By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said in a television interview aired Monday that he is bisexual, as he continues to re-enter the public spotlight after a March incident in which he was found intoxicated in a Miami Beach hotel room.
Gillum said on the “Tamron Hall Show” that he doesn’t “identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual. And that is something that I have never shared publicly before.”
The statement came after a tumultuous six-month period for Gillum, a former Tallahassee mayor who narrowly lost the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Ron DeSantis and had been widely viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party. He would have been the state’s first Black governor if elected.
In a March 12 incident, Gillum was found inebriated in a South Beach hotel room where suspected crystal meth was discovered and another man had reportedly overdosed, according to police. Gillum announced after the incident that he was going to a rehabilitation facility for alcohol abuse.
Gillum, 41, emerged from political exile in July with an 11-minute video posted on social media that addressed depression and alcoholism. Gillum spoke in the video about the impact of losing the governor’s race, which was decided by fewer than 33,000 votes.
“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had had on my life, and on the way that those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life,” said Gillum, who has long been married to his wife, R. Jai, and is the father of three children. “It was a constant reminder of failure and my own personal failures. … It was a reminder that I had let so many people down.”
Gillum, who worked as a political analyst for CNN after the election loss, also praised his wife in the video, calling her “a woman who knows everything that I am, and everything that I am not, and she chooses to love me.”
The statement Monday on the Tamron Hall talk show about being bisexual immediately drew heavy attention, with the snippet posted on social media. Gillum quickly drew support from groups such as the Human Rights Campaign and the National Black Justice Coalition, which advocates for Black LGBTQ people.
“Gillum’s reflections demonstrate that there must be space in our country for people to be themselves without shame and fear,” David Johns, executive director of the coalition, said in a prepared statement. “When we are forced by harmful societal expectations to operate in black and white, with no room to express the many gray areas of ourselves that make us who we are, we get hurt.”
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Honestly – who freaking care what his sexual preferences are???
So he finds happy admits he’s damned reprobate. ?
Now its time for his tell all book to be written. He is running out of ways to steal / make money.
When is his criminal case happening?
TYPICAL…TAKE GOD OUT OF THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL AND GOVERNMENT AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. I’M SURE HIS WIFE IS OKAY WITH HIM HAVING SEX WITH A MALE PROSTITUTE-DISGUISTING.
41 years old and still looking for his first job.
“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had had on my life, and on the way that those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life,” said Gillum” ……… Yeah, I guess once it really sunk in that you will NOW have to find a Job like us regular people and that you have ZERO Job Skills to offer, you will no longer be able to afford the life style you became accustom to………………….. you decided it was a good idea to have a Gay Meth Orgy.
“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had had on my life, and on the way that those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life,” said Gillum.
So, if Gillum runs again and loses can we expect the same result?
If he would only speak with Hillary he will learn how to deal with DEFEAT!
I am so THANKFUL this individual was not elected my GOVERNOR.
In the future we should not take up valuable news space with this story.
But, Hillary hasn’t dealt with it yet……. She’s still blaming others for her Failed Campaign.
I always knew he’d hold one till the swelling went down. This was his only play, now he’s a victim again. That’s the most exalted status any democrat can have.
That is what is sociopath does not understand. His family are the victims, the public-at-large are the victims, taxpayers, the youth he was supposed to mentor, then multiply that by 2 and we are doubly victimized when you put Scott Maddox into the equation.
That is why crime rate is so high that the children growing up saw no mentorship from those two and that’s why crime is where we are today. You can practically pin it on those two.
Something was missing from the police body cam footage of that Miami hotel room.
100% of the time, in the installation process, the packaging material is dropped down and remains where it fell.
I saw a lot of unsavory items on and around the bed and floor of the room.
What was missing was there was not even one of those little condom packaging materials visible anywhere throughout the room. Nobody puts that thing in their pocket in the heat of passion. If the police had picked them up they would not have left all those pills on the floor.
There is a valuable public service message here for everyone to learn be they conservative or liberal in their political or sexual leanings.
You all be safe out there now and wrap that thing.
Well… he’s played the alcoholic card, the drug addict card, the rehab card, the wife still loves me, and now the biphornicator card… the only moves left are the race and “I’ve received death threats” cards.
But there’s always remains the SpINO Pelosi “I was set up” card too… when all else fails of course.
