Antoni Porowski explains why he doesn’t want to be labelled as “gay”

22nd October 2019

“I don’t really know and I kind of like not knowing.”

Antoni Porowski doesn’t want to be categorised as “gay”.

In an interview with GQ, Queer Eye’s resident food guru said working with the Fab Five has helped him “get to a place where I’m a lot more comfortable in my skin” but would still prefer to live without a label.

If he was forced to label his sexuality, he would choose “fluid” or “queer” but said he doesn’t know and “likes” not knowing. Although he’s been in relationships with men for years, he’s dated more women and wants to be “sensitive” to both.

“I feel like if I do refer to myself as gay, which would make it easier for people to understand sometimes, I feel like it dishonours women that I’ve been in love with,” he told the publication.

Antoni also said being labelled as a “sex symbol” was a shock because that’s usually the case for “guys in their twenties”.

However, Antoni is more concerned that fans will interpret his naivety for lack of smarts. “I used to do this thing where any opportunity I’d remind somebody that I have an educational background,” he continued.

“I went to university, I’m not an idiot, I read a ton of books. I’ve kind of calmed down on that a little because I think with physical appearance it’s always assumed that you’re a dumb ass.”

Despite going to therapy since he was 17-years-old, Antoni still harbours a lot of anxiety and is “very afraid in life, of everything, the small things, the big things”, but prides himself in getting off on fear.

Antoni enjoys being scared and that’s part of the reason why he went for Queer Eye: “Part of me didn’t want to go [on the show]. I was thinking, ‘I’m not gay enough. I’m not enough of a chef. I’m not all of these things.’”

Read Antoni Porowski’s full interview with GQ here.