Lez Keep It Real

These days it seems that just about everyone is a lesbian. Maybe that’s what’s really going on here. Maybe, we are all gay inside and we all just need a little prodding here and there to finally admit it. Or maybe I drank to much gourmet coffee this morning. When my friend Allison sent me this story I thought it was a publicity stunt of some kind, but it’s legit. Coral currently pinch hits for the Lesbo Lovers … I wonder if she’ll stay on the roster?

Why do you think you were picked for The Real World?
To this day, I really don’t know. It could possibly be my breasts. They’re very large. I did talk a lot of shit. I was very outgoing. Maybe they thought it would be easier to shoot me than some introvert.

You weren’t exactly the “nice person” that season.
I was the bitch of my season. Not the ‘Oh my God, I hate that bitch and want to kill her!’ It was more like ‘She’ll tell me what she thinks. She’s outspoken and not going to let anybody get away with anything.’ For me, that’s not bad. Yes, I was the bitch of my season, but every season has one. I’d rather be the bitch than the slut.

There’s definitely one of those every season.
There is! There’s the slut and the bitch. I’ll take the bitch, thank you.

They keep calling you back!
For every challenge, they call me back. For the last two, I’ve declined. I was working on other projects. Right now I’m contemplating going on the next one. Honestly, they’re very stressful. I just don’t feel like going to Mexico to cuss a bunch of people out. It’s not worth my time. Plus, I’m old. They’ve got 19-year old girls on there. And I have a record of never being voted off. I’m trying to keep that record. (Laughing.)

What is your sexual orientation?
You dated men on Real World.
Oh, yeah. It’s very cloudy at this point in time. I’m definitely venturing toward my lesbian qualities. It’s been a long time coming. At that time, I was really unsure. That was not the proper venue, the proper platform. To come out to your parents on a fucking reality show, I think that’s just mean, so I didn’t.

Your girlfriend is very beautiful.
She’s not my girlfriend. I’m attracted to beautiful women. Beautiful women tend to be attracted to me. It really seems to work out for me.

You’re coming out more, doing LGBT events?
I’ve always been really supportive of the community. I just felt it was something I belonged to and had to show up for. I love doing this kind of thing. It’s really positive and shows we’re capable and can run shit. Gay men run shit in L.A., honey. If you want to go out with somebody in L.A., they have businesses and money and depth. Gay men are coming up and are very under-estimated.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility now that you’re coming out?
I guess I get a little nervous. Just saying it is a little . . . It’s a little surreal. I’m not scared. I walk around holding hands. It’s not a problem for me, but I do fear backlash to some degree. Everyone has something negative to say, and I don’t really want to deal with it. Other than that, I don’t care. Hell, I’m old. I’m 28!

That is not old.
I know, but I can’t live my life like that anymore. I felt I was shorting myself. At the time I came out, I was dating someone really special. I wanted to introduce them. That was my thing: If I’m dating someone really, really, really special, that was the time to come out. I wanted to introduce them to the woman I love. It was all about timing for me.

On one hand, it’s great to come when you’ll have that personal support. On the other, it’s frustrating that we, as a community, feel we need that “excuse” – that relationship . . .
We have to have an excuse, that relationship to “validate” us. It becomes, “It’s because I love her, as a person. It doesn’t anything to do with me being gay . . .” It is a shame! I think that it’s mostly because there are so many old people. When they die off, we’ll be fine. In 20 years, 25 years, it will be no big deal. In other countries, Brazil, Australia, they don’t care about that type of stuff. I think we’re just kind of behind a little bit.

Is there a division in the lesbian community…
Oh, you mean between the butch/femme, the andro…

Between the politicized and less political lesbian?
Yes, but I just live my life regular and have regular relationships. I’ve never been a “politics” person. I don’t fit in. I’m not really a Democrat, and I’m definitely not a Republican. I just try to stay out of that, working in [San Francisco], we have a GLBT Center there, and in counseling. I work at a rape crisis center. Stuff like that is more ‘home’ to me. Politically, what I say there doesn’t matter. Stuff happens above me.

Is it a difficult transition from television celebrity to working at a rape crisis center?
I did that right when I got off. No, it wasn’t difficult for me. I consider myself a regular person. I’m not that famous. I can still walk around. People just want pictures. I love it! I think it’s hot. I was a big dork in high school, so now it’s payback. My 10 year reunion is coming, and I’m going – and bringing a date! I’m actually really happy right now. I’m really happy!
- Out-Look Magazine

I’ve got my money on Kathy Griffin to be the next D-list celebrity to make waves by showing off her lesbian qualities!

mtv, the real world, coral, lesbian qualities, kathy griffin, d-list celebrity, outlook magazine