These days reality television is prime ground for LGBTQ representation: Love & Hip Hop is applauded for its strides in representation; one of my favorite HGTV hosts, David Bromstad, is gay; and let's not forget Project Runway, Queer Eye, and RuPaul's Drag Race. But I remember a time when this was not the case. Back in the days when MTV's The Real World and Road Rules were my only reality show options, queer people were few and far between, and they were usually men.
I didn't know I was holding anything at first. I had to do a lot of soul-searching after, but growing up with a white mother in a predominantly white area, I wasn't really taught much about my Blackness. I knew I was brown. I knew that existed. But I was also Jewish, so that was my identity. It's hard with all of these identities intersecting.
For some people that come out, there is this new out and proud and rainbow flag kind of state that sticks to certain people, not everyone. And being a woman, I had it a lot easier than men, especially men of color, because Blackness and masculinity are such big things, and being gay doesn't fit that.
I could have seven girlfriends and two boyfriends if I wanted; or be asexual. I've just evolved where the label doesn't necessarily hold as I think it does for other people. I think the labels help other people understand us rather than us understand ourselves, but then we also have to identify ourselves within our community. You're kind of stuck, but now I'm okay saying I'm queer. For me, it's a cool word. We took it back.
I can't drink every night and do all this stuff, and I'm in school full-time. It was just not the healthiest environment for me, but I was still doing TV shows when I broke my ankle and that kept me out for a little bit, so now I'm bartending, which is cool. I get to meet interesting people and be humbled by the $2.83 you make an hour and not have the luxury of being like, Oh my god. I have all this fucking money.
Check out the other videos in our series where we placed queer people from different generations in conversation with one another:Ashlee Marie Preston and Devan DiazEdited by Gretta Wilson
AneesaMTV Almost asked if Ruthie was before Aneesa but I think she identifies lesbian. Not sure tho?
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