Colton Underwood Recalls His ‘Homoerotic’ Locker Room Experience • Instinct Magazine

Colton Underwood recently opened up about his journey toward accepting his sexuality, sharing personal stories from his time in the locker room to his experiences as a virgin on The Bachelor.

While appearing on Alexandra Cooper’s popular podcast Call Her Daddy, Underwood opened up about the moment he first realized he was different. He remembers feeling different from other boys from the age of six, but didn’t fully understand his attraction to men until high school. Growing up in a Catholic school, he was taught that boys should be attracted to girls, which made his process of self-discovery even more difficult.

Before becoming a reality TV star, Underwood played professional football. He started at Illinois State and was later signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. The absence of openly gay players in football made him hesitant to come out, fearing it would draw attention away from his teammates and coach. He described the locker room environment as both homophobic and homoerotic, with conflicting messages that made it a confusing and hostile place for someone closeted.

Underwood shared that he avoided showering with his teammates and even refrained from partying, fearing that alcohol would cause him to reveal his true self. Even though he is not attracted to his teammates, he takes extra precautions to avoid any misunderstandings or accidental outings.

Underwood’s public journey began on the 14th season of The Bachelorette, followed by leading the 23rd season of The Bachelor, where he was dubbed the “Virgin Bachelor.” He revealed to Cooper that he had his first encounter with a man on his 21st birthday, but only got involved with men when he was single. The fear of being outed by former partners dominated him during his time on The Bachelor, causing significant anxiety.

In 2021, Underwood made headlines by coming out as gay, becoming the first lead actor in The Bachelor franchise to do so. The same year, he starred in his Netflix series, Coming Out Colton. He then married political strategist Jordan C. Brown in May 2023, and the couple is now expecting their first child. Underwood described the journey to fatherhood as a “roller coaster of emotions” and expressed excitement about embracing parenthood.