2019 marked a major milestone in the growing acceptance of the LGBT community on mainstream television. For the first time, a romantic reality dating series had an entire cast consist solely of sexually-fluid contestants when Season 8 of MTV's Are You The One? gave the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer-plus community a chance to find love. Bachelor Nation welcomed a rarity to their franchise when 2019 Bachelor contestant Demi Burnett found love with a same-sex individual, Kristian Haggerty, on Bachelor in Paradise. And two LGBT-friendly series continued along in RuPaul's Drag Race and the second generation of Queer Eye, featuring Karamo Brown - himself an proud alum of The Real World and The Challenge and who competed on last fall's Dancing with the Stars. And it's in this backdrop that we spotlight another alum of both series here.
That eye-opening moment seen on The Real World -- coming about by a controversial action by members of his organization and captured by cameras of a show which has documented generations of the MTV audience going through life changing moments such as that -- is only part of the mesmerizing journey of a person who has experienced a lot during his life. He was well liked when he was a Challenge rookie where he gained everyone's support, and it came after another harrowing experience that came about after he was medically evacuated from South America, and one channeling an alarming trend in the showbiz industry that had the verdict of its most high-profile case handed down this week.
We first got to look at the individual once known as Christopher Ammon-Hall and now known just as Amo on Season 31 of Real World - Go Big or Go Home in Las Vegas back in 2016, and then on The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30 a year later. But a lot has happened for him in between those two MTV shows and after he left that Challenge in an ambulance... including the new frontier that Amo is now embarking on: transitioning into a female, something that if you're a reality TV fan is something that is familiar. It's only part of this fascinating backstory.
When rumors and word first got out of who would be on the cast of the landmark thirtieth season of The Challenge three years ago -- which began almost after the cast flew out of the U.S. to begin filming in Colombia, everyone expected that the big-name veterans would make their way to this big season. As expected CT, Cara Maria, Derrick, Bananas and the like were chosen with the intentions of adding to their trophy case in what would become the first season in the history of the industry's original reality competition series to offer $1 million. Ultimately, Jordan would win the second of his three Challenge titles there, and Camila would win her second... though it's her behavior en route to that win that, unfortunately, is more remembered.
Those from fairly recent MTV Reality seasons - as far back as Real World Back to New Orleans and through to Season 5 of Are You The One? - were also cast into what would become the Dirty 30: Jemmye, Derrick H. and those in between brought fans both old and new to this fifth major pro sport, and to a season that had it all to begin a trilogy built around dirty play and rivals. Even a lady whose first MTV appearance was in 1999 when the first iteration of TRL was on the air gave the idea of playing dirty reason to give it one more try as she approached her 40's, and who first competed when some of these Dirty 30 competitors were going to elementary school.
Those from fairly recent MTV Reality seasons - as far back as Real World Back to New Orleans and through to Season 5 of Are You The One? - were also cast into what would become the Dirty 30: Jemmye, Derrick H. and those in between brought fans both old and new to this fifth major pro sport, and to a season that had it all to begin a trilogy built around dirty play and rivals. Even a lady whose first MTV appearance was in 1999 when the first iteration of TRL was on the air gave the idea of playing dirty reason to give it one more try as she approached her 40's, and who first competed when some of these Dirty 30 competitors were going to elementary school.
But amidst the sight of seeing all of these people who have epitomized the characteristic of playing dirty from all walks of life, manipulate members of their own casts on past seasons, and using questionable tactics to win at all costs, almost no one expected that the person we are focusing on would be making a return to MTV to do a Challenge, let alone become someone who was in consideration for Rookie of the Year until late in the season… one that had both its moments of great competition and compelling drama, sometimes of a controversial nature.
When Chris came to his Real World season in Downtown Las Vegas (where I was when filming began in October 2015), he had lots on his mind even before stepping into the Gold Spike Hotel, which hosted the legendary show's third trip to America's pleasure playground. You would think that at first he would be that hipster guy... and he is from just looking at him in walking along Fremont Street. But you probably wouldn't know that had already gone through so much before arriving in Southern Nevada.
