MTV's 'Ex on the Beach' Pushes the Envelope with LGBTQ+-Inclusive Season

One of the drearier aspects of reality dating is their heteronormality. Imagine if "The Bachelor" were to include LGBTQ+ contestants in the mix to liven things up. Inadvertently the show did once, with Colton Underwood, whom they promoted as the "virgin" bachelor who chose not to have sex because of his beliefs, but it turned out it was because he wasn't particularly interested in the opposite sex.

But as MTV's dating reality show "Are You The One?" proved it's possible to mix things up with its eighth season, which aired in 2019. Entitled "Come One, Come All," the show featured a cast of 16 sexually-fluid singles who successfully found their perfect matches and won $750,000. "It was a historic moment in a historic season of MTV's hit reality dating show," wrote Women's Health on the season.

Now on "Ex on the Beach," a second MTV dating show, is bringing LGBTQ+ contestants into its mix:�Arisce Wanzer, a trans model who was previously seen on "Strut"; her bi ex, Mike Mulderrig (from "Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club"); and David Barta, from "Paradise Hotel," who identifies as bisexual. The show's concept brings together a group of singles to a luxury resort, as well as their exes for added drama.

And it didn't take long for the sparks to fly on the fifth season's first episode, when Barta confessed to having met Mulderrig and having a crush on him. Mulderrig had broken up with Wanzer due to her lack wanting to be monogamous; now in a position to play payback, Mulderrig looks to take things further with Barta.

Such behavior is to be expected, but by adding the LGBTQ+ element, " 'Ex on the Beach'�breaks barriers in reality television," writes Show Biz Cheat Sheet.

In an interview with "Show Biz Cheat Sheet," Barta said "the fluidity in the series has a natural flow, something missing from most dating shows. 'I think that that's one thing that this show in particular in comparison to other reality shows in general, let alone dating shows, is, showing the dynamic of�relationships within the LGBTQ community,'"

Wanzer said that she was a bit surprised when Mulderrig kissed Barta so quickly, but added she doesn't see Barta as competition. "I don't see competition in other people," she said. "I only compete with myself. So I'm not going to compare myself, especially to someone like David, because we do not offer the same things. So it's like literal apples and oranges. And so, yes, if he wants to go that direction, then [shrug]. Or if he wants to stay here, then [shrug]. What are we doing? Kill it. What are we doing? So, yeah, it's all just unexpected stuff, and everyone's world gets turned upside down all season. So look forward to that. We all get stressed out to the limit."

Barta agreed that dating people of different genders does raise a different set of questions. "When you're dating someone who is interested in multiple genders, it's like, how do you go about that?" he said. "Do you become extremely jealous, or do you understand, like Arisce said, 'I can't compete where I don't compare?'

"Because at the end of the day, different people and different genders offer different things. And bring different things to the table. So I think the show does a really good job, but not that I've seen on any other dating shows before, like the true dynamic of that."

He added: "And I think it really kills a lot of stigmas that are out there about just the nature of LGBTQ relationships. As well as stigmas of over- and hyper-sexualizing people�within the queer community."

What Barta has learned is that being bisexual isn't necessarily embraced by everyone he has dated. "There are going to be people who I want to date or be with. And once they find out my truth, they're not going to be with me. And I learned that I have to be OK with that, and understand and not take full offense to it. I feel like on the show I may have experienced a couple of times where I took offense to maybe people not fully understanding."