CHIPPENDALES DANCER COMES OUT

Jaymes Vaughan, a dancer with the Chippendales erotic male revue, has become one of the few Chippendales to come out as gay to the public.

Vaughan, who also sings and emcees for the revue’s Las Vegas shows, told QVegas Magazine in December that he had only recently come out to his family.

He also hosted Las Vegas Pride in September last year, all of which, he said, made him decide to be more open about his sexuality.

“Hosting Gay Pride in Las Vegas this year, it was the first time I ‘got it.’”, said Vaughan. “I got up on stage and finally understood what ‘pride’ was about. It’s about being proud of yourself and encouraging other people to be proud of themselves.”

He added: “The best, most reassuring thing that happened to me at Pride this year: when I came off stage, a little 12 year old boy came up to me and said ‘I want to do what you do.’ And I was like, that was all I wanted when I was a kid. I wanted someone to look up to.”

In 2008, dancer Brandon Pereyda become the first Chippendale to come out as gay in an interview with Instinct magazine.

The Chippendales was established in 1979. It’s reputed that its management in the past opposed dancers coming out as the revue’s target audience is primarily women.