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Two months ago, Tyler Blackburn, formerly of Pretty Little Liars, came out as queer, and in his first interview since sharing the news, he further addressed his experience of being bisexual.
Speaking with Playboy for their "Gender and Sexuality" issue, which hits newsstands on June 18, Tyler addressed some of the tabloid fodder that had surrounded his relationship with PLL costar, Ashley Benson. He said that the pair "never officially dated," but that "in navigating our relationship—as co-workers but also as friends—sometimes the lines blurred a little. We had periods when we felt more for each other, but ultimately we’re good buds. For the most part, those rumors made us laugh. But then sometimes we’d be like, ‘Did someone see us hugging the other night?’ She was a huge part of a huge change in my life, so I’ll always hold her dear.”
He told Playboy that he had shared his bisexuality with some members of the PLL cast, and although he entered into his first serious relationship with a man while on the show, he often felt that he couldn't share the news with everyone, causing him to "go into a little bit of a shell." The pair didn't work out, but Tyler continued to date other people.
Although he's dating a man now, he talked to Playboy about how he wants to appreciate and value his past relationships with women, not erase them. "Once I decided to date men, I was like, 'Please just let me be gay and be okay with that, because it would be a lot f*cking easier,'" he said. "At times, bisexuality feels like a big gray zone.I’ve had to check myself and say, 'I know how I felt when I was in love with women and when I slept with women. That was true and real. Don’t discredit that, because you’re feeding into what other people think about bisexuality.'"
The interview follows Tyler's decision to come out publicly in The Advocate. At the time, he told readers and fans, "I'm queer. I've identified as bisexual since a teenager. I just want to feel powerful in my own skin, and my own mind, and in my own heart.”
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