m gay, I’m in a gay relationship, and that’s where I am. That’s good enough for me.”

Porowski’s Gay Times issue will be released in May, where you can catch him flexing on the cover in nothing but a pair of overalls.

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