In a special guest post he wrote for MTV.com during that season, he discussed about the show's title and how it meant so much more than just the theme of that Road Rules-influenced season: ""Go big or go home" had special meaning to me. For me, it literally meant: "Go big," or you will be forced to return to the life you have sacrificed everything to escape from. "Go big," or live with the knowledge that giving up your family, your community and everything you've ever been taught has been for nothing."
When he grew up with his parents who had a tumultuous marriage, it would've been a totally radical idea for someone from such a conservative part of the country and with his strict family background that he would apply to go on a Real World season, much less be allowed to watch MTV in his own house considering the risqué nature of the show and the channel it airs on. When he brought up the show to his parents, it was no surprise that they reacted with, "Homosexuality, AIDS, sex, drugs, drinking... it's a wonder they even permit such things to be on TV."
His family has a long and proud Mormon heritage and whose ancestry dates all the back to the patriarch of American Mormonism, Joseph Smith. Chris' grandfather, Grant Von Harrison, was a foremost authority on everything related to Mormon doctrine whose circulation reached into the millions. However, he had never had the time to read of any of his books, even when he saw prominent LDS leaders made visits to his grandparents' house to discuss ideas with Harrison.
Ammo was one of several rookies in that Dirty 30 cast, and went 1-1 in the elimination arena: he sent Tony to the Redemption House before the emergence of Tony Time, and then lost to the aforementioned Jordan in a wrestling-themed elimination, which then saw Ammo collapse to the ground and eventually was medically evacuated before getting a second shot. He left with everyone's respect, but above all, he was already a winner just by being someone who can take pride in just being himself and being able to bring into light an aspect of our present-day society that sometimes gets overlooked but is a fascinating story nonetheless... all during a tense time in this country.
When Chris came to his Real World season in Downtown Las Vegas (where I was when filming began in October 2015), he had lots on his mind even before stepping into the Gold Spike Hotel, which hosted the legendary show's third trip to America's pleasure playground. You would think that at first he would be that hipster guy... and he is from just looking at him in walking along Fremont Street. But you probably wouldn't know that had already gone through so much before arriving in Southern Nevada.In a special guest post he wrote for MTV.com during that season, he discussed about the show's title and how it meant so much more than just the theme of that Road Rules-influenced season: ""Go big or go home" had special meaning to me. For me, it literally meant: "Go big," or you will be forced to return to the life you have sacrificed everything to escape from. "Go big," or live with the knowledge that giving up your family, your community and everything you've ever been taught has been for nothing."
When he grew up with his parents who had a tumultuous marriage, it would've been a totally radical idea for someone from such a conservative part of the country and with his strict family background that he would apply to go on a Real World season, much less be allowed to watch MTV in his own house considering the risqué nature of the show and the channel it airs on. When he brought up the show to his parents, it was no surprise that they reacted with, "Homosexuality, AIDS, sex, drugs, drinking... it's a wonder they even permit such things to be on TV."
His family has a long and proud Mormon heritage and whose ancestry dates all the back to the patriarch of American Mormonism, Joseph Smith. Chris' grandfather, Grant Von Harrison, was a foremost authority on everything related to Mormon doctrine whose circulation reached into the millions. However, he had never had the time to read of any of his books, even when he saw prominent LDS leaders made visits to his grandparents' house to discuss ideas with Harrison.
But deep inside, Chris had no conception of the definition of the word "gay." He wrote in his MTV post, "My exposure to homosexuality was limited to the pamphlets given to me by the bishops of my church, most of which identified the 'sin' of same-sex attraction to be 'next to the crime of murder' in its severity. Given my parent’s tempestuous marriage and the limited discussions about sex, love and relationships in my religious community, I developed an intense mistrust of all 3 at an incredibly early age."
While his mom and dad were filing their separation papers, Chris began to come to terms about his sexuality and admitted to being a loner. In another post he wrote for the Huff Post, when they were arguing all night long for some reason he was put into the discussion, and it didn't take long for the parents to send him packing... and when he needed somewhere to sleep to get away from Utah's cold and damp weather, he found a refuge in moving in with a friend nearby. There, he told him about his frustrations with what had been happening back home, and then proceeded to go something more. By the time he went to sleep, he began to ask himself if he was gay, and what was wrong with him.
