The Queer History of Survivor and Its Memorable LGBTQ Moments
Several years ago, when Whitnee and I first started dating, she introduced me to one of her favorite shows. “Don’t laugh,” she said, correctly assuming that I would find the 7x Emmy Award winning, 20 year long CBS franchise Survivor a comical viewing choice for two twenty-something lesbians. Count me 100% wrong.
Reader, it did not take long for my interest in Survivor to skyrocket into a full-fledged obsession. I’ve listened to hundreds of hours of Survivor related podcasts, devoured obscure Reddit posts, and actually made an audition tape. I never miss a Survivor Wednesday night. I’m HOOKED, and let me tell you why.
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To win the million dollars on Survivor, you have to physically live on an island without shelter and a truly meager supply of food for 39 days. To put that into perspective, most of America has quarantined for about that amount of time or less. Add this in with the physically exhausting reward and immunity challenges, and it’s easy to see why players routinely struggle to make sound decisions. The hitch is, you have to make solid social decisions almost around the clock, because the contestants you vote out wind up being the jury of voters who will decide the winner. So, theoretically you can be a total asshole and get all the way to the end, but the jury will be so burned by you that you go home a loser.
A Survivor winner has to thread the needle of being genuine, but not naive; friendly, but not a pushover; manipulative, but also under the radar. It’s a near impossible mixture of social charm, physical endurance and luck. To make it through over a month of screwing people over but being chill enough that people still reward you with the million means you gave it your blood, sweat and tears. That also makes incredibly compelling narratives and a shared vulnerability between players that is often absent on reality TV.
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Complicating matters more, queer contestants face a steeper hill than most, considering that when the jury selects the winner, it’s based totally on their biases and subjective realities. The jury is another complex element of how this fits into a queer narrative, because the first gay contestant and first winner ever, Richard Hatch, played in 2000. Coming fresh out of the 90’s, queer people were just starting to be visible on TV. The first season of Survivor came just 3 years after Ellen’s big coming out moment that stirred up a storm of controversy and backlash. The few queer characters to make it into the cultural narrative during that time often had stereotypical archetypes built around them to buffer the audience from having to engage with them in an empathic way.
Because of this format, lots of hetero conservatives on the jury overwhelmingly prefer straight cis men, making the queer winners that much more deserving. Richard of Season 1 was able to play and win, but he’s been only one of two gay contestants to do so in the show’s 40 seasons. Despite the disparity in winners, plenty of awesome (and not so awesome) queer contestants have blessed our TV screens over the last 20 years.
Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic queer players and the memorable moments they’ve brought to the show.
*** The following contains spoilers for Seasons 1-39 of Survivor***
Brett Labelle Comes Out To Fellow Tribe Mate Zeke Smith
Brett Labelle: Millenials vs. Gen X (2016)
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In the game of Survivor, you’re separated from your family and loved ones for over a month. You’re forced to build intimacy with total strangers and hope that they are not plotting to snuff out your torch behind your back. That’s why this moment, when Brett felt his relationship with Zeke was strong enough to come out to him, was so particularly tender. During his coming out moment, Brett said, “I didn’t grow up in a time where it was normal to talk about being gay. And the millennials do not care. Zeke finds comfort in being himself and I think that’s great. And I’m hoping as my life goes on from here on out, I can be that way.” Moments of coming out on television are still few and far between, which is why visibility like this matters so much.
Zeke Smith Forcibly Outed at Tribal Council
Zeke Smith: Game Changers (2017)
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Zeke, the guy Brett came out to, played his entire game in Millennials vs. Gen X without the topic of his gender identity surfacing in conversation. Not only did his fellow contestants not know, but production also held to Zeke’s wishes to keep his trans identity private. Zeke chose not to disclose this because he didn’t want being trans to be central to his game, and it stayed that way until the following season, Game Changers, when another player forcibly outed him. Worse still, the player that outed him, Jeff Varner, is also a member of the LGBTQ community and identifies as a gay man. Jeff Varner thought that by outing Zeke he would expose him as a devious liar, a common yet deadly trope that paints trans people as intentionally deceitful. Zeke’s tribe instantly rebuked Jeff, and in an unprecedented event he was verbally voted out and asked to leave immediately. For this reason, Jeff Varner will not be on this list other than to describe this moment. We do not stan a transphobe.
