Yetide Badaki Reveals How 'American Gods' Helped Her

‘American Gods’ Bilquis star Yetide Badaki has spoken about how she felt comfortable enough to come out as bisexual last year because of the show.

Catching up with ‘Digital Spy’ for an interview, the Nigerian-born American actress opened up about how the Neil Gaiman fantasy approaches queerness.

“We have these characters, like Salim, and the discussions happening there with that. We have the wonderful Devery Jacobs. I'm so excited, this season [the third], for everybody to meet Dominique Jackson as the goddess that she is,” began Yetide.

“I feel like this show is always willing to have these conversations, and always willing to open it up. I've experienced personally how that kind of open discourse allows for personal freedom.”

She went on to say that, “I came out as bisexual last year. I would say it's very much thanks to this show, and the discussions they're having.”

Further along, the actress was asked what it's like to portray such an empowering figure on screen.

“I love that she has powers. I mean, maybe I'm biased,” she laughed, “but I think if she actually existed in the world, that would be powerful.

“What's incredible is that she empowers me. I found that there has been this kind of symbiosis. There are these moments in life where it's almost like: what would Bilquis do?

“I was so happy to be having conversations about sexual empowerment and sex positivity, because I think there is so much that goes on in the silence, in the darkness. That's where things go in the cracks.”

On the health benefits of 'owning' your own sexuality, Yetide also shared: “I always say that regression comes from repression. When you're actually able to face whatever it is, that's when growth and evolution can occur.

“So that's been something that I'm very proud to be a part of.”

Read related myGwork articles here:

Jim Parsons “Was Scared Coming Out” In Fear Of Causing Trouble For Sitcom ‘Big Bang Theory’

Wanda Sykes On Coming Out: “I Had Something To Say”

Marco Lehmann Out, Describes 'Switching Personalities'

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