Unn J's Jaymi Hensley: 'I'm gay and I've never been happier'

union j gay one

Kev Maxen, an associate strength ach wh the Jacksonville Jaguars, has bee the first male ach a major U.S.-based profsnal league to e out as gay.

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MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBERBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013/12:15 PMBY DAN AVERYAPRIL 27, 2013 / 12:15 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"MEET UNN J, THE BRISH BOY BAND WH THE OPENLY GAY MEMBER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2013-04-27T16:15:29.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[PTN ID="ATTACHMENT_98342" ALIGN="ALIGNCENTER" WIDTH="473"] UNN J'S J.J. HAMBLETT, GEE SHELLEY, JAYMI HENSLEY AND JOSH CUTHBERT (PHOTO: GETTY)[/PTN]{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT'S NOT UNMON FOR A MEMBER OF A BOY BAND TO E OUT—BOTH N'SYNC'S LANCE BASS AND NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK'S JONATHAN KNIGHT HAVE SPOKEN PUBLICLY ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. BUT A BOY BANR WHO'S OPENLY GAY AT THE START OF HIS REER? THAT'S A NEW ONE ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOLLOWG THE FOOTSTEPS OF ONE DIRECTN AND THE WANTED, UNN J ARE ANOTHER BATCH OF BRISH LADS HOPG TO NQUER THE WORLD WH THEIR MELOD VOIC AND ADORABLE MUGS. BUT UNLIKE THOSE CHART-TOPPG ACTS, BAND MEMBER JAYMI HENSLEY HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT BEG GAY ALMOST SCE THE START, WHEN THE QUARTET WAS FORMED ON THE UK VERSN OF X FACTOR LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SCE THEN, UNN J HAS BEEN PERFORMG, MAKG PUBLIC APPEARANC AND WORKG ON A BUT ALBUM. THEY JT BUTED THEIR FIRST SGLE, "CARRY YOU," ON CAPAL FM THIS WEEK. (IT'S AVAILABLE ON ITUN ON JUNE 2.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A NOVEMBER TERVIEW WH BRA'S SUN, HENSLEY CREDS THEIR MANAGER LOUIS WALSH, WHO ALSO GUID BOYZONE AND WTLIFE TO FAME AND FORTUNE: “I SPOKE TO LOUIS ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID, ‘PUT THIS WAY, BOTH OF MY BIG BOY BANDS HAD A GAY MEMBER THEM.’ SO HE SAID FS THE FORMULA QUE WELL!"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TO HIS CRED, HENSLEY WANTED TO BE STRAIGHT UP (SO TO SPEAK) OM THE START: “I DIDN’T WANT TO DO FIVE YEARS’ TIME WHEN I HAVE MA MONEY AND HAD A REER," HE SAYS. "I DON’T THK ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO HI WHO THEY ARE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY SAYS HE'S ALREADY HEARD OM APPRECIATIVE GAY FANS:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I GOT A TWEET OM A BOY WHO MT HAVE BEEN 13 OR 14, ASKG IF THE MOURS THAT I WAS GAY WERE TE. HE SAID HE REALLY WISHED I ULD BE OUT BEE HE DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO LOOK UP TO AND WAS FDG REALLY HARD TO F AND TELL HIS PARENTS. I WAS THAT KID AT 14 AND REALLY WISH I HAD SOMEONE TO SAY WAS OK TO BE PICTURED ON THE RED RPET WH A GUY AND BE GAY A BOY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN ADDN TO BEG OUT AND THE SPOTLIGHT, HENSLEY OFFERS YOUNG GAYS SOMETHG NEW: A GAY CELEBRY WHOSE JOURNEY WAS ANGST-EE: "I ME OUT WHEN I WAS 14 TO MY FAY AND IENDS AND NEVER HAD ONE PIECE OF NEGATIVY," HE SAYS OF HIS SEXUALY. "I HOPE THE REACTN WILL HOPEFULLY BE, ‘OK, WE KD OF KNEW, BUT WELL DONE ON G OUT."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HENSLEY'S NOT SET ON BEG A SPOKMAN FOR THE LGBT MUNY—HE JT WANTS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PERKS OF BOY-BAND FAME ON HIS OWN TERMS: “I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO GAY CLUBS AND BE PICTURED WH [UK PERSONALY KATIE PRICE] AND HER GAY IENDS. I WANT TO HAVE FUN WH MY LIFE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WELL DONE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BELOW, TAKE A LISTEN TO "CARRY YOU."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND UNN J'S LIVE PERFORMANCE OF "CALL ME MAYBE."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

There are weddg bells store for Unn J as Jaymi Hensley is set to wed his fiance 2015. The gay sger proposed to Olly Marmon 2010 and... * union j gay one *

But a boy banr who's openly gay at the start of his reer? But unlike those chart-toppg acts, band member Jaymi Hensley has been open about beg gay almost sce the start, when the quartet was formed on the UK versn of X Factor last then, Unn J has been performg, makg public appearanc and workg on a but album.

)In a November terview wh Bra's Sun, Hensley creds their manager Louis Walsh, who also guid Boyzone and Wtlife to fame and fortune: “I spoke to Louis about this and he said, ‘put this way, both of my big boy bands had a gay member them.