When he was attending Brigham Young University he had found out through social media and dating apps that homosexual men were searched for around the campus and the city like cops looking for a wanted criminal and then being forced to come out to their friends and family, he started becoming skeptical. And when a friend of his got drugged and raped by another student at the campus, it led to Chris getting an expulsion letter in the mail but it never came to the attention of the cops even after a bishop heard this story.
It was after that ordeal that he decided to drop out of BYU, and that was just the beginning. Shortly after, he decided to come out in admitting that he was "pan sexual," meaning "not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity." Not surprisingly, they responded by disowning him, as finally he can breathe a sigh of relief about who he is. And he would then say farewell to the town he had spent his childhood, adolescence and first few years of adulthood, and moved cross country to New York. And eventually, he would apply to go on Real World, and got a first glimpse of what it would be like wearing women's clothes when he and fellow male roommates Dione and Dean, were challenged to wear female clothes and makeup in wearing drag at a Vegas gay nightclub.
Watching Dirty 30, you might have wondered why Ammo got his spot there and not someone like the ultimate dirty player in master manipulator Wes or Derrick H.'s AYTO castmate Hayden for pulling a Bananas/Ashley-like steal on the Second Chances spinoff earlier that year. It was because of something that took place a month into Ammo's season - one that not only gave him and Kailah a chance to warm up for The Challenge through RR-like missions in a city where going big is a way of life, but also was marked by some of the same racial tensions that have been taking place right now and on Dirty 30 when Camila decided to stoop low and paid a heavy price in the end.
Shortly after "The Leak," Chris was faced with what was his biggest challenge yet: going up against the most prestigious public institution in the entire state of Utah and thus, an entire religion.
Mormonism is defined in Wikipedia as "the predominant religious tradition of the Ladder Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity." Founded almost 200 years ago in Upstate New York and later settling out in Salt Lake City, the Church of Ladder Day Saints have been the voice of the Mormon culture, which includes retired Senator Harry Reid and Maze Runner author James Dashner, a month others. The Mormon lifestyle places church and family at the top, takes out alcohol and bad habits, and explicitly tells young adults to not have sex until they get married, among other things.
This wasn't the first time that Real World has featured someone with a Mormon background: twenty years ago, Julie Stouffer went onto the RW New Orleans house and led the college she went to, Brigham Young University (ironically owned by the Ladder Day Saints), to expel her for living in a co-ed house - something that goes against the Church's beliefs. At decade's end, Chet Cannon moved into the RW Brooklyn house, and aside from his always unique fashion and nostalgia for the 90's he has become an outspoken conservative supporter and trolls anyone who leans to the left - just glancing at his Twitter account is proof of that.
Something that's also frowned upon by the LDS has been homosexuality and conservative, sometimes negative, views of gays and lesbians. In a year that saw the Supreme Court's game-changing decision making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, in 2015 the Church made a bold move: news leaked that the Church had announced a change in their policy in which same-sex couples would be deemed by them to be apostate, thus being renounced from the Mormon membership. Additionally, any children gay couples would adopt could not be baptized until the age of 18, had to live out of their home, and responsibility or support for them would not be granted.
The result was a flood of controversy across social media and mostly negative outrage from the LGBT community condemning the anti-gay decision, culminating in a mass resignation that took place outside the Latter Day Saints' Salt Lake City headquarters. Nearly 2,000 people gathered to protest the Church's decision, and six former attorneys were present to make their decision official. Every time a person went up to the mic and speak, cheers and applause reined from supporters.
After receiving a tip from producers about it and with Kailah going along for the trip, Chris headed eastward back to his hometown to take on the most demanding mission of anyone in his cast: to go and speak at the resignation. Before he went home to Utah, he discussed the pressure he was up against: "I feel a lot of pressure. It's not my story that needs to be heard, it's the story of so many other people who I knew and who had liked me. Now, I have this opportunity to tell it and I just wanna make sure that I do it in a way that just brings them, if not, some amount of justice... just a small amount of closure. I never thought I would have the chance to share these stories because we have just been made to be quiet for so long. This is probably one of the most important things I will do in my entire life."