Since then, Jeff has repeatedly apologized. Hopefully he did actually learn his lesson! Zeke played it cool and took the moment as it came, stayed classy and let the chips fall where they did. He later wrote a piece for The Hollywood Reporter on the incident, stating that “it’s a case study in how you should respond to injustice,” and has spoken and written many times about how this moment can spin into something positive for the trans community. While it should never have happened in the first place, it did demonstrably expose the toxicity of transphobia and why it’s never okay to punch down, especially within the LGBTQ community.
Queer Visibility, Family Style
Ami Cusak: Vanuatu (2004) and Micronesia (2008)
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Speaking of visibility that matters, Ami Cusak brought her partner out to compete in the coveted Loved One’s Challenge way back when in season 9. The Loved One’s visit is always a tearjerker, because it’s the only moment when all the players can drop their cutthroat personas and just be people again. We see the biggest villains reduced to tears, and the players we love the most experience a brief reprieve from competing. So, when Ami brought her partner out, it was a pivotal moment for lesbians on TV all the way back in 2004! Ami was such a dominant force and an easy player to root for, giving reality TV-loving lesbians representation we deserve. Ami is the original queen of women alliances, though that crown has since passed to Parvati Shallow of the Black Widow Brigade (more on that later). She was very popular, making it to day 33 out of 39 but ultimately did not make it to final 3. Sadly, that is still the closest a lesbian has gotten to the final 3, but I still have hope that I will make it out there one day and give them a run for their money.
Mike White: David vs. Goliath (2018)
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Another gay who brought his partner out is Mike White in season 37, David vs. Goliath. Mike White, better known as Mr. Schneebly from School of Rock, came into Survivor as a self described “Survivor fanatic,” even going as far as saying that everyone in the film industry that wants Oscars are “losers” because they haven’t won Survivor. A classic queer moment for him came as one of his tribemates bemoaned not having coffee, and Mike replied “yeah, I need a soy latte STAT.” Don’t we all, Mike. He made it to the famous “loved one’s visit,” bringing us a touching gay moment between him and his boyfriend. He is one the few queer contestants to successfully make it to the final tribal council, but only received 3 votes despite his well developed game. Another dose of preference for the straight white guy against a gay man and a woman of color, but I digress…
Good Old Fashioned Drama, the Queer-Quitter Edition
Colton Cumbie: One World (2012) and Blood vs. Water (2013)
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Colton, Colton, Colton… There is so much to say about this gay Republican wildcard. The physicality of Survivor often gets underplayed, but it’s extremely physically demanding just to exist out there. Survivors are only allotted one cup of rice per day, and that’s all they get unless they successfully catch fish or harvest fruit (which is way harder than it sounds). On top of starvation, contestants routinely have to navigate excruciating challenges that not only test physical endurance but mental fortitude as well. Needless to say, the game has seen its fair share of voluntary exits. At some point, the elements became too much for Colton to bear, and he left with a dubious medical excuse. Probst, the host, basically called bullshit but let him go under the excuse of a medical emergency anyway. Later, Colton revealed that he definitely did not have a medical emergency and just quit because he had a bad tummy ache. But, Colton did leave behind one positive lasting legacy when he played with his fiancé, Caleb. Caleb was the astrological opposite of Colton, so he was pretty popular with his tribe. Caleb and Colton brought another layer of gay visibility on Survivor, and they deserve props for that. Sadly, Caleb passed away in an accident in 2014, shortly before their wedding. Rest in peace, Caleb.
The Infamous Black Widow Brigade Strikes Erik
Natalie Bolton: Micronesia (2008)
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Natalie, one of the members of Parvati’s Black Widow Brigade, pulled off one of the biggest moves in Survivor history. As we all know, each episode at least one player gets voted out of the tribe. I’m sure we’ve all heard the iconic “the tribe has spoken” catchphrase that Jeff Probst imprinted onto the cultural lexicon for generations. The ONLY way you know for sure that you are safe is if you play a hidden immunity idol, or more commonly, if you won immunity in the preceding challenge. The BWB were a gang of women with an agenda to vote out all the men to boost their chances in the game, but Erik Reichenbach, a man, kept winning immunity challenges and thus thwarting their plans. No matter, because Natalie and the gals CONVINCED HIM TO GIVE HIS IMMUNITY NECKLACE TO NATALIE for basically no reason. That’s right, these badass women literally talked him into a false sense of security so much so that he actually thought they were going to--what, disband and let him into final 3? The fact that this went down at all remains one of the most embarrassing moments for any player from any season, and our bisexual friend Natalie and her BWB babes were behind it all. Plus, ya gotta love a woman who describes herself as a hot-headed bitch. More of that please, CBS.
