Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Home

AE: What's your opinion on reality shows like Amazing Race that are inclusive – in that they blend gay couples in with straight couples as equal contestants, and offer gays a fair chance (and considerable visibility) in their reality TV competitions?
JM: Personally, I like to see it. I do hope that when gays and lesbians are presented in the national spotlight, they are done so in an honest way, as opposed to a stereotypical way. In terms of Amazing Race, I applaud that they have shown gays and lesbians pretty much throughout their seasons. I also applaud their diversity, as I believe this season will be the first time they include an Muslim pair and an Asian pair. That's great to see.

LG: To be honest with you – my husband and I – we don't think in terms of “gay/straight”. I mean – who cares? We live in Manhattan. Here you don't even think about someone's color or religion or sexual orientation. I mean, it's really more about whether you have shared interests or shared values.

I would think it to be appropriate – I would expect to see it on Amazing Race and elsewhere. I would not expect it to be particularly symbolic or some kind of huge gesture, because gay – straight – whatever – all of us are just occupying the same space. I expect to see a natural representation of everybody on television.

AE: On a lighter note, do you think the hot, handsome straight pair Tyler and James will pose any kind of a special distraction for Terry and Tom?
JM: (laughs) Interesting question! A distraction. For which one? I emailed Terry right after I learned he was going to be on Amazing Race. That was one of my first questions – “Which one of you met the two straight guys (Tyler and James) first?” Unfortunately, he didn't have a response for me. It will be interesting to see what happens on the show.

AE: Have you ever seen Tom and Terry caught in a dilemma that they managed to pull themselves out of by working together - in that it made you think they would make a good contestant team on a show like Amazing Race?
JM: (laughs) I haven't seen anything specific that I could relate to them both. I just think they both have a strong drive. It may come out in different ways – Terry is much more “outward” and Tom much more “inward” with it, but I think their drive and their passion is going to get them through.

AE: As Tom and Terry head into this season's Amazing Race, do you have a special wish or message for them you'd like to express here?
JM: I just wish them the best of luck throughout the race. I've been rallying family and mutual friends to watch the whole season and see how they fare. I hope that throughout the process they do learn what they went into it to learn – just how strong their connection to each other is.

LG: My big wish for them is that they win it, and with the money buy a big apartment for themselves uptown, so they can stop traipsing back and forth, uptown and downtown, between apartments!

Tom and Terry finished in 8th place in the season's special two-hour double episode. Tom nicked himself scaling the Great Wall of China and afterwards exclaimed, “I've got blood on my knees!” In sizing up their stiff competition, (especially the formidable young 1st episode champions Tyler and James) one can see that Tom and Terry have a very tough race ahead of them.

Of special interest in this season's Amazing Race is the father/daughter team of Duke and Lauren. Openly lesbian Lauren came out to her father several years ago. At the time he reacted negatively and distanced himself from her. Now, as the show's website explains, father and daughter “are working on rebuilding their relationship and hope that the Race will help them recapture the closeness they once shared.”

In several scenes during this season's first two-episodes premiere, Duke became very emotional while discussing his daughter's sexual orientation. One can see how painful an issue it is for him. Nevertheless the two work well together and even finished in second-place. Elated, exhausted and a bit choked-up at the finish line, Lauren said, "I never thought we'd do anything like this together."

Amazing Race airs on CBS every Sunday at 8 PM.

Page 1 / 2 / 3 - Home