“I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time,” Colton Underwood said on Good Morning America. “And I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. ”
Robin Roberts ended the interview in a rare moment of reflection on her coming out process years ago telling viewers that her mother had said that “God loves you because of who he is, not because of who or what you are.”
Known as the “virgin bachelor,” he says he now has an explanation for that. Though he knew since he was six years old that he was different, he relied on trying to pray “the gay” away and thanked God in his prayers when he landed the Bachelor gig, thinking that it was God's way of getting him the wife and home and kid he wanted along with fully straight attractions and desires. It did not really work out that way.
Facts and Responses About Colton Underwood Coming Out:
While most reactions have been supportive and in fact show how far we've come. Note reactions from the women of The View, above, and generally congratulatory messages from Bachelor Nation (what else can they say?) a few have not been so happy or generous in light of very recent accusations of stalking and more of his ex.
As Towleroad reported last year, Underwood had thought he might be gay when he was bullied as a kid. He's done he did a lot of thinking about himself last year of lockdown.
Underwood Back Story
He gave few details of what all that was that time and his actions were about during the interview and offered no specifics on apologizing and making it right if that is possible. Maybe he's been great. We dont' have much information but it clearly needs to be addressed. This kind of behavior impacts victims' ability to feel safe and quality of life can be impacted for a long time. We have no reason to think he is holding back information. And while it is perhaps not on the scale of pushing anti-gay legislation to hurt tens of thousands of people, and he was not instrumental in coming up with the strategy of demonizing LGBT folks to win elections for Republicans, it's not nothing.
i think that we will be discussing it all for a while as it brings up yet again the lines we need to figure out to all live our best lives, mostly related to responsibility and risk with better understandings of the impact of structures on how we can and cannot live our lives.
People are asking: Wasn't he supposed to have been cancelled ? Does coming out cancel cancelling? How is this situation different than if he was straight? Unattractive? Not white? What if he acted in a totally different mindset than a straight guy? What if it's the same mindset but homophobia and society caused it? How much does he get to hold. “society” liable for the harm to him and others? Why is he being treated so differently.
No answers to the specifics nor to the bigger questions. But does anyone know if Mr. Underwood ever described his perfect mate as someone who would “challenge him,” when looking ostensibly for a woman? It was the only trait he had in response to Roberts' question about what he's looking for in a man. I have a feeling he'll be getting some serious challenges in and out of love from all this.
On coming out and the optimism i have for the good he might do, i congratulate him and welcome him to the world. We invite him to get in touch to talk about building better ways to connect with those in the closet to offer counter narratives to religion and to inspire and guide.
