Star Jones’ ex-husband Al Reynolds on his “tough journey” coming out as bisexual: “Now I’m proud”

I grew up in the South. My mother is a Southern Baptist. Those aren’t things that you talk about. Your sexuality is something that you leave behind that front door when you come home. That was a tough journey, but it was necessary. For me coming out though, I was in my 40s, and I’ve learned so much through therapy of who I am and I was no longer ashamed.

Also you gotta remember, back 24 years ago, the conversations, the narratives around sexuality were totally different. It could affect you professionally. It could affect you personally. So for me it was something, with my therapist, I had to figure out who I was before I was prepared to share it with the rest of the world. Once you step out on that stage you can’t step off.

In that aspect, because it was so private for me, I wanted to keep whatever that was private with who I was with. I didn’t want to have to share that with the world because there was a part of me that was ashamed.

I think just like anybody else, we don’t feel comfortable being different. And being a part of the LGBTQ+ community 25 years ago, even though you weren’t ashamed, I wasn’t prepared to be proud. Now I’m proud. 

Because I’m not a mistake. I’m not a bad person. I’m a good person. I start and end with love. I try to give back as much as I can. There can’t be anything wrong with that. And I don’t care what the gender or sexuality is.

Al Reynolds, who publicly came out as bisexual in 2017, speaking to Fox5 DC anchor Marissa Mitchell about his journey to becoming a proud queer man.