TV presenter Tim Dunn on coming out and being a proud gay geek
The host of 'The Architecture the Railways Built' talks reflects on the power of following your passions in the Attitude March issue.
By Will Stroude
It is full steam ahead for train enthusiast – and self-professed geek – Tim Dunn.
Starting 2021 on the right track, Tim, 39, hosts Yesterday’s The Architecture the Railways Built – “a delightful journey into the stories of remarkable buildings all around us”.
In the Attitude March issue, out now to download and to order globally, TV fave Tim reflects on the power of following your passions – because if you have the power to be proud gay man in an often oppressive world, you should never be afraid to shout about the things that make you happy either.
Based in London with his boyfriend, an architectural historian, Tim’s message is clear: embrace your inner nerd and don’t be derailed by what other people think.
Tim Dunn shares his life lessons in the Attitude March issue, out now to download and to order globally
“[The first person I came out to] was my best friend Chris, when I was about 18”, Tim recalls.
“Nobody seemed that surprised anyway, apart from my father, who reckoned if one of his sons was gay, it probably wasn’t the one who spent all his time building railway engines.
“But then, preconceptions and worn-out stereotypes are always the most fun ones to break.”
Tim, who previously co-presented BBC Four’s surprise TV hit Trainspotting Live and also boasts a passion for model villages, explains that he used to feel as self-conscious about his perceived geekiness growing up as he did about being gay.
“I used to dread what other people thought of me and my supremely nerdy passions,” he explains.
“In fact, as a student, I bought both Attitude and Steam Railway magazine: I wasn’t sure which I should hide inside the other!
“But, at about 21, I discovered that by being enthusiastic, compelling and passionate, you might just get people aboard and take them with you.
He adds: “My motto in life is ‘Be an enthusiast’. You’ll probably get more out of life if you approach things keenly.”
Read the full interview in the Attitude March issue, out now to download and to order globally.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.
