01/22/2007
Former Survivor Castmate J.P. Calderon: I'm Gay
Although his activities in and around gay people and nightlife were widely reported, former Survivor: Cook Islands castaway J.P. Calderon (seen below with openly gay castmate Brad Virata) had never come out publicly. That will apparently happen on this Wednesday's episode of The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, according to Instinct magazine, for which he does a cover shoot during the episode.
"It’s not every day somebody gets slapped in the face with a major magazine like Instinct, Janice Dickinson, her TV show. I think I’m just supposed to do this!" says Calderon. "I'm coming out and I'm living."
Of the self-described world's first supermodel, Calderon says, "We started a little bit butting heads, but I love Janice Dickinson. I want everyone to know, she is the coolest person in the world."
The episode airs this Wednesday, January 24 on Oxygen, and Calderon is featured on Instinct's February issue. You can see the cover for that issue, after the jump...
Posted 2:15 PM EST by Andy in I'm Gay, Instinct, J.P. Calderon, Janice Dickinson, News, Television | Permalink
Comments
I hope this is a growing trend of celebrities (I guess you'd consider him a celeb) coming out in their prime... =)
Posted by: Cory | Jan 22, 2007 2:24:32 PM
OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!! J.P is so fucking HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had no idea he was gay. Now Andy can feature another model other than Chad White (hint, hint).
Posted by: peterparker | Jan 22, 2007 2:30:28 PM
Be still my beating heart....those arms...
Posted by: brainia_amour | Jan 22, 2007 2:33:20 PM
When this last installment of "Survivor" was on the air and Brad, the only openly gay contestant, was voted off, there were rumors he was having a relationship with JP, and it was going to be announced during the live reunion special. That didn't happen, but it's good to see it had some basis in fact.
Posted by: Larry | Jan 22, 2007 2:37:02 PM
Celebrity?
Posted by: Mike | Jan 22, 2007 2:41:28 PM
He thinks Instinct is a "major" magazine. That's just so precious.
Posted by: chrisb | Jan 22, 2007 2:42:10 PM
I smell Calderoad.
Posted by: 000000 | Jan 22, 2007 2:47:01 PM
And, Reichen did not, repeat, did NOT suck face with him when Lance wasn't looking and anyone who says otherwise will get sued.
Posted by: Leland | Jan 22, 2007 2:48:00 PM
Yay! JP is so hot..and I love JDMA.
Posted by: Chrisk | Jan 22, 2007 2:48:44 PM
I hope he get's a worthless award from HRC for being the most out celebrity like Lance and Reichen did. I caught an episode of the Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency. How the mighty have fallen.
Posted by: Matt | Jan 22, 2007 2:59:24 PM
I am an Instinct subscriber and would like to defend them by saying I think they are holding their own as a gay magazine. Every issue gets better and with Beyonce and Gwen Stefani on the last two covers (and now hot JP) I would say they are a major gay magazine. Congrats on this story and cant wait to see the issue.
Posted by: Rick | Jan 22, 2007 3:00:08 PM
I used to write for Instinct, and quit because it was so sophomoric and full of typos that I was embarrassed to show it to friends or family. It has improved a bit with its new editor, but I'd still say it's a marginal piece of fluff. But then, I haven't watched reality shows in years and couldn't care less about this guy. At least he's gay, unlike most cover stars on gay magazines.
Posted by: Paul | Jan 22, 2007 3:46:41 PM
Yes, Instinct is fluffy. I know I should be reading the Wall St Journal or Anna Karenina or something, but JP? He's just far too hot.
Posted by: Brian | Jan 22, 2007 3:54:46 PM
Give me a break! Having Beyonce and Stefani on its cover makes "Instinct" a major gay magazine? For whom? Gay teenagers? "Perpetual adolescence-the new black."
My objection isn't because they're straight but because they're straight with no redeeming value to the gay aspects of my life save that they, one assumes, just luv their gay fans. How tired.
But that's not as insane, even insulting, as the one wide circulation gay magazine that imagines itself "serious"--"The Advocate" naming Bill "Ann Coulter's Best Friend" Maher as "Person of the Year." Their offices should be torched, lit by a rolled up, burning copy of that issue.
