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The Mole season 2 finalists discuss queer representation on reality TV
Michael and Deanna tell Out how they represented the LGBTQ+ community in the second season of Netflix's The Mole.
Editor's note: this article contains spoilers for season 2 of Netflix's The Mole.
Michael and Deanna joined the cast of Netflix's The Mole season 2 without knowing the dizzying twists and turns that the reality competition series would throw at them. In the end, however, Michael (a 30-year-old parking manager who identifies as a gay man) won the show and cashed in the final pot cash prize of $154,000.
"One of my main reasons for going on reality TV is, growing up, I never really had anyone to look up to that was like me," Michael tells Out in an interview. "I could be very masculine but very feminine at the same time. I could play sports, but I could be doing a death drop on a dance floor. I wanted to be able to represent people like me, [showing] that it's okay to be gay. It's okay to have a family that loves you for you."
The winner of The Mole season 2 added, "I get DMs daily right now from people thanking me for just living as my authentic self, and how they want to be able to come out of the closet because they saw someone like me. I could probably tear up right now. It's the best experience. The best thing I've got from this show is everyone reaching out, knowing [that] I was able to reach out to them in some way."
Deanna, a 50-year-old "web sleuth," made her first big splash on TV with an appearance on the hit Netflix docuseries Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. But competing on The Mole was nothing like the online sleuthing work she had demonstrated on Don't F**k With Cats.
"It was night and day," Deanna says. "Night and day! With Don't F With Cats, I knew everything. I was the storyteller. I was the narrator. I had all the facts. Going into The Mole, I didn't know anything, right? So you can't even compare the two. It was so different. I mean, both are very, very fun and exciting and whatnot, but very different experiences."
Given that her sexuality wasn't widely explored on The Mole, we asked if Deanna wanted to share any update or statement about how she identifies.
"I thought I was bisexual for many, many years, but it turns out I'm a big gay lesbian, and here I am," Deanna tells Out. "They don't really show it on The Mole so much… Not really at all, and that's fine. I'm not really getting any feedback from the LGBTQ+ community right now, but I did for Don't F With Cats because I talked about it a lot back then."
She adds, "For The Mole, I'm getting a lot of DMs from women my age right now, 50 years old, overweight, [saying,] 'I can't believe you did that. Oh my god.' So that's really cool. It's been a good experience."
With two LGBTQ+ finalists and even a winner, this second season of The Mole was definitely an exciting cycle of reality TV for the girls, gays, and theys!
The Mole season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
