Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Wayne Brady says he’s “not hiding anything now” after coming out as pansexual back in August.
The 51-year-old comedian opened up about the freedom he feels to date since coming out in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"It would be hard for me to truly put myself 100 percent into a relationship when there's this nagging doubt that I have not explored that piece of me, or even given voice to having that option," Brady said in the interview. "... It doesn't mean that it's ever going to manifest itself in a relationship with a man, or a relationship with this person. I don't know, but at least being able to voice that, so that, if I go into a relationship, whomever I'm in a relationship with knows me 100 percent."
The Let’s Make a Deal host went on to say that coming to terms with being pansexual is the “piece that was missing, that I couldn't verbalize, 'cause I couldn't lock on to it.” He said that in the past he always felt like he was “being dishonest” and couldn’t give “100 percent” of himself.
"Now I feel differently about that 'cause I went, 'Oh, well now you know. So if you were to be involved with me, you know Wayne in totality.' I'm not hiding anything now, so now I can approach you in a way that I never have," he explained.
While talking about identity, the iconic TV host said that to him being pansexual means being "able to love whomever I want no matter the vessel."
Brady said that coming out means that he is “free to voice the option,” explaining, “Here's the thing: it may never happen... I'm not saying that I am going to be in a relationship with another man. I'm saying it is very possible for me to be attracted to the man because of the person. I can be attracted to this beautiful woman because of the person. But then again, that may be a non-binary person that might go, 'Oh, I'm attracted to you. I'm attracted to this trans person.'"
For him the best part is that now he won’t have to hide who he’s dating. “I'm not ducking anybody... because it is what it is, and I'm free to do that.”
Despite this new-found freedom, Brady admitted to not being ready to date yet, joking “"I would not inflict me on somebody." He explained that he wants to continue “to go to therapy” so that he can “be his best self.” He continued, saying, "The best thing that I could do for myself right now and to do for someone else is to not be in a relationship, is to just breathe.”
Now that he’s out of the closet, Brady said he can be a better ally to the LGBTQ+ community. "... I have so many of my family and friends who are gay, who are lesbian, my nieces who are trans, they walk outside every day, and they live their real truth unadulterated, walking in nothing but the armor of love and themselves,” he said. “Those are the brave ones. So when I look at them and I go 'Man, if by me just speaking my truth... that can help in any way, shape or form, then I'm mad I didn't do it earlier."
Brady said he no longer worries if his sexuality will mean a drop in viewership for the shows he is on. "Me coming out and saying that I may identify as pansexual still doesn't stop me from being the dopest host on TV and doing what I do,” he explained. “Still doesn't stop me from being amazing at my job. In fact, if anything, I feel even better, because I'm lighter."