A "major gay magazine" should give us something we can't get from a major mainstream magazine. Otherwise it has no reason to exist.
Posted by: Tagg | Jan 22, 2007 4:09:55 PM
JP is gay? I'm shocked!
Posted by: Dalton | Jan 22, 2007 4:23:28 PM
Man eye candy. Dumb as a bag of rocks. That's ok, we need those too.
Posted by: brad | Jan 22, 2007 4:32:01 PM
I have worked with this guy at volleyball workshops. I always thought that he was checking out my ass! I never knew he was gay...
Posted by: Ryan | Jan 22, 2007 4:59:21 PM
How could so many viewers not know he was gay? I never saw him on Survivor, but he was onscreen mere minutes on the Janice Dickenson show and my gaydar went off like a three alarm fire!
Good for him, he's in the right industry 'cause he's definitely got it.
Posted by: Mark M | Jan 22, 2007 5:05:09 PM
You shoulda seen him as a teenager
Posted by: dc8stretch | Jan 22, 2007 5:24:00 PM
One sure sign that gave it away for me: It's all in his "overly" groomed eyebrows. Either he was gay or he was a drag queen. Could have been both.
I'm on a mission to get men to stop with that type of grooming. It never compliments a man's face and only makes them seem like overly manicured queens. Stop the plucking and shaping!!!
Posted by: John B. | Jan 22, 2007 5:43:35 PM
Tagg, I agree that the Advocate has lots of room for improvement. But when I think back to its evolution, I can only be nothing short of amazed.
The Advocate began, and remained for too many years, a total rag. It's stories, if they can be referred to as such, were low quality trash. The photos were soft core porn, and the classifieds were not what one would expect in a legitimate news magazine. I had no problem then or now, about sexual oriented advertising of any kind, but not in a publication that claims to be a news magazine. Through the years it has evolved from a tabloid newspaper format, into a real quality magazine dedicated to the LGBT community. Does it need to continue to evolve? Of course. But let us not forget its beginnings.
Posted by: Michael D. Fein | Jan 22, 2007 7:01:20 PM
He was a big asshole on Survivor.
Posted by: Dylan | Jan 22, 2007 7:14:40 PM
That's awesome! He oughta keep his hair the way it is on the cover, so much cuter that way, with the little bangs. I hated that short buzzcut thing he was working.
Posted by: FanGirlHater | Jan 22, 2007 7:43:25 PM
I'm old-enough to remember when the Advocate had a whole center-insert full of uncensored escort and hustler ads, the men-looking-for-men listings, along with fairly-graphic ads for gay porn flics. Most stores considered it porn just like Drummer Magazine and In Touch; and kept it in the porn-section if they carried it at-all....or behind the counter.
Posted by: Ted B. (Charging Rhino) | Jan 22, 2007 8:44:23 PM
i knew it!! i knew he was gay from the beginning. no he wasnt an asshole, so what if we lying around doing nothing? arent we all?
Posted by: jerakh | Jan 22, 2007 8:52:53 PM
"The Advocate" naming Bill "Ann Coulter's Best Friend" Maher as "Person of the Year." Their offices should be torched, lit by a rolled up, burning copy of that issue.
Posted by: Tagg |
That made me giggle. I agree, it's a strange pick considering the many people in the community who could benefit from the encouragement of being named Person of The Year, more so then a Bill Maher, who I don't necessarly think is undeserving of recognition by The Advocate btw..
Posted by: Da | Jan 22, 2007 8:57:27 PM
You didn't really fool anyone with your true colors when you were at Survivor but kudos for coming out this early. Not like what's his name....that kid from the first American Idol....RJ something....he came out when no one really cared anymore....hilarious and tragic at the same time.
Posted by: gabe | Jan 22, 2007 9:01:57 PM
Charging Rhino's post: <
True - I remember those days as well. Now - just take a glance at the right hand side of this website - all the way up and down the page. I love towleroad and think it's a great, great read but it's (getting to be) as full of erotic come-ons and salacious appeals so as to fund and "monetize" the site.
End of the day, this is Andy's site and I completely understand he can run it however he wants. But for me, the unabated "monetization" strategy pushes towards the cliched mass of already existing "gay media."
