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30 YEARS OF

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visible & vibrant

30 Years of Looking Back, Looking Forward.
The Out100 designates All That’s In.

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1994
The Cast of Queer Eye
Out Exclusives

OUT100: The Cast of Queer Eye, Entertainers of the Year

“It’s important to us that the heroes we work with reflect the diversity of voices and viewpoints that make this country what it is."

It's easy for us to become casualties of our own feeds -- constantly consuming the 24-hour news cycle until we're consumed by it ourselves. With sexual abuse scandals, shootings at schools and places of worship, leaked memos about trans erasure, and ugly spats in a nation that's never been more Red versus Blue, gloom abounds.

Enter the new Fab Five -- Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness -- who aim to make things a little brighter. On Queer Eye, Netflix's 2018 reboot of Bravo's reality makeover show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (which debuted in 2003 ), this diverse quintet isn't just bettering the lives of the on-air subjects they primp, encourage, and advise, they also affect viewers at home -- inspiring us to be better, too, and to challenge the status quo.

TV revivals are undeniably trending, but Queer Eye doesn't feel like it exists just to be part of a fad. With its cast alone, its arrival announced that "queer" doesn't look like it did 15 years ago, and one of its key, empowering messages is vital for the mainstream: LGBTQ people, rather than being a burden, have the ability, strength, and desire to improve people's lives. The Netflix production proves that Bravo's established formula still works, but the magic touch that clinched Queer Eye's success comes down to the infectious, harmonious, and varied personalities of its fresh faces: the spirited Berk, the cool and collected Brown, the ever-stylish France, the sensual Porowski, and the high-heeled Van Ness. Together, they share a wit and rapport that make us want to watch -- and, probably, binge.

"The original show was a trailblazer," says Van Ness, the new grooming guru with a wealth of sassy quips to match his pristine cascade of hair. Berk, the design expert whose religious struggles have enriched his on-air narrative, adds, "I love that we're able to take such a groundbreaking show from a pivotal time in my development and still make it work today."

But Queer Eye has done far more than pay homage to its predecessor. The Fab Five are using their new gig to facilitate countless far-reaching conversations, and because they're leading with empathy, unlikely sources are listening. "I received a message from a pastor who told me he'd been preaching against homosexuality his entire life and changed his ways after watching our show," Berk says. "He said he will never preach that way again."

"We're taking our message of self-care and compassion global," says Van Ness, noting that the show touches people on a national level and also abroad, as Netflix reaches hundreds of countries, which essentially means that Queer Eye is blanketing the world with queer visibility. Says France, the impeccably outfitted style honcho: "The messages I get from people in the Middle East, saying that they're hopeful after seeing themselves represented on TV...that really gets me everytime."

Porowski, the culinary-focused, fan-certified hunk of the group, says "kindness has always been [his] best ammunition," and he, too, is seeing international feedback. "A boy in Poland messaged me about the current political climate and his fear of walking the streets safely," Porowski says. "He said it meant the world to see me march in Montreal Pride this past summer. He said I gave him hope. I never thought I could have that effect on someone."

Queer_eye_out100_102418_0142_fOne of the most tearjerking moments of Queer Eye's first season came when the boys flipped the script and reached out to a gay man, AJ, who'd never had the chance to come out to his father before he passed away. The episode culminated in AJ coming out to his stepmother by reading a letter he wrote to his late dad. AJ's long-withheld sadness and anxiety (he stayed quiet for 30 years) poured out in a cathartic wave of tears, reminding us that isolation, regret, and internalized pain are unhealthy for all people.


For Brown, the culture vulture and the franchise's first black cast member, expanding what those people look like on Queer Eye is a conscious goal. "It's important to us that the heroes we work with reflect the diversity of voices and viewpoints that make this country what it is," he says. "I'm looking forward to more people seeing themselves in the faces of our season 3 heroes."

What Brown doesn't acknowledge is that to someone, somewhere, he's a hero, too, just like the rest of his castmates. (He also happens to be an alum of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and he salutes fellow Out100 cover star Emma Gonzalez for her and her peers' fight for gun law reform.)

Today, as distressing things happen, we shouldn't look away, but we should search for folks who can offer some respite from the gloom. The cast of Queer Eye is doing that, with bright colors and bold patterns. And we're watching.

Photography by Martin Schoeller.
Styling by Katie Woolley and Aneila Wendt.
Hair and Makeup: Kristin Kent.
Photographed at StageportKC, Kansas City.

Alexander Kacala

See All 2024's Most Impactful and Influential LGBTQ+ People
Artists
Disruptors
Educators
Groundbreakers
Innovators
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Blake Young
​Brandon Kyle Goodman and Matthew J. Dempsey
Blake Young

Daniel Reynolds

Daniel Reynolds is the editor-in-chief of Out and an award-winning journalist who focuses on the intersection between entertainment and politics. This Jersey boy has now lived in Los Angeles for more than a decade.

