Standing at 6 feet 7 inches tall, Travon Free, a Cal State Long Beach alumnus with a degree in criminal justice, exudes a domineering stature like that of an all-American basketball player, and yet, Free’s persona breaks all stereotypes.
Free is an openly bisexual comedian and actor working in Hollywood.
“When most people first see me, they see this intimidating black guy,” Free said. “But they get to know me, and they’re like, ‘You’re the nicest black guy I’ve met.'”
From appearing on television and several comedy clubs to writing his own book and starring in an Internet comedy series, Free is establishing his career as a comedian and actor in Hollywood.
“Being an actor or a comedian was something I have always wanted to do,” Free said.
Free attended CSULB with a full ride basketball scholarship in 2003. He played small forward, power forward and center for the team.
He said winning the Big West and going to the NCAA tournament was his favorite moment playing basketball.
Free described being on the team as one of the most rewarding and defining experiences of his college career.
“Going in to college, you had a built-in support system of coaches, teammates and advisers,” he said. “It was like being a part of a family by default just by being on a team.”
Though his passion was originally for film and writing, he said he couldn’t pursue the subjects because of his conflicting schedule of classes and basketball practices.
However, Free’s basketball career didn’t go so smoothly. He was injured and had to sacrifice one season to rehab.
During his free time away from basketball practice, he started taking a few film classes.
“When I got the chance to actually take the class, I just loved it,” he said. “I wanted to keep doing it. It’s better than being an actual cop or a lawyer when I can just play one and not die.”
Free said it was his senior year in college when he found his passion for comedy. He was also dealing with the most difficult part of his college experience — his sexual orientation.
“When you’re 18 and you’re going through that, you don’t really know what to do,” he said. “You’re in college, and you want to have the best experience you can have, so you don’t want to do anything to damage that.”
Free said being in a masculine dominated sport kept him from coming out.
“I didn’t know how my team would deal with that,” Free said. “Looking back, I wish I had done it differently. I don’t regret it, but it would have made my experience more colorful.”
Free finally came out to a handful of his friends when he was 20 years old.
“When I was a junior or senior, I just stopped caring what other people were thinking,” Free said. “I was just like, ‘If I’m out, I’m out.’ No one stopped being my friend. It didn’t change anything really.”
After graduating, Free’s passion for stand-up comedy grew and he continued to develop his act. His jokes poke fun of his roots, politics and his everyday observations.
“I like to make people laugh,” Free said. “I enjoy hearing the laughter as well as the cringes and awes.”
Free said nothing is off limits.
His shows allowed him to meet a few prominent people in the industry, such as Daniel Tosh and John Fugelsang.
In a few years, Free said he hopes to develop his Internet series, The Gentlemen’s Rant, into a sitcom.
Free said he also hopes to write or act for a show and be a nationally touring headline stand-up comic.
In addition, he wrote a book titled “Stop the Hetero-Supremacy,” about intolerance toward the LGBT community and minorities.
The book acted as a catalyst for Free to publicly come out to the public. Shortly after, a website, visible.bisocialnetwork.com listed him as one of the gay black heroes of our time.
“It was a great and a sad moment,” he said. “It was great because someone saw me as the type of individual to be in that class of people. It was sad because I feel like I shouldn’t have to be in that class of people at this stage of my career.”
Free said he feels like he is too young and not experienced enough on the subject to be considered a gay hero.
He said more public figures, especially athletes, need to step in and take a position as a role model for the LGBT youth.
“We need more champions and role models because society desperately needs it,” he said. “But I accept the title. If I have to be that person that will give them that beacon of hope and will stop them from hanging themselves or jumping off a bridge, then so be it.”