Tom Hearn's refined Gay Garbage

03 Mar 2025 -Jenifer Boyce Photography & Marshall Lorenzo 

Tom Hearn is a young gay comedian poised to break through this year, though he is hardly a newcomer. For the better part of the last decade, Hearn has been touring and refining his act and now he is ready to commit it to tape. 

“I’m actually going back into my archive,” said Hearn. “I wanted to record a comedy album for many years so I am going back to the show that started it all, Gay Garbage, which I started writing in 2019. I toured all over North America with it and now I’m putting it to tape with Howl and Roar.”

I first met Hearn at Second City a few years ago when he was a rising star. Hearn is one of the new openly gay comedians who figured out how to entertain straight as well as queer audiences with a clever blend of lightness and force. “I’m not doing traditional standup, but I had to figure out what my voice is. I’m a standup, and a sketch comedian, and I do songs, plus some character work like Ina Garten and Martha Stewart, plus I do songs I wrote with Jordan Armstrong, all the stuff that I call Gay Garbage.”

Like any queer comedian, Hearn’s journey has not been an easy one. “I spent a lot of time producing shows. I wanted to be on stage more often and I got tired of waiting for other people to give me that opportunity. When I started there weren’t that many queer performers.” Well, he’s done his homework, and he’s poised to go to the next level. The thing is, he still looks like a teenager.

“The grey hair is coming in, but the face is holding strong. I’m 32 and I still look like a wee baby, but there’s going to be a moment when that isn’t the case anymore. I got my O1 and I’m living in New York, and this year I’m betting on me.” So, what’s the endgame for such a talented guy? “I’d love to be on SNL and  I’m dying to get a Law & Order.”

Of course, like any queer comedian, it hasn’t been an easy path. “A lot of doors closed unnecessarily in my face along the way. It comes down to - Is it my skill? I don’t think so. I’m confident enough to know that I’m a good comedian. There’s still a long way to go for queer comedians, and a long way to go for Canadian comedians. As someone who tours a lot, I can tell you that we in Canada have a lot of great comedians. We are just as good as anyone else.”