Bob Paris

{{Short description|American and Canadian writer,actor, civil rights activist and retired pro athlete}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Bob Paris

| image = File:Paolo Tassetto con Bob Paris a Padova (Italia),1986.png

| imagesize =

| caption = Paolo Tassetto (on the left) with Bob Paris in Padua, Italy in 1986

| birth_name = Robert Clark Paris

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|12|14|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Columbus, Indiana

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Brian LeFurgey|2003}}Legends of Bodybuilding 2, Winter, 2012, Robert Kennedy Publications

| website = http://www.bobparis.com

| awards =

}}

Bob Paris (born Robert Clark Paris on December 14, 1959) is an American writer, actor, public speaker, civil rights activist, and former professional bodybuilder. Paris was the 1983 NPC American National and IFBB World Bodybuilding Champion. In 1989, he became the world's first male professional athlete to come out as gay in the media while still an active competitor in his sport.{{cite news |last1=Romesburg |first1=Don |title=OPENLY GAY U.S. ATHLETES TIME LINE |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=18919591&site=ehost-live&scope=site |access-date=23 October 2024 |publisher=Advocate |date=22 November 2005}}

Biography

=Early life=

Paris was born and grew up in Brown County and Columbus, Indiana. From an early age, he was both artistic and athletic. He won National Scholastic awards for his drawings and paintings and wrote short stories.{{Cite web|title = Bob Paris|url = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661532/bio|website = IMDb|access-date = 2015-10-20}} Paris was also involved in his school's debate team and a member of the International Thespian Society. Paris played several sports in high school: track and field, golf, and particularly football. After experimenting with weight training as a sophomore, Paris started to gain size and strength.

He moved to southern California to pursue dreams of becoming a bodybuilder and actor. Within two years he had won two competitions: Mr. Los Angeles and Mr. Southern California.

=Career=

Since rising to fame in the early 1980s, Bob Paris has appeared on the covers of scores of magazines worldwide. He is noted for his aesthetics and artistic approach toward the sport.

In the July 1989 issue of Ironman, Paris came out in the media as a gay man. He was the world's first male professional athlete, in any sport, to come out in the media while still an active competitor in his sport.Ironman Magazine, July, 1989{{Cite web |last=Buzinski |first=Jim |date=2011-08-08 |title=Moment #57: Bodybuilder Bob Paris comes out |url=https://www.outsports.com/2011/8/8/4051656/moment-57-bodybuilder-bob-paris-comes-out |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Outsports |language=en}} That year, Paris appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss marriage and being gay. Oprah asked Paris, "Bob, why not just stay in the closet?" Paris said "you fall in love" and it doesn't feel right to hide it.

Paris and his then-boyfriend, Rod Jackson, became symbols for gay marriage and advocated gay rights. Paris's career suffered for it; he lost about 80% of his bookings and endorsements for bodybuilding.{{Cite web |date=April 2014 |title=Former Mr. Universe Bob Paris on Oprah, coming out, marriage - Gay Lesbian Bi Trans News Archive - Windy City Times |url=http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Former-Mr-Universe-Bob-Paris-on-Oprah-coming-out-marriage/46835.html |access-date=2015-11-03 |website=www.windycitymediagroup.com}} He has said he received death threats through mail and by phone.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2014 |title=Mr. Universe Faced 'Tremendous' Repercussions After Coming Out In 1989 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/bob-paris-mr-universe-gay-oprah_n_4849671.html |access-date=2015-10-20 |website=The Huffington Post |language=en}}

He became a dedicated advocate for the rights of athletes{{Cite web|url=https://fitnessvolt.com/14549/bob-paris/|title=Bob Paris "The Flawless Marvel": Height {{!}} Weight {{!}} Arms {{!}} Chest {{!}} Biography|date=2017-08-29|website=Fitness Volt|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-07}} and an outspoken voice in the push for drug testing at the professional level.

He retired from bodybuilding in 1991, but competed in the 1992 Chicago Pro Championships-IFFB, finishing 10th.

On October 10, 1998, he made his New York stage debut, starring at Carnegie Hall opposite Bea Arthur, Sandy Duncan, Michael Jeter, Philip Bosco, Alice Ripley, and Tyne Daly in the Broadway musical Jubilee as the character Mowgli."[http://www.ovrtur.com/production/2891898 Jubilee Carnegie Hall Concert (1998)]", ovrtur.com.

In 2006, Flex Magazine ranked Bob Paris the most aesthetic athlete in the history of bodybuilding.{{cite web |title=Perfect 20: Simplyshredded.com Presents The Top 20 Most Aesthetic Physiques Of All Time |url=http://www.simplyshredded.com/perfect-20-simplyshredded-com-presents-the-top-20-most-aesthetic-physiques-of-all-time.html |access-date=2013-12-04 |publisher=SimplyShredded.com}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-03-27 |title=Retro Athlete: Bob Paris |url=https://www.muscleandfitness.com/flexonline/training/retro-athlete-bob-paris/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Muscle & Fitness |language=en-US}}

In 2009, he performed in a recurring role on the first season of the ABC Television series, Defying Gravity.{{Cite web |date=2015-11-07 |title=Gay Iconography: The Strength of Bob Paris |url=https://www.towleroad.com/2015/11/gay-iconography-strength-bob-paris/ |access-date=2019-08-07 |website=Towleroad Gay News |language=en-US}}

Paris remains a civil rights advocate and public speaker. He is also a model and a classically trained theater actor.

