Fans know him, and fans love him. Tan France is one of the members of the Fab Five on Queer Eye. He keeps things stylish both on and off-screen. He is a member of the LGBTQ community and is known for his talented dance moves.
France’s net worth was estimated to be $3 million in 2018, with most of his earnings coming from the show. Going back to his roots, he had a rough childhood. As a Muslim from an immigrant family, he faced racism constantly. Eventually, he moved to the U.S. to get away from it.
Tan France grew up a Muslim and faced racism
France grew up in a small town in northern England. His parents were immigrants who came from Pakistan. His family had raised him to be Muslim. As a result, he grew up in a non-alcoholic environment. Some of his family’s religious practices stood in contrast to the surrounding culture.
He once mentioned in a podcast that he was lucky to have met his husband, Rob. Rob does not drink due to coming from a Mormon family. Their different childhoods held a couple of similarities.
However, life was not always easy for France growing up. Even as a child, he understood that he would face racism as a Pakistani Muslim living in a small English town. The television personality was an older teen at the time of the 9/11 attack.
France saw life as a Muslim after the tragic event became harder. He had to live with people seeing his community as a potential threat. Part of the reason why France joined Queer Eye was to help change people’s perception. The celebrity felt he could connect with people and offer a better representation.
Tan France faced attacks on the way to school
Unfortunately, France had to deal with racism at a very young age. He has alluded to his experiences with prejudice in other interviews. Recently, he opened up more about the issues he faced as a child. On the podcast You Make It Weird, he told host Pete Holmes about walking to school.
“I never knew anything other than the threat of racism on a daily basis,” France stated. He experienced both verbal and physical attacks.
Even when he was walking with his brother, France knew he had to be careful about where he was going. France was 5 years old at the time, and his brother was 7.
The school was only two blocks away, but he and his brother were concerned about getting beaten up. At one point, his sibling had gotten sick, so France had to walk alone. On his way to school, grown men had attacked him.
It was after this day that France and his family realized that he could not go out alone. The celebrity mentioned that he did not feel safe anymore.
‘Queer Eye’: Tan France applied for U.S. citizenship
On the podcast, France stressed that he loves England. Most of the people living there are wonderful, but he needed to leave. There was a lack of safety due to his race and religion.
The constant threat of attacks made him want to move to another country. When he was 17 years old, he left. France stated that he did not know where he wanted to go originally. Growing up, he watched a lot of American television.
So, he decided to visit the United States and spent time in New York. He was shocked that no one treated him poorly. He enjoyed his stay and applied for visas immediately. After many years, he got naturalized as a citizen.
Currently, France is living in Utah with his husband. The two had met on a dating website. Rather than letting religious differences keep them apart, they found ways to make it work. The TV personality tries to spread positivity and share his stories to help inspire change.
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