In the Winter 2008 issue of the Human Rights Campaign's magazine, Equality, Tim Gunn was the covergirl and gave an interview. I found it very intriguing because he was very forthcoming with details about himself. Here are some highlights.
Equality: You've described yourself, when you were young, as trying to find yourself.
Gunn: I denied having any sexuality. I kept saying "I'm asexual. I'm non-sexual. I'm not attracted to women. I'm not attracted to men." I was a very isolated kid. I isolated myself. But I wouldn't say that I was un-socialized; i liked the company of adults much more than I liked the company of my peers. And, I had very very, very few friends...I'd flip and fly into a sense of panic when someone said that they were gay. I went through a ton of therapy through my teens and early 20s. Once in group therapy, a boy older than me said that he was gay, and I flew into the other room. I think it was just fear of the unknown.
Equality: Certainly, as so many of us know, "coming out" can be a lifelong process, every single day.
Gunn: Having a partner - someone with whom I would travel and attend events - would bring a whole new dimension to my life. And it's one that I just don't have. So it just never comes up...I realize how extremely lucky I am, to be in this industry and to be in this city. Because there's never a semblance of confrontation anywhere by anybody.
I was surprised to learn that Tim deeply struggled with his identity, has lived and somewhat continues to live in a bubble, and that he's living the single life. I guess this all contributes to his compassion for people, his decision to be mentor to so many (love needs an outlet)and his demeanor that suggests a gilded life.
Hey what we don't know about other people is a lot!
