'The Bachelor' has a troubled history when to gay romance. It's not alone

Former “Bachelor” nttant Colton Unrwood me out on Wednday, and some fans are hopg that ABC will have a same-sex “Bachelor” season the near future (ABC has not announced plans for any such show). In realy, there’s already been a gay “Bachelor”-type show — “Fdg Prce Charmg.” “Fdg Prce Charmg” aired on Logo, Via’s LGBTQ-themed ble channel (and origal home of “RuPl’s Drag Race”) back 2016 and borrowed heavily om “The Bachelor.” Thirteen gay men moved to a mansn to try to w the affectns of a handsome eligible bachelor, terr signer Robert Sepuvelda Jr. At the end of each episo, there was their versn of the rose ceremony where black bow ti were hand to the suors still the petn. Former ‘NSYNCer Lance Bass played the Chris Harrison-que host. Also Read: Billy Eichner to Colton Unrwood 2019: 'Maybe You're the First Gay Bachelor and We Don't Even Know' (Vio) In the end, Sepulveda chose hairstylist Eric Leonardos as his guy. Leonardos and Sepulveda dated for a b after the show but did not stay together. “Fdg Prce Charmg” was not whout ntroversy, though, but not for s gay slant. After filmg and jt prr to s premiere, reports emerged that Sepulveda had prevly been a sex worker. At the time, a person close to the suatn told TheWrap that Logo followed “standard protol” when vettg Sepulveda and that “nothg me up durg the background check.” One nttant said he was fired om his job after Sepulveda’s rt past was revealed. Also Read: All 24 Bachelors Ranked, From Least to Most Dramatic (Photos) Dpe the ntroversy, the show still aired and was even ld for s portrayal of HIV-posive dividuals (Leonardos disclosed he was HIV-posive on the show). A send season was planned but never ma to air. “Fdg Prce Charmg” wasn’t even the first male-male datg realy show. Back 2003, Bravo aired “Boy Meets Boy,” but the show’s twist was that some of the suors were heterosexual men. It remas to be seen what’s next for Unrwood after g out on “Good Morng Ameri.” Unrwood has been filmg a realy TV seri for Netflix about his journey g out as a gay man. Read origal story There’s Already Been a Gay ‘Bachelor’-Type Show, and It Was Esrted Off Air After Jt One Season At TheWrap

COLTON UNRWOOD, ‘BACHELOR’ STAR, COM OUT AS GAY
‘BACHELOR’ FANS MAND GAY SEASON AMID COLTON UNRWOOD’S G OUT
FORMER 'BACHELOR' STAR COLTON UNRWOOD OUT AS GAY
IT’S TIME FOR AN ACTUALLY GAY SEASON OF THE BACHELOR ALREADY
THERE’S ALREADY BEEN A GAY ‘BACHELOR’-TYPE SHOW, AND IT WAS ESRTED OFF AIR AFTER JT ONE SEASON
FORMER BACHELOR COLTON UNRWOOD COM OUT AS GAY: ‘I’M THE HAPPIT AND HEALTHIT I’VE EVER BEEN’
'THE BACHELOR' HAS A TROUBLED HISTORY WHEN TO GAY ROMANCE. IT'S NOT ALONE

COLTON UNRWOOD, ‘BACHELOR’ STAR, COM OUT AS GAY

Eric Bach is an openly gay broadster for the Frericksburg Natnals. He has major league aspiratns, but his path has been much lonelier than he would prefer. * is the current bachelor gay *

His sensibily as a gay artist has shaped and elevated the magaze’s athetic, but he has to keep his creativy check lt Mx be seen as a magaze for gay men. But fish strong, as the nflict over Richie’s bathhoe project grows and Mx has to nsir whether ’s too risky for the magaze to speak to gay men, or even gay women.At moments like this, the historil fictn feels not entirely historil. McCoy for The New York TimHis Sexualy Don’t Defe Him, but It Can Set Him ApartEric Bach is an openly gay broadster for the Frericksburg Natnals.

Three years earlier, while he was studyg journalism at Michigan State Universy, he had publicly e out as gay an say he wrote for the time of the say, he braced for a backlash, but nothg materialized. He worked his way up om ternships to full-time broadstg jobs, and while anyone wh an ter nnectn uld learn he was gay, nobody asked, and he did not say so aga publicly. It was bil and ugly, filled wh “every gay slur you uld thk of, ” Bach said.

