Harvey Levin, the founder of celebrity
website TMZ, says in a new essay for the Los Angeles LGBT Center that
he felt “shame” in coming out to himself.
The 65-year-old Levin came out publicly
in 2010 during an appearance as an event speaker for the National
Lesbian and Gay Journalism Association.
“When I was a teenager, I found
myself in a profound internal struggle – what I perceived as a
mandate to live a 'straight' life, despite contrary feelings that
were welling to the surface,” Levin wrote in Vanguard
Now, a publication of the LA LGBT Center.
“When I finally began to experiment,
I felt such shame. If I went to a gay bar, I would wait –
sometimes for half an hour – just to make sure cars weren't passing
by the front door for fear a driver might see me enter. When I met
someone, I would often use an alias so I could easily cut ties. It
actually makes no sense, but that's what I did.”
“Short story, I was a mess.”
Levin has been in a long-term
relationship with Dr. Andy Mauer, a Southern California chiropractor.
He lauded the LA LGBT Center's
programs: “The people who provided these services are angels, and
the Center deserves profound respect and support in our community.”