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Interview with Sarah Rice from “The Real World: Brooklyn”

When The Real World: Brooklyn premieres on MTV tonight, viewers are likely to want to find out more about Sarah Rice.

The 22-year-old student from San Francisco looks different from most of the Real World housemates. Her tattoo-covered arms and dark black hair set her apart from many of the show’s perky, blond female housemates primarily interested in partying and hooking up with their roommates. Rice does not seem interested in either.

In the past, Sarah has dated only women, and she is now in a monogamous relationship with a man. She doesn’t define her sexuality, but knows that a lot of other people would like her to.

Putting your personal life on a show like The Real World does beg for some explanations, and sets up expectations of an on-camera romantic rendezvous. But despite any preconceived notions of the reality series, Rice said we can expect the cast this season to be diverse, career-driven and all “good friends.” Is this really The Real World?

AfterEllen.com talked with Rice about why she wanted to be on the show, how she started working with the Gay and Lesbian Center in New York while living there, and why she’s not so concerned about people judging her sexuality.

AfterEllen.com: How did you become interested in going on The Real World?

Sarah Rice: Honestly I went to the audition — I wouldn’t say a joke, because there was nothing else to do that day. A few friends and I heard about it on the radio and thought “Oh let’s go, it’ll be really funny. Like they’re going to pick us!” Yeah right! So I went and was myself, really and kept getting called back. After thinking about it and talking about it with my family and everything, I figured I really could be a voice and share my story, and even if one person saw me on TV and said they could relate to me, it would make it all worth it. That’s kind of what drove me to do it.

AE: Had you been a fan of the show before you were on it?

SR: I don’t think there’s a person under the planet under 25 or even 30 that can say they’ve never seen an episode of The Real World. I, of course, was familiar with it. I couldn’t tell you everybody’s names from the last five seasons but I knew what it was all about. I also really wanted to go on because I really wanted to show people there are other people out there besides pretty blond girls with big boobs. I felt like I’m a real person and really wanted to be on there to show others not everybody with tattoos and black hair is what you think they’re gonna be.

AE: Did you start to wonder what it was about you that was really of interest to them, that was different from other people auditioning?

SR: I think a lot of it was that my exterior does not match my interior. People look at me and expect me to be some party girl. They don’t know I’m an advocate for victims’ rights, and they never guess that I want to be an art therapist and work with children. I think the appeal was that I’m not what people expect.

AE: Were you apprehensive about the people they were going to place you with?

SR: Yes, I was convinced, based on what people were telling me — friends were like “You know you’re going to be the only one like you. They’re all going to be a bunch of frat boys.” I was prepared for that. I was absolutely shocked and impressed with everyone once I met them. It felt so good to be in a house with people who felt the same way I did. We all thought we would be the odd ones out. I like to say we’re like an entire flock of black sheep.

AE: Do you think it’s something that the producers intended to do with this season from the beginning?

SR: I hope so. When you put eight people together, no matter how intelligent they are or who they are, there’s going to be drama and there’s going to be fights and arguing. Even in families, people argue and drive each other crazy.

We did some of that, but I really wanted there to be a balance, to show that not all 21, 22, 23-year-olds just go out and party every night. All of us are really career-driven and I think that’s what they looked for. People who, regardless of the show, were going to be successful in their own lives because they’re just driven people.

AE: This season you were able to pick your own work, right?

SR: Yes we did. We all pursued our own careers while we were out there.

AE: How did you go about choosing what you wanted to do?

SR: Well, it was what I am in school to do. I happened to come across the center, The Gay and Lesbian Center in New York, and spoke with the people in charge of their programming. They noticed, too, that they were lacking in art programs. They had a few, but they wanted to do more therapy, wanted to get people more talking about their lives. I don’t want to put the word therapy on it, but more of an art class where you learn about yourself. They thought I’d be a good fit, so I worked on a curriculum and started an art therapy program there.

It was awesome. It was gay, straight, old people, young people, whatever. It was really a great opportunity to work with a bunch of different people from different backgrounds and do what I plan to do for the rest of my life, or at least for a good part of it.

AE: Do you think this season will be pretty gay?

SR: Well, the funny thing is, I’ve had a lot of questions about that because of my past, but I know for me, it doesn’t really come up as an issue. There was never any animosity or hatred between anybody in the house because of their sexuality. The season is just as gay as it is straight.

