Jay Beauchamps is an NYC transplant that came from Miami. He is of Dominican
decent and decided to move to NYC to excel in his career. He will be one of five hosts for the “Happy Hour" talk show, which is a dynamic and diverse group of five gay professional men that discuss a wide range of topics ranging from politics, dating, relationships,
Fashion and pop culture. Jay is such a good and calm soul and he will bring in a logical point of view.
In a recent interview I conducted, Jay spoke about his time in the industry and said that his parents were always pro-school but he followed his dreams and finished school. He says he fell into everything on accident such as when he started singing for a club called Mangos.
There was a live band present in the club one day, and Jay was simply having a good time singing and dancing and when he finally gain focus, he saw that the club owner had put the microphone near him. He started singing for the club after that and literally the rest is history for him. He has had so much experience with performing that going from the stage to a TV show is going to be a very smooth leap for him.
Jay wants The Happy Hour to let people know that every conversation is okay to have, be able to disagree and keep a general respect. Everybody isn’t going to agree and Jay wants people to know that it's okay to have an opinion but be willing to hear other points of views. He wants the people to gain a sense of confidence within themselves.
“I want the show to be full spectrum and people from all demographics can take something from us and apply it to everyday life”.
There are some issues in the gay community that needs to be altered, so I asked, “What’s an issue in the gay community that you feel needs to be changed”. The response I received was definitely one I was looking for.
“The major thing I’d like to see is the hardcore vanity be dropped”. He further went on to say, "Body positivity is a major concern in the gay community. It’s understood that everybody isn’t going to be your cup of tea but respect that everybody is beautiful in their own right." Gay pride could use a lesson in body positivity and could also use some work when it comes to inclusion.
Gay pride should be celebrated among all ethnicities, however; we are aware there are two different gay prides. Jay felt like the current political climate has definitely shifted pride into becoming two separate occasions. He comes from Miami so he’s only ever known a “Pride” in which everybody is there.
“People of color seem to be more comfortable with people they identify with” says Jay. He also mentioned, “Sizzle and other prides were created to give people a sense of belonging in a community that seems very segregated”. Two separate prides aren’t about segregation but more for comfort.
Jay is definitely a voice of reason and is so grounded in his opinions, yet he has the ability to hear everybody’s view and take something from them. This characteristic of him is amazing and it might be too early to say, but I can see him being my favorite on the show. I’m super excited to grab my cocktail and watch the first episode for “The Happy Hour”.
Be sure to catch the Happy Hour on April 8th on Facebook and YouTube. Check out and drop Jay a like on Instagram!