Bob Paris, a gay former Mr. Universe who me out of the closet the July issue of Ironman magaze 1989, admted recently that he suffered ath threats followg his announcement. Later that year, Bob Paris would marry his bodybuildg boyiend, Rod Jackson, and discs his announcement on the Oprah Wey show. In a […]
Contents:
- BOB PARIS, GAY FORMER MR. UNIVERSE, SUFFERED DEATH THREATS AND HEARTBREAK AFTER COMG OUT [VIO]
- THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
BOB PARIS, GAY FORMER MR. UNIVERSE, SUFFERED DEATH THREATS AND HEARTBREAK AFTER COMG OUT [VIO]
Nicknamed “Diamond Calv,” he was the first Black man to w the Mr. Ameri ntt. As a gay man, he said, he also felt bigotry over his sexual orientatn. * mr universe gay *
The public celebrated his athleticism and admired his physil strength -- but was one liberate act 1989 that would tt Paris' te a time when a Los Angel Tim poll reported that nearly 70 percent of the untry thought homosexualy was a s, Paris stunned the world by g out as a gay man.
"Paris and Jackson beme stant symbols for gay marriage, actively speakg on and advotg for gay rights. "I felt I would be lettg down the e, that I would be at givg fuel to people who hated gay people and said we uldn't sta relatnships and were anti-equal marriage.
THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
* mr universe gay *
"Beg able to fally make our marriage legal 2003 healed a spot my soul that had been wound om the time I was 14 years old and first realized I was a gay man livg a culture that told me I was ls than, " Paris says.
Gayoprah: where are they nowOWN VioownBefore You GoCelebri Who Have Come Out As LGBTYou May Like.
As a gay man, he said, he also felt bigotry over his sexual Lerhandler/Associated PrsChris Dickerson, who as the first Black man to w the Mr. Universe petn, was also gay, which was known bodybuildg circl but which he did not often publicly discs at the height of his reer. ”The paper’s thor, John Fair, then a historian at Geia College & State Universy, wrote: “Dickerson, who was short, Black and gay, was a diametril oppose to the kd of image Arnold reprented.