HOME FREE REVIEW: Gay Man with Down’s Syndrome is Hailed as an ‘Icon’ as He Declares ‘I like men with beards’
Viewers praised a gay man with Down’s Syndrome after he opened up about his struggles with his sexuality on Channel 4’s Home Free last night.
Curtis, 27, from London, who has Down’s syndrome, appeared on the documentary, which followed a group of young people with learning disabilities leaving home for the first time and moving into supported living apartments.
But while his mother Dale said he was ‘definitely gay’ and became ‘very excited’ when he was around ‘large bearded men’, she also suggested he struggled to cope with female attention, and could often end up ‘confused’ about his feelings.
Viewers were quick to fall in love with Curtis, with one dubbing him a ‘gay icon’ online.
Viewers fell in love with Curtis, 27, from London after he admitted he was struggling to navigate his sexuality on Channel 4’s Home Free last night
One wrote: ‘Curtis on Home Free is a gay icon. His pics for his tinder profile are class.’
Another commented: ‘Curtis is amazing and so is his mum supporting him, bless them both! Curtis some man would make you happy when least expected! Team Curtis.’
At the start of the programme, it was revealed that Curtis had recently moved away from his mother and into his own apartment in an independent facility.
His mum Dale is used to adjusting life at home, and so she has got two new cats to fill the space Curtis had left.
Viewers fell in love with Curtis on the programme, with one declaring him ‘a gay icon’ and others saying ‘he should be on TV more’
She said: ‘The house is quieter, everything is quieter, a big hole where Curtis used to be and I have built up a long list of how it could go wrong and be terrible. But he can manage.’
As part of his move toward independence, Curtis works at a local cafe helped by a support worker, George, one day a week.
George revealed: ‘We help our clients learn to work in a work environment, manage money, do stock, work with customers.’
He added: ‘Curtis is a very bubbly personality, very loud, very affectionate.’
George described Curtis as ‘very loud and very affectionate’ after he exclaimed that the support worker was his boyfriend
Dale revealed that Curtis was ‘definitely gay’ and ‘couldn’t fake the fact that he gets excited by bearded men’
And while George started the washing up at the cafe, Curtis exclaimed his love for the man, saying: ‘You know how I want to marry you.
He added: ‘You’re my boyfriend. I like men with beards.’
Dale explained: ‘Curtis, he’s very definitely gay. He can’t fake the fact that he gets very excited about large bearded men and he wears his heart of his sleeve.’
Later, Curtis joined his friends in the block at a disco, with Curtis’ dance skills getting in plenty of attention from the ladies.
Curtis attended a disco with his fellow residents where he met Sarah, whom he declared was his girlfriend – despite being gay
After dancing with one girl, he told the camera: ‘I have a girlfriend! I don’t like guys anymore, I’m just interested in girls. Her name is Sarah.’
But Curtis appeared a little unsure of the decision to ask somebody to be his girlfriend, with his mother explaining he could struggle with his sexuality.
Dale explained: ‘Curtis is a gay man. But he loves everybody. The confusion isn’t over his sexuality, it’s over how he copes with people making assumptions about him.’
She went on: ‘He gets so anxious about upsetting people because he knows he can’t really be with a girl.’
Later Dale admitted he was finding it hard to navigate his sexuality and ignore female attention as he said he felt ‘lonely’
His support worker Jade took him to one side to discuss the events at the disco.
He told her: ‘I will tell Sarah. I asked her to be my girlfriend. But I don’t like girls.’
Jade called it ‘a bit of an issue’, with Curtis explaining: ‘I decided to like men not girls. I don’t want a girlfriend. I feel lonely.’
Later, he told his mother that he had a girlfriend, which she called ‘unfair’.
She said: ‘Why have you got a girlfriend? I thought you wanted a boyfriend. It’s a bit unfair to agree to be somebody’s boyfriend if you’re gay.’
Later, Dale told Curtis is was ‘unfair’ to have a girlfriend when he knew he was only interested in men
But when Curtis admitted he felt ‘confused’, his mother told him: ‘You’ll know when it feels right.’
She told the camera: ‘There are just not enough men in his life, not enough gay men. We have had a few talks about whether he’s ready for dating, but maybe that’s the next step.’
He went on to visit his family at home, when his brother Degs offered to help him set up a profile for a dating website.
And when he’s asked what the photos are for, he said: ‘To get me a boyfriend.’
After admitting he felt lonely, his mother Dale wondered if Curtis was ready to date, and helped him set an online dating profile
Degs explained: ‘He’s more ready for a relationship since he’s lived on his own, he’s more happy. it’s all he talks about.’
‘He’s wanted a boyfriend for about ten years.’
Viewers said they’d fallen in love with the man on the programme, with one declaring him ‘a gay icon’.
Later, his family helped him set up an online dating account, and snapped pictures of him to use on his profile
One wrote: ‘Go for it Curtis!’
While another commented: ‘Watching Channel 4 and cannot help but laugh, Curtis is the funniest wee man. Programmes like this just make me smile.’
‘Oh I just love Curtis and his mum,’ another wrote.
By: HARRIET JOHNSTON
See full article here.