Daniel Reynolds is the editor-in-chief of Out and an award-winning journalist who focuses on the intersection between entertainment and politics. This Jersey boy has now lived in Los Angeles for more than a decade.

Out Exclusives

How to wear coats in L.A.

Brandon Kyle Goodman and Matthew J. Dempsey model cool coats at NeueHouse Hollywood and offer advice on weathering 2025 stresses.


How to wear coats in L.A.: A fashion story starring Brandon Kyle Goodman and Matthew J. Dempsey

\u200bBRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots; MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

BRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots; MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

Blake Young

In Out's January/February Fashion spread, Brandon Kyle Goodman and Matthew J. Dempsey model cool coats in warmer climes at NeueHouse Hollywood — and offer advice on weathering 2025 stresses. See the photography and interviews ahead.

talent BRANDON KYLE GOODMAN @brandonkylegoodman & MATTHEW J. DEMPSEY @mjdempseypsych
photographer BLAKE YOUNG @youngblake
stylist AUSTIN NIESNER @aniesnerrr
stylist assistant ALEX LEVEY @alexlevey
makeup artist TRACY RAFFELSON @tracyraffelsonmakeup
videographer ROBERT MARRERO @itsrobertmarrero
location NEUEHOUSE HOLLYWOOD @neuehouse

Brandon Kyle Goodman

BRANDON in SONS OF GEMINI Jacket; BALENCIAGA Skirt;JAMES ORO Sunglasses; LOUIS VUITTON Boots; STERLING FOREVER Ring; ORTTU Necklace

BRANDON in SONS OF GEMINI Jacket; BALENCIAGA Skirt;JAMES ORO Sunglasses; LOUIS VUITTON Boots; STERLING FOREVER Ring; ORTTU Necklace

Blake Young

Actor / Podcast Host, Tell Me Something Messy
@brandonkylegoodman

What do you wear on a cold L.A. day?
I am in my hoodie and sweatpants. I want soft things on my body. I don’t like a hard pant when it’s cold, so usually some kind of hoodie sweatsuit. I love Kill Crew, cause it’s...so soft and warm, and I just wanna snuggle.

Tell us a story about your favorite coat.
I do have this cardigan that I got in a vintage store in New York that has all these colors, and I’ve had it since I was like 22 or 23…. It always brings me so much joy. I actually never wear it out of the house. It is my house coat, so when the day is done, I put on that thick cardigan, colorful cardigan, a little crochet hat that my barber crocheted for me because he’s also into crocheting. I smoke a little joint, and I have a good time watching...Housewives.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?
To be softer with myself and with everyone around me, to breathe more, and to be proud of myself. I think as queer folks, as Black folks, as Black queer folks, there’s always the bar [that] is always raising, and we’re doing that. We always have these higher expectations, and there’s always something we’re trying to chase because our worth can often come from our productivity. Our value we can feel comes from what we’re able to do and produce, and I’m working on letting that go and just saying the fact that I exist is enough. The fact that I woke up today, the fact that I’m breathing, that I’m kind to people, that I journal — whatever it is, the small things are just as important as the massive things. And so my New Year’s resolution is to just be proud of how far I’ve come and how far I have to go.

Brandon Kyle Goodman

BRANDON in LOUIS VUITTON Scarf, Fleece, Shorts, Shoes; STERLING FOREVER Ring MATTHEW in LOUIS VUITTON, Fleece, Jacket, Pants; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Bracelet

BRANDON in LOUIS VUITTON Scarf, Fleece, Shorts, Shoes; STERLING FOREVER Ring; MATTHEW in LOUIS VUITTON, Fleece, Jacket, Pants; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Bracelet

Blake Young

This year might be stressful for many LGBTQ+ people. How would you recommend they take care of their hearts and minds?
2025 is going to be quite the year I think for a lot of us, especially the queer community. The most important thing is what I just said: community. Community is the most important part of your heart and taking care of your heart, finding the people that you can trust who can validate you, who you can affirm, who you can celebrate reciprocally. Anyone who is not trying to love you, leave them in 2024. It’s all about people who are loving you and who you are loving back, people who are pouring back into you the way that you’re pouring into them.

I think also laughter. Do not underestimate the power of your joy. Whenever a laugh comes, savor it. Whenever a smile comes, savor it. Your joy is part of your activism, is part of your resistance.... How can you continue to breathe, check in with yourself, ground yourself? I was interviewing a therapist on my podcast [Tell Me Something Messy], and we were talking about having a coping kit. Dr. Raquel Martin talks about, What are the things that you need to cope? So is it a show? Is it a friend that you talk to? Is it a book that you read, a song that you listen to? But what are the things that help you cope? Put that in your little coping kit…. So I’m definitely gonna make sure that my coping kit is updated.