‘BACHELOR’ FANS MAND GAY SEASON AMID COLTON UNRWOOD’S G OUT

Former "Bachelor" star Colton Unrwood me out as gay an exclive terview wh Rob Roberts on "Good Morng Ameri." * is the current bachelor gay *

It was paful at the time — the worst thg that had happened to him as a gay man, he said — but has reced far enough to his memory that did not e to md an hourlong terview about his experienc as a gay broadster. As far as Bach knows — and as far as many of his unterparts wh other teams are aware — there are no other openly gay broadsters the sport. McCoy for The New York TimBorn to BroadstLong before he knew he was gay, Bach knew he wanted to be a sports father was a ach, and a love of sports ran through the fay.

”)He began to accept that he was gay durg his sophomore year of high school, but wh that acceptance me worry.

FORMER 'BACHELOR' STAR COLTON UNRWOOD OUT AS GAY

* is the current bachelor gay *

As a multisport athlete, Bach was often locker rooms filled wh chos of homophobic slurs and gay jok.

IT’S TIME FOR AN ACTUALLY GAY SEASON OF THE BACHELOR ALREADY

‘Bachelor’ alum Colton Unrwood me out as gay durg his first TV terview over a year — tails * is the current bachelor gay *

’”By the start of his sophomore year at Michigan State, Bach was ready to tell his parents that he was gay, tchg his father off guard but nfirmg what his mother had prevly assumed.

He did each job to the bt of his abily, and his sexualy never me, he has found that there’s a difference between beg a gay man baseball and beg pletely fortable as one. “I was sually like, ‘You know I’m gay, right? That uncertaty mak him feel self-nsc a way he believ is mon for gay people mostly straight spac.

“I feel like that’s the burn a lot of gay people live wh — tryg to be perfect for straight people, ” he job requir equent teractn wh the players and the achg staff — addn to his duti as play-by-play announcer, Bach also is the ma public relatns ntact for the team — and he said he hadn’t fully relaxed any of them. The environment is not hostile, but Bach never fets that he is the only openly gay person the room.

THERE’S ALREADY BEEN A GAY ‘BACHELOR’-TYPE SHOW, AND IT WAS ESRTED OFF AIR AFTER JT ONE SEASON

Mrer/Frericksburg NatnalsThat feelg is somewhat “self-flicted, ” Bach said, but he believ the solutn is to brg more openly gay people to sports and create a safe environment for those who are already there but have felt necsary to hi their League Baseball has touted self as a place of clivy. Billy Bean, an openly gay former player, was named the league’s first ambassador for cln 2014 and has sce been promoted to senr vice print and special assistant to Commissner Rob Maned.

In Febary, Anrson Comás, a mor leaguer the Chigo Whe Sox anizatn, me out as gay wh a post on Instagram, and the announcement was met wh public support om his club and some people around the cints suggt there is more work to be done. The Boston Red Sox lled up a mor leaguer, Matt Dermody, who had posted an anti-gay msage on Twter 2021, and Anthony Bass, a reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays, reposted a vio on social media that lled for boytts of L.

FORMER BACHELOR COLTON UNRWOOD COM OUT AS GAY: ‘I’M THE HAPPIT AND HEALTHIT I’VE EVER BEEN’

“Those of that are this very small mory sports have to keep on havg the nversatns, keep on workg really ick’ hard to earn your spot this space, ” he aspir to be a gay person at home a big-league booth. McCoy for The New York TimA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 27 of the New York edn wh the headle: A Gay Broadster Climbs the Ladr, But It’s Been Lonely. AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe 29-year-old former football player had wrten about qutng his sexualy a memoir, published Shotwell/Invisn, via Richard Shotwell, via Invisn, via Associated PrsColton Unrwood, a star of “The Bachelor” and a former football player, me out as gay an terview wh Rob Roberts that aired Wednday on “Good Morng Ameri.

And I’m gay. “I would have rather died than say, ‘I’m gay. “‘You know, Colt, we’d still love you and support you if you were gay, ’” he relled his mother tellg father was more nontatnal.