Don't EVEN get started with "Instinct". I'm still pining for a 21st century verz of "After Dark" -
Posted by: resuurect | Jan 22, 2007 9:21:34 PM
One fine day I received "Instinct" in the mail at no charge. This continued every month for three years. It wasn't awful. Wasn't great either.
Posted by: jmg | Jan 22, 2007 9:27:54 PM
Sorry for the screw-up w/ Charging Rhino's post. My Safari isn't displaying correctly - and/or - user error. My apologies.
Posted by: resurrect | Jan 22, 2007 9:28:25 PM
Are some of you TRULY shocked JP is gay?
Puh-leez; he lists Men's Fitness as one of his favorite magazines, and that is one step below Playgirl.
Posted by: Harold 07 | Jan 23, 2007 2:03:41 PM
I LOVE HIM!
I LOVE HIM!
I LOVE HIM!
I LOVE HIM!
I LOVE HIM!
Posted by: Jack! | Jan 23, 2007 3:59:50 PM
What odd expectations people seem to have for magazines like the Advocate or Instinct. The reality is that these magazines are essentially People Magazine targeted toward GLBT populations. Even traditional magazines like Newsweek and Time have become much lighter in topic. If you're looking for hard hitting GLBT news, check out some of the national news papers like The Washington Blade.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 23, 2007 10:16:40 PM
is it just me or could we not see him as gay when he first popped up. 1. His overwhelming love for Janice. 2.He got every girl on survivor to do his tasks. 3.He exudes everything gay. I mean he's not flaming but he is obvious.
Posted by: loki | Jan 24, 2007 2:30:26 AM
Instinct is such a mindless publication! I'm channeling my inner psychic - are they going to be sold soon?
Posted by: Peaches | Jan 24, 2007 2:50:20 PM
JP. Amazing. We knew him in Long Beach, CA. He worked Friday nights as a bartender, but wasn't there most of the time as he and his brother were rotating 24 hour shifts taking care of his dying father. Now, that's a man. He is a sweethart. And seriously the most georgeous man you could every lay eyes on. We couldn't be happier for him.
Posted by: jpsweethart | Jan 25, 2007 12:07:35 AM
just curious as to how you got your hands on this picture? I searched on the website for "Instinct" and there are no records of JP as of yet..... I am assuming that the issue will probably not be released until next weeks episode airs?? who knows....
John
Posted by: John | Jan 25, 2007 1:53:20 AM
if Peaches thinks the magazine is such a waste of time, why are you interested in when its coming out? geez....... DUH!
Posted by: john | Jan 25, 2007 1:55:32 AM
Well after reading your responses, i'm inclined to believe not all models of GAY magazines, are GAY!
However, i just received the latest issue of Instinct, and read the article, to find out for real, that JP is truely gay! The article was very warm and touching to all those out there, that are in the closet, like JP was!
Living in one of the most gay locations,Provincetown,Mass,. you hear of all sorts of celebrities coming out! In the recent past, Lance Bass, was sighted in Provincetown, and shortly thereafter, he decided to exspose his life style to the world! When he turned up on the cover of PEOPLE magazine, stating, I'M GAY!!!!! Everyone wanted a copy of it to read!
So it was just a matter of time, to find out that JP was gay as well!
Now that the whole story is on Janice Dickenson's show, is , very rewarding!
Posted by: ken | Jan 25, 2007 3:22:49 AM
YAY!! I am so happy for JP. More power to him to come out publicly. He is a wonderful person who deserves only the best.
Congrats JP!!!
Posted by: Diana | Jan 25, 2007 11:48:58 AM
So, he's gay. How important is it for us to know that? Is this man some sort of role model or something?
Posted by: RichardSF | Jan 25, 2007 3:59:14 PM
I'm certain it isn't "important" for anyone to know he is gay. The comment thread is nothing more than a trail of opinions.
I didn't intend on reading the entire message board, but I did (for reasons that are beyond my recognition), and after doing so I decided that most people on this thread appear bitter and seem to enjoy degrading --or attempting to degrade-- strangers.
How bizarre
Posted by: sundaysarenice | Jan 25, 2007 10:30:11 PM
It's obivious that he's gay, not flaming, but obiviuos none the less. His eyebrows are a little funny looking but he is way good looking. I am stoked I live in Long Beach, might run into him someday...
