Bisexual man Liam Cooper, the first bi groom on Married at First Sight, has shared his thoughts on bisexual Brooke Blurton’s season of Bachelorette Australia this week.
On Wednesday night (October 20), Brooke Blurton will meet the 16 men and women vying for her heart on her season of the Network 10 dating show.
But Liam said he worries Brooke’s bisexuality will be “exploited” and “objectified” for ratings.
“I do worry, because I know females who are bisexuals get treated differently to males who are,” the 30-year-old Queenslander explained to The Wash.
“They get objectified and glorified more in this sense.
“I know as a male who is bisexual, other males think it’s disgusting and have more of an opinion about it. You get the typical ‘You’re gay’, ‘Pick a side’ comments.
“I’ve noticed that with females who are bisexual, it’s more of a “hot” and “sexy” thing. [It] then becomes more about this, rather than celebrating their sexuality.”
Liam Cooper said some men will watch Brooke’s season in the hopes of seeing her kiss another woman, rather than to celebrate the progress of the queer community.
However he said he’s sure Brooke, who is a proud Noongar-Yamatji woman, is “going to do both the Indigenous and the LGBTQIA+ community proud.”
Brooke Blurton is Bachelorette’s first bi lead
Brooke first appeared on The Bachelor in 2018. In May she was announced as The Bachelorette’s first openly bisexual lead. The season begins on Network 10 on Wednesday night.
She told News Corp this week that she gets “a little overwhelmed with it all – in a good way – in terms of how much this means.”
“This season is going to be one to remember but I think it is also going to really challenge preconceived ideas of what sexuality looks like,” she said.
Viewers slammed Liam Cooper’s treatment on Married At First Sight
Many viewers panned Married At First Sight’s treatment of Liam’s bisexuality earlier this year. His TV “marriage” to bride Georgia Fairweather didn’t last.
He later appeared on SBS’ Insight to discuss his sexual orienation and said many people “didn’t understand”.
“[There were people who] were always questioning my sexuality, who were stating now I’m actually gay you can’t be bisexual, it’s a transition period,” he said.
Liam said the reaction among his family was also mixed. He told the program a family member confronted him and demanded he admit he was gay.
“My aunty at the time pulled me up and was like ‘you need to tell me that you’re gay. Like you are gay, you can’t be bisexual, you’re gay, you need to tell me this’,” he said.
“She wanted me to say that I was gay when I’m not.
“I’m attracted to women and males. That’s how it is.”
In July, Liam Cooper confirmed he was in a relationship with fellow reality TV star Samuel Levi.
Samuel also starred on Married At First Sight in New Zealand in 2019. The couple met at Brisbane’s Big Gay Day event earlier this year.
View this post on Instagram
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
As a gay man, I find other gay men who are my age are so full of hate and anger. Dating bi men most of my life is far more pleasant, rewarding, healthier, happier and relaxing!