Comedian Alex Bozinovic Comes Out Every Time He Steps On Stage

Using his sexuality as a gay man as a backdrop, comedian Alex Bozinovic connects with audiences by opening up about himself — and making them laugh along the way.

When comedian Alex Bozinovic steps on stage, he’s coming out over and over again.

For the audience, it’s confessional and personal. For Bozinovic, it’s nothing new. He’s been leaving a piece of his sexuality on the stages of Detroit’s comedy venues since 2014.


Click the player above to listen to Alex Bozinovic talk about how his sexuality informs his stand-up.


 
Courtesy of Alex Bozinovic
Courtesy of Alex Bozinovic

By the end of his set, Bozinovic wants to make sure you laugh and have a good time. But there’s a bigger picture he’s trying to frame with his jokes that range from dating older men to difficulties donating blood as a gay man.

“My goal ever since I started doing stand-up was to talk about being gay with the same kind of casualness that straight people approach being straight with,” says Bozinovic. “If you’ve seen my set, it informs a lot of what I talk about on stage.”

Bozinovic sought out comedy as a creative outlet that didn’t require forming a band or a company of theater actors to make something happen. With stand-up as his performance art, It’s just him on stage with his microphone and his jokes.

“A lot of us feel like we’re not really heard off of a stage, but we want to be heard. Being on a stage forces people to listen to us and hear us.” — Alex Bozinovic, comedian

It takes a lot of practice and a lot of vulnerability, says Bozinovic, who uses comedy to connect with audiences even if they don’t agree with his sexual identity.


Preview: Alex Bozinovic, uncensored, at the “What’s So Funny About Detroit?” comedy showcase last year.


“That is the most complex part of doing stand-up,” says Bozinovic. “Humor definitely opens up those lines of communication and helps people relate to one another a little bit better.”

Bozinovic is performing at the “What’s So Funny About Detroit?” comedy showcase on Wednesday, August 26th. This is a benefit for the radio station. Buy your tickets here.

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Author

  • Ryan Patrick Hooper
    Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host and producer of CultureShift on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.