Davis - Real World Denver

With seven strangers living together under camera lights and TV crews, MTV’s long-running reality series, Real World, typically throws a gay or lesbian housemate into the mix to heighten the drama. Excitement, camp, sex and controversy are par for the Real World course. And this time, during show’s 18th season in Denver, it gets religious.

Denver’s staple gay housemate is 22-year-old Davis, a Southern Baptist frat boy from Marietta, GA. Hailing from a conservative family, Davis’s coming out gay has left him and his family estranged. His mother sent him to ex-gay counseling for years, he reveals on the show.

Throughout each one-hour episode, Davis battles his sexuality as well as his highly conservative housemate, Stephen. Davis and Stephen initially clicked because of their similarly strong religious upbringings, but their friendship ultimately went sour once Davis came out to the other housemates on the show.

Before Davis makes an appearance with housemates Colie, Brooke and Tyrie at Chicago’s Crobar this Friday, December 15, the sexy southern frat boy took a moment to talk gay and TV with ChicagoPride.com.

JB: How does Denver's gay population and nightlife happenings in general, compare to your hometown's in Georgia?

DM: I haven't been out much to the gay scene in Georgia. I only came out about a year before I was cast for the Real World and spent most of that time still in college hanging out with my straight friends, doing the college Greek frat scene. As for Denver's gay nightlife, I only went out a few times over the summer. The few bars I went to seemed cool.

JB: Being raised with such a strict religious background, do you think you've grown into the "preacher's son/wild child" or do view yourself as more of a conservative gay man?

DM: I definitely would characterize myself as a Preacher's son rebellious wild child, more than the conservative type.

JB: Is going by your middle name, Davis, something that began in your younger years or was it to protect your personal life back home in some way?

DM: My mother named all my siblings by their middle names, she's an artist and thought it was a creative thing to do.

JB: We all know everyone was buzzing about last week's episode where you were the centerpiece of a heated argument that almost turned physical. Do you think the producers portrayed you in an unfair light?

DM: I think they portrayed me in a nice light, to be honest. That was a really bad night for me and I have been worried about the outcome of it ever since it happened. I was really drunk and couldn't remember clearly what even happened. I just remembered waking up the next day in a hotel and had a flashback of the events that had happened. Seeing it on TV was the first time I realized what had actually happened. I was glad that the producer decided to turn it into a positive thing by the end of the episode, instead of leaving the viewing audience waiting til next week to see how things were resolved.

JB: Filming the show, what kind of person were you hoping to portray to the audience? Do you think that person was expressed accurately?

DM: I don't really know what I wanted to be portrayed as or how they're portraying me so far. I'm not disappointed with anything, and I do feel it's a pretty accurate description of how everything that happened in Denver occurred.

JB: What are your plans for the future now that filming has wrapped and your being watched by millions weekly on MTV?

DM: I'm trying to figure that out. I wish I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but I just graduated college and feel pulled in so many directions right now. I went to school to be a plastic surgeon and took the MCAT and was sitting on applying to Medical School, when this came along, and I took the opportunity and put my medical school aspirations on hold. I'm still highly considering getting back to that goal, but I also have interests in the entertainment world, and so I can't decide which I'll pursue.

JB: After the disheartening response to your coming out from you religious parents, have you pursued any other homo friendly churches or religions?

DM: I have not given much attention to pursuing a gay friendly church yet, I still attend the same one I grew up in whenever I'm in Atlanta. I do plan on finding my own church separate from my family and getting involved once my life gets less hectic.

JB: Celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton, catapulted to fame this year after forcing out several celebrities to the press, feeling it's a celebrity's duty to be out and proud. What's your take on that?

DM: I don't know who that is. I never heard about that situation.

JB: Are you and your longtime squeeze, Peter, still seeing each other?

DM: We still are!

JB: How difficult was the distance for you two while filming?

DM: It was tough because not only was he back in Atlanta while I was in Denver, but then halfway through filming he left for Argentina for 7 months to learn Spanish and study abroad. That was even harder because it limited the chances he had to come visit in Denver and the communication process was more expensive.

JB: Which past Real World resident gay, would you be game shacking up with, if you were single?

DM: Danny Roberts! or Landon from Philly – haha.

JB: If MTV's gay little brother LOGO came to you and asked if you'd be interested in being thrown into a loft with 6 other gay men from all different backgrounds, would you take them up on it?

DM: Probably not. I'm done with the reality show roommate scenario. It sounds like a cool idea though. Maybe I could have done that one instead.

JB: You've expressed interest in helping other GLBT youth, particularly others with your complicated belief background, is there a possible career venture for you there? Have you found a non-profit you'd being interested in aligning with?

DM: I found a cool organization in Atlanta called Youth Pride that helps GLBTQ youth who need a safe, supportive environment in which to meet and talk about what they are going through. I plan on getting active in this organization and speaking at some of their upcoming events. I'm interested in getting involved in other organizations that aid in different areas or different parts of the country, though. I can see myself finding a career in this realm as it is gay advocacy and changing the minds of America is something I am truly passionate about.

Watch episode one of the Real World Denver with Davis, Colie, Brooke, and Tyrie this Friday, December 15 at Chicago's Crobar.

Followed by a question and answer session where you get to ask the cast questions.

(Event Details)