Personal life

File:Bob Paris and Rod Jackson (7294256320).jpg

Paris and Jackson were seen as a model relationship in the gay community, yet they split up after seven years due to undisclosed difficulties. Paris and Jackson's relationship was constantly in the limelight, hence making the breakup very public.{{cite news |last1=Frutkin |first1=Alan |title=Wedding Bell Blues |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=9612130200&site=ehost-live&scope=site |access-date=28 October 2024 |issue=722 |publisher=Advocate |date=10 December 1996}} Paris said that he kept trying to keep his relationship going even when he knew better; Paris felt that he would be giving gays a bad image if he and Jackson broke up.

In 2012, Paris wrote on his website that he never wanted to be a "lifestyle bodybuilder." He said he enjoyed the discipline and focus bodybuilding engendered; he also simply just excelled at the sport. To Paris, bodybuilding allowed him to be artistic and a jock all at once, and the sport allowed him to exert his physical presence to the world in a way that demonstrated that he was a man.{{cite news |title=Bob Paris |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=aph&AN=907637&site=ehost-live&scope=site |access-date=28 October 2024 |issue=766 |publisher=Advocate |date=18 August 1998}}

As of 2015, Paris was still active in fitness, but not as intensely as he once was, and saw himself more as a writer over anything else.{{Cite web|title = Bob Paris|url = http://www.bobparis.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=6|access-date = 2015-11-03}}

Paris lives with his husband, Brian LeFurgey, on an island near Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds dual American and Canadian citizenship. Together since 1996, Paris and LeFurgey were married in British Columbia after the province equalized the marriage laws in 2003.

Books by Bob Paris

Beyond Built: Bob Paris' Guide to Achieving the Ultimate Look (1990){{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/beyondbuiltbobpa00pari|title=Beyond built : Bob Paris' guide to achieving the ultimate look|last=Paris, Bob.|date=1991|publisher=Warner Books|isbn=0446391468|location=New York, NY|oclc=20757296|url-access=registration}}
Flawless: The 10-Week Total Image Method for Transforming Your Physique (1993){{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/flawlesstenweekt00pari|title=Flawless : the ten-week, total-image method for transforming your physique|last=Paris, Bob.|date=1993|publisher=Warner Books|isbn=0446394068|location=New York, N.Y.|oclc=26403318|url-access=registration}}
Natural Fitness{{Cite book|title=Natural fitness|last=Paris, Bob.|date=1996|publisher=Warner Books|isbn=0446670294|location=New York, NY|oclc=32665052}}
Straight From The Heart (as co-author){{Cite book|title=Straight from the heart : a love story|last=Jackson-Paris, Rod, 1961-|date=1995|publisher=Warner Books|others=Jackson-Paris, Bob.|isbn=0446670669|location=New York|oclc=32913836}}
Gorilla Suit (1997){{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/gorillasuit00bobp|title=Gorilla suit : my adventures in bodybuilding|last=Paris, Bob.|date=1997|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=0312194587|edition=1st St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York|oclc=42306679|url-access=registration}}
Generation Queer: A Gay Man's Quest For Hope, Love & Justice{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/generationqueerg00bobp|title=Generation queer : a gay man's quest for hope, love, and justice|last=Paris, Bob.|date=1998|publisher=Warner Books|isbn=0446675350|location=New York|oclc=41591976|url-access=registration}}
Prime: The Complete Guide to Being Fit, Looking Good, Feeling Great (2002){{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/primecompletegui0000pari|title=Prime : the complete guide to being fit, looking good, feeling great|last=Paris, Bob.|date=2002|publisher=Berkley Pub. Group|isbn=0399527192|edition=1st|location=New York|oclc=47803575|url-access=registration}}

Photography books of Bob Paris

Duo by Herb Ritts
Bob & Rod by Tom Bianchi

Bodybuilding career

;As an amateur{{colon}}

1981 NPC Mr. Los Angeles, (Los Angeles, California), Light-heavyweight class and Overall: 1st
1982 NPC Mr. Southern California (Pasadena, California), Light-heavyweight class and Overall: 1st
1982 NPC California Muscle Classic (Pasadena, California), Light-heavyweight class and Overall: 1st
1982 NPC Mr. California (San Jose, California), Light-heavyweight class: 2nd
1982 NPC American National Championships [Mr. America] (New York City), Heavyweight class: 3rd
1983 NPC National Championships [Mr. America] (San Jose, California), Heavyweight class and Overall: 1st
1983 IFBB World Championships [Mr. Universe and professional qualifier] (Singapore), Heavyweight class and Overall: 1st