JD Ordonez from "The Real World: Brooklyn"

Posted by

on February 17, 2009

With his classic good looks, outspokenness and gritty life story, JD Ordonez is making quite the splash on the latest edition of MTV’s The Real World. Set in Brooklyn, New York, this 22^nd season may very well be the queerest Real World ever as it features not just the openly gay JD, but bisexual Sarah and transgender Katelynn.

We recently caught up with the full-time dolphin trainer who talked frankly about his relationship with Katelynn, his anti-immigrant remarks, being a representative of the gay community on television, and whether he thinks of himself as a role model.

AfterElton: I’m gonna have to start with a really tough question: Who’s easier to train, dolphins or men?
JD Ordonez : Dolphins or men? [laughs] Well, lately it’s been dolphins. I really haven’t had a love life lately, so I’ve just been working a lot.

AE: Too busy for a love life, does that make you single right now?
JO: Yeah, I am.

AE: The Real World is going into it’s 22^nd season. How aware were you of the whole RW phenomenon before you joined the cast?
JO: I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. I remember watching Real World San Francisco with Pedro Zamora. He was a pivotal part of why I wanted to do this experience.

I always wanted the family I never had. His life and mine have many parallels. We’re both young gay men of color, we’re both from Miami and of Cuban descent, and we’re both HIV activists. His story was a little bit different than mine, since he was positive and I’m negative, but what happened to him can happen to me and can happen to anyone, and I really expressed that throughout this season.

On tonight’s episode I actually raised half a million dollars with Breaking the Cycle, which is an HIV/AIDS bike race from Gettysburg, PA to Manhattan. It was really cool this season that we got to do what we wanted to pursue, which is why I think we got along more than maybe some other seasons. I mean, we had our fights and stuff, but at the end we’re all cordial towards each other.

The cast of Real World: Brooklyn