You’ve likely seen James Doyle’s latest photo buzzing around the Facebooks and Interwebs. If not, then you can after the jump. But he seems to be on the cusp of a reinvention after gay America saw him unravel on the first (and last) season of Logo’s A-List: Dallas. We saw him go from socialite to hot mess over the course of the season as friends tried to tell him it gets better.
Perhaps it has.
In an email to us (and other outlets like Queerty), he says this latest photo is his statement on his stance for equality and if he needs to be bold, then so be it.
“I am just trying to get my name out there after the show for the causes and the things I believe in, whether that means being bold, doing it on my own, or being risky,” he wrote.
Doyle spoke with me this morning about his latest intentions and that really, his work from here on out is going to be an uphill battle. Call it a reinvention, but for him, it’s more like damage control after his personal life started taking a nosedive right before filming and then played out through the season.
“It was a lot of damage because everyone thinks you’re this person when no one really knows who you are. So I couldn’t go out and meet all these great people in the community. They just saw the TV persona,” he says.
As a result of disastrous school years, he went on to speak passionately about bullying and equality. “I got picked the fuck on throughout school,” he recalled. “And now I think it’s sad that people have to attack me for this picture, but not the picture.”
Doyle isn’t naive in any way. He knew there would be some reaction to his A-List work, but never felt prepared for the amount of criticism he (and the show) received.
“I’m not playing the victim because I knew what I was getting into, but I forgot about the vicious side of people and to the degree it came. During filming, my life was in huge turmoil and I talked with my parents about it that it was probably not best time to do it. And yet, it became my biggest form of self-reflection and it helped me to change a lot,” he said.
He also admitted to being nervous about this shoot — or rather to release the photo sensing that the Human Rights Campaign is fairly conservative in their image. Would a pic of him getting cupped get a big no-no from the organization? Doyle is really hoping it doesn’t.
“I love the HRC and what they do so it would break my heart of they didn’t like it. I just think that people are numb to most messages unless nudity or alcohol is invovled. So I copied that Adam Levine pic (for prostate cancer awareness) and hoped this might get people talking,” he said.
That’s not to say there wasn’t some vanity involved.
“I also worked out a lot. And I N’aired myself,” he laughed. “Yeah, I wanted the attention and people will say I’m an attention whore, but maybe it’ll work for a cause.”
As for his relationship with fellow cast members, Doyle says it’s different now. He doesn’t hang out with some, and he’s still remained friends with others. Several people knew the show was gone before the cast did and Doyle said the network made them wait for a long time to announce it. But despite missing being around the gang all the time, he mostly has kept in touch with the others, save for one.
“We don’t hang out really, but I still talk to everyone. Taylor actually wrote me a nice message this morning saying he supports me in this. That shocked the hell out of me, but he’s really changed too after the show. We’re all back to normal now. But I don’t talk to Levi. He’s in his own world.”
But Doyle’s focus is on the future and the good he can make out of it. The TV show, the drama is all in the past and though he knows he has to battle that televised persona, he’s right where he wants to be. Even the unraveling of his personal life on the air is in a better place.
“I’m actually doing really well right now. Life after A-List is ten thousand times better than it was before. I just hope people start to see me not as that person, you know?” he said, “Everyone has a past and then move on. I’m still involved with entertainment because I love that, but I want to help out our organizations and hoping my outreach can help. I’m just trying.”
Just a couple of questions as to why you would post this Rich. If it is not HRC endorsed, then isn’t it just someone using their logo without their permission for their own publicity? Is he donating $ to them or are they getting some $ out of this photo? Also…..there is NOTHING gay about a nude man and woman posing together. Just so you know…..gay is two members of the same sex. Also, is he insinuating that the HRC is trying to keep him quiet with the sticker over his mouth? Also, if you call someone on their shit, it doesn’t make you a hater as much as it makes you aware. Really, how dare you take us for fools. If you want to see some skin, go to Tumblr. But don’t try and sell us this pre-packaged propaganda shit. Any rational answers?
Hey ignorant poster before me. Those are both men!
So he and his MALE friend are representing the values of HRC when he says…..quoting from Queerty
“The gay community in my opinion is one of the most vicious and hateful places someone can live in..” It is interesting that you would call someone ignorant for thinking the person with the large breast was a woman.
WTF, can you say bitter, party of one.
WHY are these leeches still in the news? no one cared about them before, during, or after that stupid show. And go out once in a while – 98% of the time, you’ll still see him out, drunk off is ass….so yeah…reallllly changed.
This is a pathetic and desperate attempt to get attention. Exactly how does this nasty photo with some random tranny covering his tiny junk help advance the cause of gay rights? It doesn’t at all-it just advances this attention whore’s name.
Hell, he’s usually too busy bumming drinks off me when he’s out in OKC to give a crap about gay rights. The only rights he cares about is the right to have as many bottles of vodka as possible. He’s online now bragging abou going to som club and having free bottle service this weekend!
Yeah, sure is a totally new image.
Whatever.
This leech doesn’t care about gay rights, he just cares about his right to have as many bottles of vodka as possible. Hell, he’s even bummed drinks from my drunk ass in OKC.
So how does posing naked with some random drag queen covering your tiny endowment improve gay rights?
He’s online right now bragging about the free bottle service he’s getting this weekend.
Yeah, that’s some big change right there.
NOT.
How does posing naked with some random drag queen help advance gay rights?
The only thing this advances is James Doyle. He’s too busy bumming drinks from me (the OKC Gay Mayor) to care about gay rights. The only rights he cares about is the right to a bottle of vodka.
Hell, he’s on Facebook now bragging about the free bottle service he’s getting this weekend.
Yeah, he’s really changed!