Paulie Calafiore, who just got eliminated from MTV's "The Challenge: USA," is coming out as bisexual.
The reality TV star came out to GLAAD, saying he almost feels guilty about waiting so long to share his truth.
Paulie says he decided to come out as bisexual after changing his perspective ... explaining, "There might be other people that are going through this exact same thing …and maybe this is what they needed to hear and what they needed to see in order to do it themselves."
For Paulie, one of the hurdles was his upbringing as an athlete ... he says he felt pressure to be viewed publicly as a strong athlete and competitor, and that sports culture made him feel like he had to repress his sexuality.
Paulie, who is also a "Big Brother" alum, says since coming out as bisexual he's been accepted by his family and his longtime girlfriend and fellow 'Challenge' star Cara Maria Sorbello.
Now that the weight's been lifted, Paulie tells TMZ ... "I really don’t know what to say at this point other than I’m extremely grateful. I am looking forward to what the future holds, the community has been so welcoming and so has everyone from all walks of life."