Alumnus and ‘Queer Eye’ creator David Collins shares Pride Month message

David Collins, BSC ’89, the Emmy Award-winning creator of “Queer Eye” (Netflix) and “Legendary” (HBO Max), was slated to return to campus in April as the keynote speaker for Pride Graduation, an annual ceremony honoring LGBTQ+ graduates. 

When University events went virtual this year, Collins chose to send a video message during Pride Month that represents his “deep and enduring affection for Ohio University, and for the LGBTQ+ community in particular,” said Dr. Jan Huebenthal, assistant director of the LGBT Center. 

Collins, who earned a bachelor’s degree in television and film from the Scripps College of Communication, is the executive producer of “Queer Eye,” which can be viewed in more than 190 countries. The alumnus is the founder and CEO of Scout Productions and has executive produced programs for all the major networks and cablers, with current shows on or in development at Netflix, Disney+, Bravo, VH1, OWN, and WETV. Collins is a five-time Emmy Award winner and three-time GLAAD Media Award recipient, including the 2019 GLAAD Media Award for “Outstanding Reality Program” for “Queer Eye.” 

“We are so grateful to David for taking the time to speak to our recent LGBTQ+ graduates and our community because he truly embodies what we mean by Queer Excellence. David has conquered the world of entertainment with a consistent message of kindness and inclusion,” Huebenthal said. 

In his Pride Month message, Collins reflects on his experiences as a student at Ohio University. 

“Athens and Ohio University, and those four years for me as a gay man, truly have given me the solid ground that I walk on,” Collins said. “Those cobblestones really gave me a foundation to become the man I am today.”

Collins’ video message resonates with the programming of Ohio University’s Pride Month celebration, which features virtual workshops, panel discussions, and social events through June. As part of the celebration, Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis addressed the importance of Pride Month.  

“The LGBTQ+ community is complex and diverse, with many different identities and lived experiences, and it is this diversity that David’s work celebrates. Whether in ‘Queer Eye’ or ‘Legendary,’ his work tells stories that are about uplifting, celebrating, and honoring people’s experiences, where they are in their lives,” Huebenthal said. 

In addition to recording a message for Pride Month, Collins has expressed a willingness to host interns and support students in the University’s OHIO-in-LA program, further building on his commitment to Ohio University.