Expect them all to be played on his futile attempt to regain a taxpayer-funded life.
He has used his race card and that didn’t work either.
That was his gubernatorial platform.
I don’t care about his sexual life, I care about his ethical corruption.
#MeToo
When will the sealed indictment BE unsealed??? Let’s see how they spin that!
Mr. Mayor: Well you can have the best of both worlds a Wife and a Husband but is that Legal. It appears legalities mean nothing to you so it must be legal in your bizarre world. I have always known that there was definitely some big skeletons in your closet! Just didn’t see what kind?
There is something very corrupt about all your actions and transactions and hopefully justice will one day come to you and you will get your just rewards!
Just to think you were close to being the Governor is unthinkable and your best bet is to ride off into the Sunset and never be heard from again!
Note to Andy: Stop digging, fire your political advisor, and spend some time with your children and family explaining – and begging their forgiveness for – the apparent lie you’ve told them and loved for years and years.
Make that “lived”…
Yes, agreed… his political advisor needs to go.
I think the bigger or more relevant story should be what’s with Curtis Richardson recusing himself on the medical marijuana dispensary issue next to a school? Curtis should be jumping up on the table like Norma Rae saying NO NO NO especially since he was on the school board at one time.
What is the school involved?
Why did Commissioners vote to approve this even though there is a law against it?
What was the conflict of interest that Curtis Richardson had?
Who are the developers and all the cast of characters involved in this issue? Do special interests take precedence over existing laws and our children in school?
Why didn’t Curtis take a stand against this? The city planner took good stand against this.
I believe the FBI photo that came out with Gillum and his friend in New York divulged this information about Gillum’s status. Unless Gillum becomes a doctor and cures Covid-19 within the next month I hope I never have to see another article in my lifetime about him again.
I believe current city commissioners breaking the laws on the books that are designed to protect our children is a bigger story.
Maybe it is Nims. That is closest to his home. Which is surprising in that the area is a food desert thanks to Mayor Andy and others. I do not believe anything around Rickards is zoned for such an operation.
Indulge me while I say this again because the guy is poison and most of the Florida voters bought his charm…..
So now former Mayor Andy and failed Florida Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum says he is bisexual. You really cannot make this stuff up. He took a job with Soros and the People for The American Way Foundation, full time according to the IRS while he held a full time job as Mayor of Tallahassee.
Who in the hell has time to be a ‘bisexual’ with 2 full time jobs and being a husband and father.? He has lied for years to the citizens, to his pastor, to his wife and family. Now he gets a pass because “I am bisexual.” No, no you are not. You are kinda sick and so is “Lady Jai” for supporting your fraudulent azz. God what a bunch of BS.
Dear Andy,
Remember when you adopted the Chicago “Cure Violence” program for Tallahassee?
Remember when you helped your BBB Adam and other lobbyists get a restaurant in a historic building on City Property?
Remember when you signed the DD pledge, saying “Police were never meant to protect and serve me and you?”
Remember when you built us a $7,500,000 pedestrian bridge that seems to have only served as a shortcut from the restaurant to Adam’s house?
Remember when you took us to #1 in the rankings for violent cities in the US?
Remember when you went on that Costa Rica vacation with the lobbyists?
Ooh, ohh, remember when you went to NYC with the FBI guy and Adam?
Remember when that poor older black woman was assaulted by local police and you promised us body cameras, taxed us, but never delivered?
Remember when you managed to make The City of Tallahassee one of the most economically segregated cities in the United States?
Remember when all of this happened and more before you duped your pastor, family, and constituents of your true character Remember when you did all of this thankfully BEFORE you lost the race for governor? Chicago needs you.
They want to put a MJ dispensary on the corner of Tennessee and Monroe’s in the old gas station. There is a small charter or private school behind the bus station.
Maybe recusing himself he won’t see the Corruption so he can maintain that he does not see any Dark Clouds over Tallahassee……..
That’s a good one!
Why am I not surprised
The Hangover IV – When Andy Met Reality
If Mrs. G and the childern are trapped in an abusive relationship please reach out.
I’m sure John Morgan will take care of the financials for the necessary legal procedures.
Mrs. G may be saying everything is OK under duress from years of suffering under Mr. G’s thumb.
Of course if everything’s OK pardon my concern.
Who cares?
Oh geez …