HGTV Star David Bromstad's Tragic Childhood, Explained
David Bromstad is essentially the human embodiment of sunshine and rainbows, but that's not to say he hasn't had some dark times, too. Bromstad has been very forthcoming about his tragic past, and he's spoken in particular about the devastating homophobia he had to contend with as a kid.
He's been openly gay throughout his time in the spotlight, so many HGTV fans may find it ironic that, for Bromstad, coming out wasn't the easiest process. Sure enough though, in an interview with Passport, he revealed that it had taken him years to come out to his nearest and dearest — something no doubt influenced by the fact that he was taunted for his sexuality during his school years. Speaking of what exactly had gone down, Bromstad recounted, "Six hundred kids in the cafeteria made obscene gestures targeted at me." Sadly, that wasn't all. Bromstad added that his junior high principal had taken part in it, too. Granted, the "My Lottery Dream Home" host did give the staff member a spectacular (and maybe even undeserved) amount of grace, musing that they "wanted to be cool and probably didn't realize the meaning of what the kids were doing." Hopefully that was the case, but either way, it was an understandably traumatic experience for the young Bromstad.
Several years after the torment, Bromstad finally came out, albeit to himself, and it took even longer for him to feel fully at ease with that. However, he also noted that he eventually reached the conclusion that it simply was what it was. Speaking to Room Fu, he summed it up thusly: "I'm David Bromstad ... I'm a designer and an artist and I just happen to like boys. It's not the other way around." We love to see it!
David Bromstad used his past trauma for good
Though David Bromstad has fully embraced his sexuality today, he certainly hasn't forgotten the past trauma he faced. However, he's used those tough memories for good, doing what he can to prevent more children from going through the same thing. In 2013, he donated $5000 to the Safe Schools South Florida organization.
In a press release shared with Equality Florida, Bromstad opened up once again about his heartbreaking past experiences. "I was bullied and harassed continually through high school, and I know what hell that can be. I wanted to support Safe Schools South Florida's great work on behalf of LGBTQ students and help prevent this bullying and harassment from happening to others," he said.
In the time since, Bromstad has continued to be involved in organizations specifically geared toward helping young members of the LGBTQ+ community embrace their truest selves. In 2020, he partnered with the It Gets Better organization, filming a DIY tutorial during Pride Month for its YouTube channel. While painting a drip-down rainbow, Bromstad chatted to viewers, saying, "I wish someone would have told me it got better, because my high school days were really hard." Bromstad also reiterated that while he is confident in his sexuality today, achieving this took a long time — and even revealed that the bullying he endured at school prompted a years-long depression, which he had for most of his 20s. The HGTV star reiterated that he'd managed to get through it, but urged anyone who was struggling to seek help, too. "Don't hibernate," he said. Even so, he reminded those who tuned in that there was no shame in letting tough emotions come up. Talk about an impactful legacy — we're wishing Bromstad all the best.