Beloved food and wine expert Antoni Porowski has opened up about his experiences growing up, sharing the sense of disconnect and solidarity he's experienced since working on the popular Netflix reboot of Queer Eye.
Speaking to GQ, Parowski recalled a moment during the show's production when he realised that he'd never been bullied due to his sexuality in the same way his other castmembers had.
He said: “I remember it was our first day of filming, and we were in the car... The guys were discussing being called a fag, and no one’s ever called me that before."
He continued: “I felt this weird discomfort of, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what that’s like. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never really experienced it.’"
Raised in Montreal, Canada, Parowski concedes that he was fortunate to live in a liberal area which celebrated multiculturalism.
“Then I moved to New York," he said. "I’ve always been really sheltered, so to hear their stories, it really had me thinking a lot of the kind of life that I want to lead and the fact that this show came about and the responsibility that comes with it.”
Admitting that he's “not as knowledgeable about the struggle for gay rights, for our history the way some of my castmates or other gay men I know are", Antoni said he's been using his experience on Queer Eye as an opportunity to read up on the LGBTIQ+ community's history.
"I love to read, so it’s been a really great opportunity to brush up on my lit,” he told GQ.
The cast of Queer Eye. Source: Twitter
The popular television personality, who has dated both men and women, also said that he's not used to opening up about his sexuality, as his personal journey has been unique.
“My sexuality’s something that’s intimate. It’s not anything that I’m ashamed of," he said.
He continued: "I don’t know many people who have a path similar to mine, so I’ve always been a little more reticent to be as open about it. I’m also not somebody who talks about sexuality that much. I’m a little old school in that sense.”
Having now been with his partner, Joey, for seven years, Antoni says his involvement in the show has given him the opportunity to build a close group of gay friends for the first time in his life.
