The Zakar Twins on Pray the Gay Away, Coming Out and Their Minneapolis Show

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This interview was originally published Sept. 5, 2019. Audience figures and references to the production reflect that time.

Interview with Michael and Zach Zakar

Mike Marcotte (MM): You didn’t know your brother was gay until a mix-up happened. From the story you tell on YouTube, I hear it involves a high school bathroom stall…

Zakar Twins (ZT): Yes, it was like a promiscuous episode of Sister, Sister. In our senior year, Zach was a rugby jock and Michael was an art nerd. Zach had a little fun in a bathroom stall with another student, “Shane.”

The next day, Zach was sick and Shane invited Michael to the same bathroom stall for some fun. Two rugby jocks caught Michael in the bathroom and confused him for Zach. The rumors spread like wild flowers. ‘Which twin was really in the stall?’ We HAD to come out to each other.

MM: So you two came out to your mom at the same time and she tossed holy water on you when she heard the news. I assume she didn’t take it well.

ZT: Our Mom tried many ways to “de-gay” us. She also tried to film us on her iPhone praying in Arabic. When we asked her why she was filming, our mom said, “this is leverage for God to see you’re good Christian boys.” And then we asked how she’d show God that video? I guess Verizon has good coverage!

MM: Michael, you now have a tattoo of your mom on your thigh? Is your relationship with your mom better? And does that tattoo of your mom weird guys out?

Michael Zakar: It’s definitely improved since the book’s release, but back when I got the tattoo, my mom, she said: “One thing I hate more than you being gay is tattoos.”

So I spent $2,000 dollars on tattooing my body throughout those next two months. I told her whenever I get intimate with a guy, you’ll always be there. Maybe not the best tattoo decision because guys do get a little weirded out about this theoretical 3-some.

MM: What inspired you to turn your story into a show? What do you want people to get out of it?

ZT: We both went film school at Wayne State, when all these events happened. We wrote down these funny things our mom did or said on sticky notes to put in a potential film later on. Hundreds of sticky notes later, the book wrote itself.

Our book/show is not like the typical coming out story. We wanted to focus on the positive sides of coming out instead of the negative. We want queer people to realize that they are normal and things don’t get perfect, but better.

MM: Is your mom going to see the show? What does she think about being turned into a stage character?

ZT: She is scared to see the show. She said she won’t tell anyone when she’s coming. She is a woman that doesn’t like to be the center of attention even though she’s the comedian at every party.

MM: You have a website, a YouTube channel with 22,000 subscribers, a phone app, a best-selling book, and now a play. What’s next?

ZT: We have a second book in order called, “I’m going to Kathy’s”. It’s five film scripts we’re hoping to get picked up by a major network and hopefully making Zakar Twins a household name.

MM: Rapid fire questions! Who’s older? By how long?

ZT: Michael, by 27 minutes. We were also Michigan’s smallest babies the year we were born!

MM: Favorite gay-friendly city?

Michael Zakar: New York City. I have never felt such an exciting city quite like NYC where you can do/be anything.

Zach Zakar: Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

MM: Underwear of choice?

Michael: Papi.

Zach: Andrew Christian.

MM: Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Michael: I’ll play Zach.

Zach: I’ll play Michael.

MM: Celebrity crush?

Michael: Gwen Stefani.

Zach: Anderson Cooper. I have daddy issues.