The Elements Come for the Queers
Lyrsa Torres: David vs Goliath (2018)
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A powerhouse queer-latinx woman, Lyrsa made me crack up during her season. She’s the perfect mix of dramatic and funny, and brought a much needed playfulness to the season 37 cast while they were duking it out with mother nature. The poor cast and crew of S37 had to live through TWO cyclones while on the beach, one of which forced them to partially evacuate to a different location for a night. Lyrsa did not get enough screen time and only made it to day 17, but she stole a lot of secret scenes (clips CBS puts out online) and also stole many of our hearts.
Lyrsa shared the stage with fellow gays Jeremy Crawford and Mike White, tying seasons 16 and 39 for most LGBTQ contestants in a single season.
A Gay Wins The Title of Sole Survivor Again
Todd Herzog: China (2007)
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One of two gay winners, Todd Herzog, embraced the outwit theme of the show by lying his way to final tribal council. As expected, he initially had a tough time smooth-talking the jury, but he changed course and famously made a great case for himself, winning that million dollar prize. Todd was really ahead of his time, because his advanced manipulation didn’t become a huge part of winning until the “New School Era,” and Todd played in the Old School time period. He won against two of my faves, Amanda Kimnmel and Courtney Yates, but I’m glad they at least got to the final 3 together.
Sadly, Todd had a tough time adjusting to affluence, and had a very public breakdown on Dr. Phil. As of his 2017 appearance on Rob Has a Podcast, Todd stated he is now sober and doing well. We wish the best for you, Todd!
Shambo-Rambo’s Legendary Feud with Laura
Shambo Waters: Samoa (2009)
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One of the better known lesbian women on Survivor and one of its most flavorful players is Shambo. Shambo, a former Marine, came into her tribe with a fury, famously feuding with her own alliance members Laura Morett and Dave Ball. But who can blame her when Laura is a certified Karen and Dave is a total dudebro! Shambo embraced her experience of being outside of the “90210 clique” because “she’d rather be “Rambo Shambo,” whatever that means. At one point when Shambo wins a reward challenge and gets to decide who can score an invitation to her afternoon of lunch on a sailboat and who stays behind, she WITHOUT HESITATION picks Laura to miss out. You love to see it! Let the record reflect that I’m siding with Shambo in this decision, because anyone who adopts the life motto “if your feelings get hurt, then that’s on you,” is a notch down on my pole. YUCK, Laura. No wonder your own daughter voted you out! Shambo was asked back for several future seasons but unfortunately has declined them all.
Brice and His Iconic Purple Pants
Brice Johnston: Cagayan (2014)
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Brice Johntson, aka the Purple Pants Badass, blessed our screens with his hilarity in Season 28, Cagayan. He schemed and he lied, he tried and tried, but he unfortunately had an early exit on day 8. I feel for Brice because his tribe was… something else. Despite his early exit, Brice remains one of the most well known gay players of Survivor, because who could deny those badass purple pants?!
Tai Trang Kisses the Night Away
Tai Trang: Kaôh Rōng (2016)
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Tai is one of the most lovable castaways yet. He was universally liked for his easygoing nature and love of life. He even leveraged his social clout so much so that he convinced his tribe to not kill a chicken they won. You try telling a bunch of adult strangers who have been starving for weeks they can’t eat a chicken just because you bonded with it! Tai was so engaging that he thought he could get away with stealing a kiss from one of his straight tribemates. And you know what, for a second there it almost worked.
Sia Plays Favorites
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Survivor clearly creates diehard fans across many walks of life, and that includes elusive celebrities as well. The singer Sia loves Survivor so much that she has been known to award certain contestants at the finale for basically just being her favorite. She’s given what’s known as “The Sia Award” by Survivor enthusiasts to 8 players, half of which are LGBTQ. Sia herself is queer, so these “interruptions” (I’m sure she lets production in on her cameos, no?) create queer moments in themselves. Love some queer to queer recognition! Her favorite gays so far are: Tai Trang, Aurora McCreary, Donathan Hurley, and Elaine Stott.
As of May 2020, there have been over 60 LGBTQ survivor contestants! Neither Richard nor Todd came back for Winners at War, but hopefully we see more LGBTQ contestants in future seasons. Ideally more queer women, but who’s asking me?
Some honorable mentions that are also definitely worthy of a watch:
Aurora McCreary, noted Sia favorite
Josh Canfield, super sweet Broadway gay
Elaine Stott, lovable southern Sia favorite
John Carroll, king that voted out Boston Rob
Ron Clark, the teacher you wished you had
I’m looking forward to Season 41 already!