“EVERY BOY BAND HAS GOT TO HAVE A GAY ONE” SO MEET UNN J’S JAYMI HENSLEY

”Hensley says he's already heard om appreciative gay fans:I got a tweet om a boy who mt have been 13 or 14, askg if the mours that I was gay were te. I was that kid at 14 and really wish I had someone to say was OK to be pictured on the red rpet wh a guy and be gay a boy addn to beg out and the spotlight, Hensley offers young gays somethg new: A gay celebry whose journey was angst-ee: "I me out when I was 14 to my fay and iends and never had one piece of negativy, " he says of his sexualy.

"Hensley's not set on beg a spokman for the LGBT muny—he jt wants to be able to enjoy the perks of boy-band fame on his own terms: “I want to be able to go to gay clubs and be pictured wh [UK personaly Katie Price] and her gay iends. “Jt gog to the band, one of the first thgs that was said to me [by management] was ‘You’re not gay are you?

Bee if you are then you’ll be lled Unn Gay’. Dpe boastg an out and proud gay member Jaymi throughout their time the spotlight, the group’s youngt star Gee was secretly sufferg silence when me to his own sexualy, g out publicly shortly before partg the group dramatic fashn early 2016. Now wh two out and proud gay members, Unn J are ready to fally she thentilly as a foursome for the first time as they prepare for a mil eback on their own terms.

UNN J AND ONE GAY BOYBAND MEMBER

Of urse, one of the thgs that’s amazg about you guys as a foursome 2022 is that you have two out gay members. Jaymi And vice-versa, om a gay man’s perspective for you Josh as well, there’s a difference you and JJ now the way the straight men n be so much more open about their feelgs. Even as the pletely Pri flag-wavg, hell-bent gay Sufagette that I am and always have been, even I wouldn’t necsarily have talked about my issu.

’ and I thk I have a role as a straight guy this world to ll out homophobic ments like that. I learned about beg gay om beg 14 and sneakg to gay bars… Gee didn’t have that opportuny so I thought was very important to give him a groundg space to learn about himself and fd who he is whout the prsure.

UNN J JAYMI: 'ONE DIRECTN GAY AFFAIR MOURS ARE HILAR'

I went out last night wh iends, I was at a gay bar…’ and I was like ‘How is this nversatn [still happeng]?!

’ I was given such a safe space by the media to do : I didn’t want to do the whole whe t-shirt on the ont of The Sun wh the sad-lookg face, ‘My trma of beg a gay man’ like so many other gay boyband members had to do. But hold on a mute, like you said, the ntradictn om two years ago, you’ve jt done this [piece] wh me, Rylan, Christopher Maloney, Lucy Spraggan, Ja Ellis; six or seven of the whole st of The X Factor were gay, but yet you want to pick on this one boy to make him outed. Jt gog to the band, one of the first thgs that was said to me [by management] was ‘You’re not gay are you?

UNN J'S JAYMI HENSLEY OPENS UP ABOUT COMG OUT AS GAY ON THE X FACTOR UK - VIO

Josh: I remember gog to our management offic and I remember the nversatn about how I was a ser relatnship wh Chloe and was gog to get engaged and married; Jamie was obvly gay, Gee [was] gay, and JJ had a baby, and I remember the sort of vibe of the meetg was ‘Look, this isn’t what boybands do’.

UNN J'S JAYMI HENSLEY: 'I'M GAY AND I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER'

When I me out as gay, my weight was brought to a lot more, beg the ‘fat, gay one wh the high voice’.

The mastream media were promotg this ia at the time that you n’t be sired [as a gay man], that ’s all about beg straight and sexy. I felt like I was a bad gay when I was Unn J… I kd of me out and then beme a straight man, down to my image.

So I stopped wearg my hair blond and wearg cloth that were a ltle b more mp and beme a gay man that looked like a bad straight man. Someone I’m so proud of at the mute is Olly Alexanr: I thk many gay men the dtry go ‘maybe I wish I’d had the guts to do what he did’. But not enough people the mic dtry are open about their sexualy…I spoke to [X-Factor judge and Boyzone/Wtlife manager] Louis [Walsh] about this and he said, ‘put this way, both of my big boybands had a gay member them.

EVERY BOYBAND NEEDS A GAY ONE, AND I’M UNN J’S

Every boyband has got to have a gay one!

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

I’m gay and I’ve never been happier! “Sure, ” they said, “you n be prsured agast g out, homophobia is everywhere after all, but they n’t possibly force you! ”However, the tth about the members of Unn J, who end up fourth the 9th season of the X Factor 2012, is sadr and more plited than what, for many years, mt have sound like for the general Hensley, one of the band’s sgers, me out as gay back 2012.

“People knew, and then I started gog out, Jaymi would take me to the clubs, and people would see me wh the guys, ” Gee clared to the magaze gaytim. ”In his documentary 2018, Gee go eper to how he was told that beg a band wh already one gay member whose public was maly teenage girls left no room for another member g out. In fact, the e of certa verbs is credibly tellg his terview wh gay tim.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* UNION J GAY ONE

Every boyband needs a gay one, and I’m Unn J’s – The Sun .

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