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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Pierra Willix

Queer Eye star recalls ‘shameful’ attempts to hide his heritage

  • Queer Eye star Tan France has revealed he feels "physically sick" when recalling his past efforts to conceal his Pakistani heritage as a gay man.
  • France, who grew up in Doncaster, admitted to a "shameful" connection with the character Bilal in the play The P Word , identifying with his "internalised self-hatred."
  • He recounted pretending not to be "that different" in his late teens to feel accepted and safe, eventually moving to the US to embrace his identity fully.
  • France has joined the production team for The P Word - an Olivier Award-winning play by Waleed Akhtar, which explores the lives of two gay Pakistani men navigating homophobia and the British asylum system.
  • The play, praised by France for its emotional depth and comedic elements, aims to humanise asylum seekers and highlight the challenges faced by brown queer individuals in the UK.

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