NEW YORK — Former Tallahassee Mayor and former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum says he identifies as bisexual.
Gillum spoke those words during an emotional interview on the Tamron Hall Show, saying he has never shared his sexual orientation publicly before.
It was part of a discussion with the TV host, his first television interview after entering rehab for alcoholism which came after a scandal surrounding drugs and accusations of infidelity on the part of the Florida Democrat.
“You didn't ask the question, you put it out there of whether I identify as gay," Gillum said in the interview. "The answer is I don’t identify as gay but I do identify as bisexual. And that is something that I’ve never shared publicly before.”
Gillum's wife, R. Jai Gillum, was there for the interview, and voiced her support for the bisexual community and her relationship with her husband.
“So many people just don’t understand bisexuality," R. Jai said in the joint interview, according to Out Magazine. "Bisexuality is just something different. I just believe that love and sexuality exist on a spectrum. All I care about is what’s between us and what agreement we make.”
In March, Gillum announced he was entering a rehab program after the overdose of a friend in a Miami hotel room. Gillum cited issues with alcohol dependency and depression following his failed gubernatorial campaign.
Gillum was found by police at a South Beach hotel in a room with bags of what appeared to be methamphetamine, in the company of a man who appeared to have overdosed, according to a Miami Beach police report.
Throughout his career, Gillum has been a vocal proponent of LGBT rights.
In July, Gillum shared his first public update since entering rehab earlier this year for treatment for alcoholism Monday with an 11-minute video posted to his Instagram page.
"I am thankful to so many of you who have wished me well during this especially challenging time," the Instagram caption says. "I wanted to provide a personal update on how I have been doing. Take good care of yourselves during this season and I will see you on the other side."
According to GLAAD, Bisexual Awareness Week is Sept. 16 through 23.