Interview with "The Real World"’s Derek Chavez

AE: You just described yourself as openly gay. Was that the case growing up in Loving?
DC: No, not the case at all. During high school I had girlfriends. I wouldn't say being gay wasn't accepted, but it wasn't the norm. I didn't want to see how people would react just because it's such a small town and everybody knows everybody's business.

I waited till senior year and told just a couple of friends just to see how it would pan out, and they loved it. They were like, "Oh my God, that's so cool!" I didn't tell the rest of my good friends, I just waited. But I started seeing this guy who was openly out from a different school, and he was like, "I'm going to tell everybody that you're gay if you don't come out."

I was like, "That's not cool, but if he's threatening to tell them, I might as well just do it myself." So I started telling more and more of my friends, and it started getting around and stuff. I didn't tell my mom until my freshman year of college, but everyone I told at school was good. That's all I was worried about, telling my friends. If I told my friends and they still accepted me, then that's all I needed. If I told a stranger and they don't like me, who cares? I don't know you.

AE: How did your mom react?
DC: Well, she was okay with the idea. She's one of those traditional Mexican ladies who grew up where that isn't a normal thing. She's okay with it now. She's accepting and proud. It just took her a little while, because I didn't really tell her. I let her figure it out for herself because I brought my boyfriend home.

Then we had a long talk about it and she said, "I'm okay with it as long as you're being safe. As long as you're happy, then I'm happy for you." But it's funny, because after I told her — they have this special on OnDemand right now about me, it's like our audition tapes and our interviews. I was telling her I was dating somebody, and she goes, "Is it a girl?" And I'm like, "No, Mom."

AE: The Real World has had a lot of gay housemates over the years. Which ones made an impression on you, if any?
DC: I guess Davis from Denver. I didn't have any connection to the guy in Key West [Tyler Duckworth]. I didn't connect with him. Not anything against him at all or anything like that, but I'm not flamboyant. I'm not anywhere near the same kind of homosexual that he is.

I guess you can say Davis, because even though he hadn't really come out to his family, on the show he wasn't afraid to say what he had to say. That's the kind of person that I am. I won't start it, but if somebody says something to me, I'll be the last person they want to mess with.

Former out gay Real World housemates
Davis Mallory (left) and Tyler Duckworth

AE: Everyone in the house seemed completely at ease with gay issues. In the first episode, when the question is asked who is gay, the straight guys don't seem defensive or weird about being asked. Were they as cool as they seemed?
DC: Yeah. This is the thing, during the interview process, they asked me what kind of people get under your skin. I said, "Ignorant, homophobic people who are that dumb where they're going to discriminate against me and make me feel uncomfortable."

After that question, I thought I was going to be with some Southern guy who hated gays. So when I got there, the way it came up was someone asked, "Who's straight?” Jonna [his friend from Phoenix] goes, "No, no, no. Let's ask who's gay." So I raise my hand, and everyone gets excited like, "Yes! We've got a gay castmember."

I was scared Bronne was going to be one of those guys, and at the time, we didn't know Joey was going to be there because they only had the table set up for seven, so we thought we were all there already. Then Joey walks in and I thought, "Okay, this is him. Uh, oh, this is the guy who is going to give me trouble with it since the rest of them are being so cool."

Joey didn't really ask about it until we were in the house, and he said, "Oh, that's cool. I've never really had any real experience with it, but you seem really cool."