"Verraros was a standout on the first season of in 2002, where he endeared himself to audiences not only through his immense vocal talent but also his vulnerability. During his time on the megahit reality show, Verraros was open about his experiences as the child of two Deaf parents, and that same honesty would foreshadow an even bigger disclosure: that he was gay."
"As Verraros releases his first EP in 14 years, , he is joined in conversation by Rodriguez, his longtime friend and fellow queer industry stalwart. A member of the original cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Rodriguez has an eclectic career spanning television, music, and film, but the road has rarely been easy. Before booking his own regular cabaret show, he was told, "Boys don't sell. Gay boys will not support gay boy performers.""
Jim Verraros and Jai Rodriguez achieved mainstream recognition as openly queer performers during a period of limited LGBTQ+ visibility and acceptance. Verraros rose to prominence after appearing on a reality singing competition in 2002, shared experiences as the child of Deaf parents, and publicly came out as gay. Rodriguez, an original Queer Eye cast member, built a career across television, music, and film despite repeated setbacks and industry skepticism. Both faced discriminatory industry messages, persisted through audition rejections and limiting expectations, released new creative work, and continue to fight for space and better queer representation in entertainment.
Read at Advocate.com
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