In a new interview, Queer Eye's
fashion guy Tan France says he's experienced racism and homophobia
his entire life.
The 35-year-old France was born in
England to Pakistani parents. He currently lives in Salt Lake City
with his husband Rob France, a self-described Mormon cowboy.
Speaking with the UK edition of Vogue,
France, who had not previously worked in television, said that he was
asked on day two of filming by Tom Jackson (episode one) whether he
was a terrorist.
“It was very shocking and very
jarring,” France
said. “That set the tone for me and made it clear why I was
doing the show. I wanted to set the record straight.”
“I've experienced racism and
homophobia my whole life, so I’ve trained myself to just deal with
it calmly, to not cause a scene and to find a way to calm the
situation down. When somebody says something stupid to me, I usually
alleviate it with laughter and humor. I make light of it to educate
people on why it’s inappropriate,” he said.
France, who
is writing a memoir, also said that he was surprised by the
show's success. “I thought it would be a niche program that girls
and gays would get behind. We couldn't have been more wrong,”
France said.