Brian Anderson’s PLAYBOY Q+A Interview | Opening up after coming out
More about Brian Anderson coming out of the closet as skateboardings first ‘real’ gay pro. And only because it’s for Playboy and one of our favorite ‘skateboard journalists’ Robert Brink was behind it. The skateboard world has welcomed Brian with open arms since his big gay announcement last week is Reda’s VICE documentary, but he has yet to do a true q+a on the subject since seeing what a positive response he got until now. He did release a photo of his boyfriend though, which must have been a sense of relief to post.
Let’s first mention that BA looks fucking dope in his profile photos taken by the master of moody skateboarder portraits Kristina Patterson.
And while we’re off topic has anyone else noticed that all the best Brian Anderson coverage in this whole thing has come from non-endemic media. Not from core skateboard magazines or websites. Interesting. First it was VICE who was chosen to break the story and now Playboy who gets the exclusive follow-up. Sure both of these were through the filter of trusted skateboard personalities Giovanni Reda and Robert Brink, but still. Has skate media lost its edge?
That aside the whole conversation asks the questions you want to know the answers to. That’s because Robert Brink has known Brian forever and in fact knew he was gay since 2004. (Rob also makes dope candles and writer accessories on The Hundredth Acre.) They talk about the homophobic culture of skateboard tours, why he did come out, what his life is like now that he has become a gay icon, how being brought up under Ed Templeton’s wing helped him out, his advice to other closeted gay people, and much more.
Here’s a sample:
“What was it like for you to watch footage of your friends talking about you?
I shed tears watching it. Having that kind of support is incredible because not everybody does. I’m fortunate in that I’m a six-foot-three tattooed, hairy guy with a masculine voice, so I haven’t experienced anything too crazy. I was able to slip under the radar and my heart goes out to the people who it is more difficult for. What I went through was awful, but if you live in a small town in middle America and you are effeminate, I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
