Raymond Gutierrez talks about the difficulty of coming out as a member of LGBTQIA+ community in showbiz
Raymond Gutierrez discussed the struggles of coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in showbiz.
Raymond or Mond revealed these details when he appeared as a guest in Wil Dasovich's podcast called Wil Dasovich - SuperHuman. Also part of that episode is Mond's best friend, Carla Humphries.
In August 2021, Mond came out as a gay man in an exclusive MEGA Entertainment feature.
He said, “I'm here to formally say that I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community. And it feels great saying that publicly because I am.”
Photo source: @mond
In the podcast, Mond shared that he is lucky that brands stood by his side when he decided to tell his truth to the public. If he had done it earlier on, he said it would've been a different scenario.
He revealed, "I am lucky enough that when I came out all of my brand deals stood by my side and really supported me. But 10 years ago, 15 years ago, it would not have been the case."
According to Mond, he came out to the public when it was more accepted and there is a lot of representation in the media.
"I think now we're in a time where it's more accepted. Obviously, we have a lot of people to thank for that, for breaking the barriers, leading the way, creating noise, and getting the public to be more accepting of LGBTQ representation in media."
He looked back on the past where it would have been difficult to come out.
"But 10 years ago, it wasn't the case. If you were gay on TV you would automatically have to be put on a wig or like you'd have to do slapstick comedy or like things like that. It was very difficult for people to come out because it wasn't really accepted."
Mond also discussed the possibility of losing jobs, which is why some are just afraid to come out members of the LGBTQIA+ community. He said, "People would really, yeah, you would lose brand deals, you would lose jobs. The industry did not make it easy for people to come out. I think even today, and I think that's why a lot of the actors that we know are still not coming out because I think today they still don't have an easy time."
For Mond, it was really difficult to not admit his true self to the public and he knows how other celebrities feel.
"A lot of actors still haven't done that and it's so unfortunate because I know how it feels and I know how uncomfortable that feels when people keep speculating, people keep asking. It's like, why does it matter?"
Living your best life is the most important thing according to Mond. He also added that people who truly love you will be there no matter what.
"Now that it's 2022, people are more accepting of it. People aren't dumb, you know what I mean? It's like I think living your truth and living your best life would be more beneficial for you and I think your fans, people that really care, love you, and support you, would stand by you no matter what."
See more of Mond's story in this video:
Meanwhile, check out the celebrities who are proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the gallery below: