Reza Farahan, who appears on cabler
Bravo's Shahs of Sunset, says he's proud to represent the
Persian-American gay community.
Farahan, who was born in Tehran, Iran
and raised in Beverly Hills, is among the group of six young
Persian-American friends featured in the reality series, which
returned for a second season on December 2.
“One of the things that's most
important to me is that there is a gay Persian on the show who's
respected by his friends, loved by his family, successful in his
career,” Farahan told the AP. “And it's not this big issue that
I'm gay. That was the most important thing.”
He added that the show also helps fight
negative stereotypes about Persian-Americans. (The video is embedded
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Speaking on ABC's The View,
Farahan said he often heard anti-gay rhetoric growing up.
“Growing up, there's a lot of
homophobia. So, I would hear things. Jokes, you know serious
discussions about how disgusting it is and how we should all be cast
away on some island somewhere, we should all be dead. All that
stuff. And it really hurt me, it devastated men. But I was strong
and somehow I made it through,” he said.