I’m with my boyfriend now and I was with him for the whole show. People always want to ask me “Are you bisexual? Are you straight? Are you gay?” I’ve gotten so many of those questions, and I don’t even know myself how to answer that. All I know is I’m in a straight relationship that I’m very happy in, and I never turned down the idea of dating women. I never turned down the idea of dating guys in the past. Women were who I fell in love with before.

But on the internet, they want to say things like “Oh she was a lesbian.” But no, I feel like you fall in love with who you love with. If it’s a girl, it’s a girl. If it’s a guy, it’s a guy.

AE: Did you ever talk about it on the show?

SR: It was never an issue. Of course people are curious, especially straight guys. Because I would never, ever make out with other girls in front of people. I wouldn’t do that, that’s not me. If anything, I’ll kiss a girl but behind a closed door because I was embarrassed and didn’t want other people to watch.

The guys ask “Do you just hook up with girls at party and stuff?” No, I never did that — never ever. That’s not me.

AE: So we won’t see you in a hot tub making out with your girl roommates when you’re drunk?

SR: Definitely not. That’s something I don’t think I’m sad to give away. I’m in a very monogamous relationship. When you love someone, it’s not really that difficult to go three months without doing anything.

AE: Have you been able to see any of the show yet?

SR: I did see the first episode, and I love it.

AE: Do you think you come off as how you really are? It’s still early, I know.

SR: The camera doesn’t lie. If we said something, we said it. Sure, everything is up for interpretation. Some people might interpret something as mean, some people might think it’s not.

AE: Did you have as hard a time in Brooklyn as the New York press has made it out to be? It seemed like some of the people who live in Brooklyn were not too keen on having you living there.

SR: I don’t think that it was us, so much. They have their spots in Brooklyn that — it’s kind of a “locals only” kind of thing. It’s the same reason they don’t want people from Jersey or other places in there.

Coming from San Francisco, I have places like that of my own that I wouldn’t want a camera crew showing up and then everyone starts going there. I bet people move to Brooklyn so they don’t have to deal with that. That’s the scene there. We threw a little pebble into it.

But some people got to know us. Places we’d go, people got to know us, if only one of us was in there without a camera. There was no, “Hey, Real World people, get out of here!” It was mainly people on the street who probably sent in audition tapes.

AE: What are you doing now that the show is over?

SR: I’m back home in San Francisco. I’m moving from my house into my boyfriend’s house. We’ve been living together. I’ve played a lot of video games. I’m just hanging out. I’m still in school.

I worked with a great non-profit while in New York called Free Arts and they do not have anybody representing them in San Francisco. I would love, if I could, to start my own non-profit to bring art to inner city or underprivileged kids.

AE: Do you foresee yourself being part of any of the Real World challenges in the future?

SR: If they asked me to, I would. I’m definitely a competitive person, for sure. Anything I have the opportunity to win at! They ask you to do that, so, yeah I’m up for anything.

AE: And then you could use the money to start your own non-profit.

SR: The most important thing is finding funding for your non-profit. Once the money’s there, it’s easy. I mean, if there’s anything I’m going to use my, I don’t know what you want to call it, “fame, notoriety,” whatever, for, it’s for hopefully getting funding to start it up, and to put money where it should go.

AE: One last question about your sexuality: Because you have dated mostly women, have you felt like you’ve faced any scrutiny from the lesbian or bisexual community now that you’re dating a man?

SR: I felt really ostracized when I first started dating guys. It was like all the friends I had that were part of the lesbian community didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. They thought it was just a phase. I hope people would want you to be happy with someone you are happy with.

For the same reason I am a huge supporter of gay rights and the right to marry. I think we should all be able to love who we want to love and just leave it at that. I definitely felt heat from the lesbian community.

AE: Do you fear any judgement of that from your being on the show?

SR: Not really. No, no. I don’t care. I’m happy in the relationship I’m in. I know people are going to say things no matter what so you know, whatever. The people I lived with knew my boyfriend and met him. They liked him, got along with him. They really saw me as the girl with the boyfriend. The girl who used to date women and now has a boyfriend.

AE: They thought, “She’s not going to get with any of us.”

SR: Yeah, sorry! I wasn’t interested in anybody on the show. I love them all, they’re just not my type at all. We’re all very, very good friends.

AE: Good, that makes it easy.

SR: Yeah it was like “Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.” They’re all attractive people, just not my type.

AE: Is there anything else you want me to know about you?

SR: If anybody ever wants to ask me any questions or contacts me, they can visit iamonmtv.com. I read all of the comments and of the e-mails and everything goes straight to me.

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