The Top 15 Favorite Gay Reality Stars

#12 Davis Mallory
Appeared on: The Real World: Denver

Twenty-five-year-old Davis Mallory of Marietta, is one of three Real World participants to make our poll. Mallory starred in the Denver edition of the stalwart MTV reality program, a season frequently marred by drinking and fighting as well as accusations of racism and homophobia. And Mallory was frequently at the center of the storm.

Part of what made Mallory fascinating to watch – and was no doubt part of the reason the show chose him – was that he came from a conservative Christian background and was still in the process of coming out. Viewers saw him deal with his less-than-accepting parents, debate religion with housemate Stephen, and flirt with some of his female housemates. That last behavior didn’t go over well with some gay viewers, nor did Mallory’s use of the “N” word during a fight with housemate Tyrie Ballard.

But by coming in at number twelve in our poll, our readers clearly indicated they were willing to forgive Mallory’s less mature actions and were won over by his struggle to grow into a mature gay man trying to serve as a role model for even younger gay men struggling with the same issues.

What was the best part of your experience? My favorite part of doing The Real World: Denver was our vacation to Thailand. I had just watched the movie The Beach a few months prior to leaving for Denver and had set a goal to go relive Leonardo DiCaprio's experience from that film in Bangkok and the islands of Thailand. I was able to do just that on my experience with the show as a vacation we were awarded upon completion of our job as Outward Bound Wilderness Instructors. I had an amazing time and still to this day wear a bracelet I got on that trip at a Buddhist monastery for good luck.

How did it change you? Before going on The Real World, I had basically no gay friends. I surrounded myself with women and I wasn't very comfortable with my sexuality. After everything aired, there was no more denying that I was gay. I have, through this experience, come to terms with being gay and have grown very comfortable with myself. I now have many gay friends and am actively involved in the gay community. I guess you could say I was once a homophobe and now I'm homo-centric. The experience of being on The Real World was very therapeutic and empowering for me, and I'm very glad I did it.

What are you doing now? Presently I live in NYC. I bartend at The Eldridge and I just finished taping a Real World/Road Rules Challenge called the Dual II in Queenstown, New Zealand. I am pursuing a career in the music business, something I have wanted to do since I was young. I actually auditioned for The Real World in hopes of making connections with MTV, a network I had loved since I was in middle school. I am pursuing artist management, while working on some of my own music. I speak often at universities about the biblical basis of condemning homosexuality and its fallacies. I find it very fulfilling to help younger gay and lesbian people learn to undo the damage that many Christians have done by telling them their natural feelings are sinful.

Your reaction to making the list? I am very honored and flattered to be considered one of the Favorite Gay Reality Stars. When I was given the opportunity to go and film for The Real World: Denver, I made a pro/con list to make up my mind if I even would go through with it. A lot of my family members pleaded with me to not go on the show. I wrote down that I wanted to make a positive image for gay people and show that they are normal like everyone else. I tried to change a stereotype that I saw all the time on TV of gay men that I did not feel I related to. I was a young college kid and I felt like there wasn't anyone I could really look up to on TV who was gay. I hope that my experience on television talking about the hardships I was going through has helped others in similar situations. I hope that more people will come out on national television to help bolster equality for all gays and lesbians and improve the gay stereotype that was once portrayed.

#13 Richard Hatch
Appeared on: Survivor: Borneo

If there is a godfather of gay reality contestants, it has to be Richard Hatch who took U.S. television by storm in 2000 when he connived and schemed – while frequently naked – his way to being named the first winner of Survivor. Americans couldn’t get enough of this outspoken and out gay man who felt no embarrassment about being gay, or little else for that matter.

Post-Survivor, Hatch made numerous reality show appearances including on The Weakest Link, Battle of the Network Reality Stars, the Australian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as well as Survivor: All-Stars. Hatch also guested on an episode of Ted Danson’s Becker and appeared as himself in the 2006 film Another Gay Movie.

Unfortunately for Hatch, he was convicted in 2006 of tax evasion for not paying taxes on his Survivor winnings. He is currently serving his sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution in Morgantown, West Virginia. Hatch is scheduled to be released in October of this year.