Posted by: BDAWGS | Jan 26, 2007 10:55:10 AM
Excuse me. So I'm old-fashioned. While I believe every gay person should be proud and unashamed of what they are, coming out is a personal matter, and should not be forced or enticed. Being given an utimatum like that, come out or lose the opportunity of a lifetime, was grossly unfair of JD.
Posted by: gordy | Jan 26, 2007 2:51:19 PM
I love JP however Instinct magazine is racist. If you are an effeminate white male this magazine is for you. They place minorities in the magazine only if they have some notoriety, other than that do not look for any representation of yourself here. Pity those poor rural youth looking for validation will not see anyone like themselves in the magazine.
So much for the rainbow flag. No wonder the hetros are winning.
Posted by: James | Jan 27, 2007 9:13:48 PM
SO BIG DEAL ...WHAT WILL HE DO FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY ?
Posted by: Frank | Jan 28, 2007 1:22:52 AM
Seems to me that the more gay celebrities come out, the better off we are as a whole.
when I was young my role models were all characature pop stars like Liberace and Boy George. Now young gay men are going to have acualy men who dress like men to look up to.
Yeah, it's kinda silly that it seems that the reality show stars have more guts than Hollywood stars, but even that's changing.
It's a pretty positive step that in 10 years the young adult generation of gay guys are all going to have grown up without having to learn the hard way that gay men can just ge guys like everyone else.
Posted by: Jasun Mark | Jan 28, 2007 2:43:06 PM
Why is it so important that we know J.P.'s sexual preference? Is it so we can imagine ourselves in some sort of illicit romance with them? Isn't it crazy the little fantasies we permit ourselves to have of sexual encounters with people that most of us will never meet and if we did they wouldn't give us the time of day.
Or maybe we just like to play numbers games with ourselves about how many celebs are really gay and cheer with a sick sense of self acceptance when they are publicly outted and forced to deal with their personal struggles before the whole world.
Yeah J.P.!!! You have really made my day!!!
Posted by: STEVE | Feb 1, 2007 3:19:43 AM
who cares. this was hard for him and it seems like many need it to justify feeling wrong/bad/sinful themselves. its not like you get to sleep with him . wish him well. encourage him and move on you horny sick bastards
Posted by: bill | Feb 2, 2007 10:58:26 PM
The meanness I see in so many of these posts is really very sad. The poor guy just lost his father to brain cancer, he obviously has had a very hard time coming out and looked just terrified when he had to come out on camera. It broke my heart. Most of us know what that terror feels like. Have a little sympathy.
Posted by: Brian | Feb 5, 2007 12:02:03 AM
I knew he was gay on survivor. he was a catty bitch who despised the kind of overweight rocker dude on his team. you could see it in his eyes that he hated him for the way he looked. gay male stereotype for sure. yep, that's a role model and a man we should be lifting up...Hip, Hip, hooray!!!!
Posted by: carlos | Feb 7, 2007 3:47:12 AM
what is his nationality? Hispanic....mexican? Calderon? please let me know.
Posted by: calvin | Feb 8, 2007 10:44:51 PM
I'm proud of you J.P.!!! Proud that you are Gay, Out and Latino. You probably have no idea what a possitive impact you'll have on today's and future young gay generations. And YES you are now a Gay Role Model..your challenge and goal now should be to keep that good image and to strive to make a possitive difference. I cant wait to see more of you on the public eye.
Posted by: Zoul | Feb 11, 2007 10:26:33 AM
Really impressive!! Still better than before with the different sites! Congratulations! 312131018
Posted by: pay per click 1490344774 | Aug 10, 2007 12:45:59 PM
I hop to know more about JP
Any1 hav any news of him.....
hop to share wit me....
Posted by: Scott | Sep 18, 2007 10:40:48 AM
Okay he finally comes out after he is doing a photoshoot for Instinct magazine. Why not come out on Survivor? He simply didn't have the balls to and he thought it would hurt his chances of winning. Who is more of a role model the guy who was out from the start or the guy who didn't come out till he could get something out of it? I think deep down we all know the answer to that question!
Posted by: Richard | May 9, 2008 3:05:21 AM
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