Wayne Brady Shared "Misconceptions" People Had After He Came Out As Pansexual, And It's Enlightening

Wayne Brady has a way with words when he's put on the spot.

At the 67th Grammy Awards, the beloved comedian and actor talked with Pride about the "misconceptions" after he came out as pansexual and how he's living his best life.

"The best part of living in your truth is that it's no work!" he said, according to the outlet. "There's some people [who thought there] was going to be a huge change, and I'm dating 16 people, I'm wearing hot pants, and they're going to catch me at Revolver on a Wednesday night, and then I'm going to go to the Abbey on Friday. Bitch I'm going to be up on tables and popping bottles. No! The change and the truth is me. Now, I'm free to do any of those things if I want to. That's the best part."

In August 2023, Wayne came out as pansexual. "In doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, I couldn't say if I was bisexual, because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything," he said in an interview People.

"So, I came to pansexual because — and I know that I'm completely messing up the dictionary meaning — but to me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual, or non-binary. Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place. I took pan to mean that not only can I be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but I could be attracted to the person that is there."

And just last year, Wayne explained why he waited so long to come out to his ex-wife and current business partner, Mandie Taketa. "The answer is easy — because I didn't know! Like, I didn't know what it was even called," Wayne said. "It's not like I had this secret that I was sitting on and at night I was pansexual Batman going out."

In 2025, the 52-year-old TV host has all the right things to say to LGBTQ+ folks who might've experienced any anxiety or fears throughout their journey, especially in our current political climate. "This is no surprise to Black people. Talk to your Black friends. We've had things rolled back all our lives," he said. "I'm going to tell you how to survive. Find your people. Be with your tribe."

"Learn to move in this world. Don't place yourself in a situation where you know that these other people don't want you because you know what those other people do. Be with the people who want you," he continued.

He's right. Speaking for myself, I'm constantly trying to find a balance of expressing my truth as a queer person and a Black person. Sometimes, I feel pressure to prioritize one identity over another, whether fighting for justice or stepping out for a night on the town. Navigating experiences of discrimination as a young Black person through happenstance gave me the tools to discover boundaries and solutions to existing as an adult queer person.

"You should feel confident in whatever your skin is," Wayne continued. That's a big part of coming out... is that confidence. I walk down the street with a little bit of a better swag. You better get ready! I'm manifesting safety for all of us. Let's find the joy within that. Let's give each other joy."

BuzzFeed Community, while I'm on this high, I want to hear about moments when you learned to embrace your confidence as an LGBTQ+ person or ally (or struggled to do so). I'll be in the comments, so let's talk about it!

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