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Faustina Agolley on coming out and finding her tribe

American audiences may not be familiar with her (yet), but Australians know Faustina “Fuzzy” Agolley as the host of Video Hits (think: TRL Down Under) and the Australian version of The Voice. In addition to her gig interviewing musicians and other celebrities, Faustina is a journalist, DJ, and prolific writer.

Faustina with Rihanna

Last April, she came out on her personal blog, writing:

“As a child I always knew I was gay, but somewhere the feeling got lost. A long and, not always scenic, route ensued to bring me back to who I truly am.”

Her post was vulnerable, funny, and quite touching, and we spoke with her shortly after to find out more about this new addition to our club.

AfterEllen: First off, congrats on coming out! What inspired you to come out at this point in your life?

Faustina Agolley: Thank you! The tipping point was meeting a group of women last summer. We instantly clicked as friends and then I soon found out they were/are also gay. It was like hitting the friend jackpot. I saw myself in them in a lot of ways so I naturally felt safe to open up to them. Following the realisation, I just sat with it. I had more conversations with them about it and as I approached my 31st birthday in April this year I gained more confidence in my identity. The timing felt right. And the symbolism around a rainbow cake for my birthday felt apt. A week after my birthday I emailed those friends and said, “I’ve never felt so me. Life makes sense now.” I’m beyond happy.

AE: You’ve had a lovely outpouring of support on social media. Have the people in your real life responded in a similar manner?

FA: Indeed, it was rather overwhelming in the best possible way and I’m grateful for it. People in real life have responded the same. I’m fortunate that the people closest to me and those that have known me my entire life have responded in a similar manner. I felt they were most deserving of me to explain the arc of it all so that there’s another level of understanding how I arrived to realising who I truly am. Though it was nice that a lot of family and friends were just happy for me and said they didn’t need to know any more details and just carry on with living a great life.

AE: In your blog post about coming out, you discuss the importance of “finding your tribe”-a family of women you can connect to. What advice do you have for young LGBTQ people looking to do the same?

FA: I think finding people and a place where you feel safe is paramount. Trust your instincts for where you feel you can be open and in the company of people where you will be listened to, supported and respected.

You may figure out that initially, especially when you may be vulnerable, that those kinds of opportunities and types of people are rare or hard to find. But it’s worth the patience and if anyone reading this is in this position and actively seeking it – it’s worth seeking. Having a “tribe” was important for me but I know it’s different for everybody.

AE: In addition to hosting, you’re also a DJ. If you were stuck on a desert island, what five albums would you want with you?

FA: I love DJing. I play any genre. Being stuck on a desert island the mood has to be up so my totally awesome album choices: Spice GirlsSpiceworld, FlumeFlume, Janet JacksonRhythm Nation, DrakeNothing Was the Same and Mariah CareyThe Essential, because it’s a double album of 29 hits.

AE: I love me some Mariah.

FA: With that in mind, I’m going to listen to Mariah right now.

Follow Faustina on Twitter (@faustinathefuzz)

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