Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is coming out as bisexual. The 2018 Democratic nominee made the announcement on the “Tamron Hall Show" which is set to air Monday at 3 p.m. on CBS47.
Gillum found himself at the center of a scandal earlier this year after he was found intoxicated in a Miami motel room with two other men. Police said a bag of crystal meth was found inside the motel room. Gillum admitted he was drunk but said he did not use the drugs.
On the “Tamron Hall Show”, Gillum, who is a father of three, discussed the impact the incident has had on his image and his life. Gillum shared that he was battling depression after losing Florida’s gubernatorial race in 2018 to Ron DeSantis. He said he started drinking and declined to seek therapy.
David Johns, the executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, responded to Gillum’s appearance on the “Tamron Hall Show” with this statement:
“Black members of the LGBTQ+ community across the country watched Andrew Gillum’s interview with Tamron Hall today with empathy and love, as so many of us can relate to the complex issues and feelings he conveyed. I applaud Gillum’s willingness to be vulnerable about his struggles and journey on national television, and deeply appreciate the raw emotion he conveyed in his conversation with Hall alongside his wife, R. Jai.
"Gillum’s reflections demonstrate that there must be space in our country for people to be themselves without shame and fear. When we are forced by harmful societal expectations to operate in black and white, with no room to express the many gray areas of ourselves that make us who we are, we get hurt.
"As R. Jai beautifully explained in the interview with Tamron Hall, no one should have the pressure of explaining or defending their relationship, the private covenant made between them and their partner(s), to people who are unable or unwilling to understand.
"As the United States continues with our long-overdue racial reckoning, it’s imperative that we also address the deep-seated homophobia, biphobia, bi-erasure, and transphobia that permeates our everyday lives, forcing countless people to hide essential parts of themselves at a great cost to themselves—and to our cultural consciousness at large.
"I am proud of my brother Andrew for blazing new trails by inviting the world into the fact that he is bisexual. He’s creating space for us to talk about a segment of our community that experiences erasure, stigma, and discrimination from both within and outside the LGBTQIA+ community. It is my hope that the conversation does not end with today’s interview, but is continued without stigma, and with a whole lot of grace. These conversations and the healing they may provide for so many members of our community are required for all Black people to be free--healthy, happy, and whole. “At the end of the day, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Everyone deserves to be recognized for who they truly are, and welcomed with open arms. We all deserve to live fully in our truth, and for our whole selves to be accepted and celebrated. And as Andrew said, none of us should be judged based on what someone else may think is our worst day. The National Black Justice Coalition looks forward to supporting anyone interested in learning more about bisexuality in America and in advancing radically inclusive social justice.”
Cox Media Group
