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Though the show is very popular among gay audiences--not surprising, since it offers good-looking men with their shirts off 24-7--it seems to be stacked against a gay man winning. Marcellas Reynolds came close to winning Big Brother 3 back in the summer of 2002 (which was also the highest-rated season). A gay man from Chicago, Reynolds has made it farther than any gay contestant to date. Now he hosts “House Calls,” the internet show hosted on CBS.com in which Reynolds and co-host Gretchen Massey comment on the current series the day after each episode.

I recently had an opportunity to speak with Reynolds, and he gave us his perspective on the issue of gay men in the Big Brother house:

AfterElton.com: Why hasn’t a gay man won Big Brother yet?
Marcellas Reynolds: The chips are stacked against us, though they shouldn’t be. In reality, we can go back and forth between the boys and girls (with votes). But, nobody has worked that angle hard enough. And, straight men will always discount gay man no matter what. Also, gay men let their emotions get the best of them. There hasn’t been a cold and calculating gay man yet on Big Brother. We do ourselves in. We go a little too far. We fly off the handle. We have sharp tongues. We won’t hold back when we should hold back.

AE: What do you think of Beau?
MR: I think that Beau is….On my season, I was groundbreaking. No one had seen a black gay person on a primetime reality show before. After me it’s no big deal. He’s there because of Ivette. Ivette is the star. He’s kind of interesting. I think he’s cute. He seems a little shallow. And maybe there to deliver the zinger. He’s not pushing the game forward. Not making decisions.

AE: Do you think he’s bad for gay stereotypes?
MR: On Big Brother, if you give them the stereotype, then the show is going to exacerbate it. If you give them queeny, they will make you queeny. He’s definitely a little feminine. Personally, I don’t think they go out looking for this type. It’s this type that applies. You’re not going to get some gay cop or fireman because they won’t apply. Big Brother works with what their given. And they’ve shown four different gay lifestyles. Will was very cosmopolitan. Bunky was a hairy guy from the South. Beau is a little feminine. I was more of an intellect, though I was queeny at times. But, in my real life, I’m not feminine. But, if you look back at my season, I think they wanted me to win Big Brother. They didn’t do anything to help me win. But, they wanted me to stay as long as they could. I did myself in.

AE: What about Howie?
MR: I don’t think he’s gay. He’s like Scott and Jason from seasons before. A big frat boy. Frat boys always play with the gay guy. They always play with nudity, drag, gay sex. He reads more like a swinger. Swingers will do anybody. He’s not attractive. Not that smart. I don’t want him on my team. All I know is this…Whether the feminine gay male stereotype is there or not, whether Beau is good or bad for such a role, the bottom line is that Beau will most likely be seeing the outside of that house very soon. And until then, I’ll continue to laugh at his funny lines like everyone else.

Big Brother 6 airs three nights a week on CBS;
get more information and watch "House Calls" on the official website

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