HGTV star Keith Bynum, beloved for his creativity and emotional authenticity on Bargain Block, has shared many aspects of his personal life with fans—but none more touching than the story of reconciling with his mother shortly before her tragic de@th.
For years, Keith lived with the emotional weight of estrangement from his family, particularly after coming out as gay. However, in 2022, he experienced both the healing power of forgiveness and the devastating pain of loss, all within a matter of weeks.
Keith Bynum was raised in a conservative environment in West Texas. Though he had a passion for design, business, and art from an early age—launching his first venture at just 14—his personal life was far more difficult.
When he came out to his family, their reaction was not one of support. In fact, Bynum later revealed that he was essentially disowned. His father even told him he would never be successful in the construction industry as a gay man. Keith was also cut out of family wills and left emotionally and financially abandoned.
In a 2021 Pride Month special with HGTV’s David Bromstad, Bynum opened up about how difficult the experience was. “It did not go well when I came out, so they have essentially disowned me,” he said. The pain of rejection was deep, but Keith found strength through his partner and fiancé, Evan Thomas, who helped him stay focused on building a life rooted in passion and purpose.
Still, the wounds of family estrangement remained—and Keith rarely spoke publicly about his family until everything changed in the spring of 2022.
In early 2022, Keith learned the devastating news that his mother, LaQuita Jolene Bynum, had been diagnosed with glioblastoma—a highly aggressive and often incurable form of brain cancer. This shocking revelation became a turning point in his life.
Despite their difficult history, Keith made the decision to return to Texas to be with her. After years of silence, mother and son began the tender process of rebuilding their relationship. Keith shared a touching moment on May 11, 2022, when he posted a photo on Instagram holding his mother’s hand as she rested in a hospital bed. The caption read, “It’s never too late to start again.”
With that simple, powerful sentence, Keith revealed that reconciliation was underway and that love was being rekindled, even in the shadow of terminal illness.
The workplace presented its own set of challenges. As a foreman in Austin, Texas, Bynum was exposed to overt h0m0phobia.
He recounted, “The amount of very hateful things that I heard was very shocking, and it kind of was an eye opener.” This hostile environment prompted him to leave Texas, eventually leading him to Colorado, where he met his partner, Evan Thomas.
Its not only Keith Bynum who faced such descrimination and h@te as a g@y man. David Bromstad, renowned for his vibrant presence on HGTV’s “My Lottery Dream Home,” has faced significant challenges related to his sexuality.
Growing up in a small Minnesota town during the 1980s, Bromstad encountered a lack of understanding and acceptance regarding LGBTQ+ identities. In an interview with Passport Magazine, he recounted that discussions about being g@y were virtually nonexistent in his community, stating, “Back in the day there was no such thing as LGBTQ where I was. There wasn’t even a term, so there was no community to look for.”
Bromstad’s school years were particularly challenging. After relocating to a new city, he became the target of relentless bullying. He described his daily experiences: “Going to school was torture for me and I dreaded going to school for fear of being tormented every day. I was always the center of every joke and always laughed at.” The harassment was so pervasive that even school authorities inadvertently participated. He recalled an incident where “600 kids in the cafeteria made obscene gestures targeted at me. Even the junior high principal…joined in the ridicule.”