Brandon Kyle Goodman

BRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots

BRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots

Blake Young

What are the 2025 projects you want our readers to check out?
One is my podcast, Tell Me Something Messy, which is a part of the iHeart [Podcast] Network, and it’s a sex-positive comedy show. Basically, the intention is to destroy shame around sex by talking about sex. So that’s what I do: interview celebrities, sexperts, my chosen fam around body identity, love, dating, marriage, and sex. My stage show, The Heaux Church, will be in New York next year at the end of the year with Ars Nova. And I have a digital fashion show that I’m part of with the E! network, [Re!cap], where we will be doing after show for all the awards. So the Grammys, the Oscars, the Golden Globes, any red carpet, the day after, tune in, and I will be there giving all of my tea on what people wore and the best moments that happened, and all that good stuff.

Matthew J. Dempsey

MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

Blake Young

Psychotherapist / Potter
@mjdempseypsych

What do you wear on a cold L.A. day?
Honestly, I just wear whatever I would normally wear, and then I just throw on a cute thrifted jacket on top of it, just to give it an extra little pop. But it’s not too different.

Tell us a story about your favorite coat.
I was dating a guy who was from Boise…so while we were there, we were just shopping around and went to this one thrift shop. And I was like, Oh my God, OK, Boise coming through with the thrifted goods….I think I walked out with probably like six different jackets and coats, and one of them is this greenish brown, sort of plaid, just simple jacket that I wear, and everybody always stops me and says that they love it. I’m very happy that that was one that I snatched up.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?
I’m a potter. I do ceramics so I make sure that I really want to keep focused on that. That is such a grounding force for me. So as long as I have that, and I’m making sure that I can return to that as just an expression, a craft, an art, then that’s something that…helps me stay chill, I think especially when we need it.

Matthew J. Dempsey

BRANDON in LOUIS VUITTON Scarf, Fleece, Shorts, Shoes; STERLING FOREVER Ring MATTHEW in LOUIS VUITTON, Fleece, Jacket, Pants; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Bracelet

BRANDON in LOUIS VUITTON Scarf, Fleece, Shorts, Shoes; STERLING FOREVER Ring; MATTHEW in LOUIS VUITTON, Fleece, Jacket, Pants; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Bracelet

Blake Young

Next year might be stressful for many LGBTQ+ people. How would you recommend they take care of their hearts and minds?
Commune, be with each other, open up and talk to each other. We’re all we’ve got sometimes, so we have to make sure that we’re being vulnerable and sharing some of the stuff that’s great and that we’re excited about, but also stuff that we’re scared about.

Make sure that you have not just relationships with people that are solid, but you have to figure out something that is for you. Like I do pottery, but anything that can be a craft or an art or hobby, something that feels like when you’re doing it, you’re not paying attention to what’s going on around you or time. It’s something that grounds you within yourself. That’s just the way that we get to strengthen the relationship we have with ourselves. So that’s going to be really essential to make sure that we’ve got a little inner cocoon to take care of ourselves.

Matthew J. Dempsey

MATTHEW in SONS OF GEMINI Jacket; WEISHENG PARIS Tank; BOY KLOVES Shorts; CLOSED Loafers; JAMES ORO Sunglasses; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Ring

MATTHEW in SONS OF GEMINI Jacket; WEISHENG PARIS Tank; BOY KLOVES Shorts; CLOSED Loafers; JAMES ORO Sunglasses; STERLING FOREVER Necklace and Ring

Blake Young

What are the 2025 projects you want our readers to check out?
I’ve been working on a series that I like to call Wheel Good Therapy, and it’s where I’m just throwing clay and making ceramics and dinnerware and lamps and just cool things. It’s just video of me doing that while I’m also talking about stuff that I think we’re all struggling with or just might need to process a little bit…. It’s a combination of a visual fun thing while also just getting a little mental, and heart stimulation too. So I’m going to keep working on that and building on it.

Special Thanks

\u200bBRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots; MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

BRANDON in WEISHENG PARIS Coat; PIERRE BLANC Sweater and Shirt; COSMIC COLLECTIVE Pants; CONVERSE Boots; MATTHEW in CHRISTIAN DIOR Suit and Vest; STERLING FOREVER Bracelet; ALDO Shoes

Blake Young

NeueHouse Hollywood (neuehouse.com)is a membership community that offers collaborative workspaces, private offices, and spaces for meetings and events, including the 2024 Out100.

You can watch behind-the-scenes footage of Brandon Kyle Goodman and Matthew J. Dempsey for this Out photo shoot.

This article is part of the Out January/February issue, which hits newsstands February 4. Support queer media and subscribe— or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting January 23.

See All 2024's Most Impactful and Influential LGBTQ+ People
Artists
Disruptors
Educators
Groundbreakers
Innovators
Storytellers