After taking a day to pen his speech - and in wearing all-black in dressing like he was going to a funeral, what follows below is his resignation speech in its unedited entirety (also available on LGBT site Advocate), eventually breaking down in tears after giving the defining speech of his adult life.
The speech that lasted all of four minutes, and edited down for TV time to fit his episode of Real World, asked the question of whether someone "was there to stand for what is right" six times... and it was after he dropped the mic that Chris was no longer a member of the LDS Church, and it felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulder, even though he would later receive hundreds of violent & death threats and some even going far by calling him a homophobic slur after his season ended. His moment of going against his home state's most powerful organization was captured by Real World cameras and is one of those moments where the series' simple title best glows.
A few years ago, allegations emerged in the showbiz industry about sexual assault and harassment, which began with rumors swirling around what happened behind the scenes on Bachelor in Paradise and then most notably with top Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, who just this week was sent packing to jail with a 20+ year sentence for sexual abuse against 80 of his employees at his self-titled indie company. Those have since escalated and spread like a California wildfire to all but send down the drain the careers of many top executives, stars and journalists too many to mention, all triggered by the #MeToo hashtag popularized by Alyssa Milano which turned into a revolution.
Before he went onto Dirty 30, Ammo went through an unpleasant night where he was the victim of the kind of crime that often go unreported: interrelationship rape & assault. In a story he shared on a crowdfunding site, he revealed that in November 2016, he was the victim of a rape in his apartment by his former partner - the first man he ever dated nearly a year after he sent that resignation letter and one who he thought was the one. But as he went to a Planned Parenthood, he told a social worker of that night, "It was painful. It was mortifying. And it was non-consensual. And yet: I still didn't know that it was rape." And when he was forced to tell his story to the lady he was reminded, "Rape can happen to anyone, by anyone. Sometimes it is the people closest to us who hurt us the most."
While his mom and dad were filing their separation papers, Chris began to come to terms about his sexuality and admitted to being a loner. In another post he wrote for the Huff Post, when they were arguing all night long for some reason he was put into the discussion, and it didn't take long for the parents to send him packing... and when he needed somewhere to sleep to get away from Utah's cold and damp weather, he found a refuge in moving in with a friend nearby. There, he told him about his frustrations with what had been happening back home, and then proceeded to go something more. By the time he went to sleep, he began to ask himself if he was gay, and what was wrong with him.When he was attending Brigham Young University he had found out through social media and dating apps that homosexual men were searched for around the campus and the city like cops looking for a wanted criminal and then being forced to come out to their friends and family, he started becoming skeptical. And when a friend of his got drugged and raped by another student at the campus, it led to Chris getting an expulsion letter in the mail but it never came to the attention of the cops even after a bishop heard this story.
It was after that ordeal that he decided to drop out of BYU, and that was just the beginning. Shortly after, he decided to come out in admitting that he was "pan sexual," meaning "not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity." Not surprisingly, they responded by disowning him, as finally he can breathe a sigh of relief about who he is. And he would then say farewell to the town he had spent his childhood, adolescence and first few years of adulthood, and moved cross country to New York. And eventually, he would apply to go on Real World, and got a first glimpse of what it would be like wearing women's clothes when he and fellow male roommates Dione and Dean, were challenged to wear female clothes and makeup in wearing drag at a Vegas gay nightclub.
In this instance - and similar to what happened the last time The Real World ventured to Vegas when a roommate's past with adult entertainment was exposed, the Season 31 roommates found out that someone was leaking information to the public while the season was filming. It's fairly common for those obsessed superfans to do such a thing on those infamous spoiler sites and web paparazzi when the show was filming in their city. But for this instance, this was the first time that a cast member had done something like this... something which would've led to the person who caused it to go home, but something that had to be done to prove their point loud, clear and public.
From his experiences watching Real World - which has long championed the LGBT community, Ammo understood its social impact in putting sexuality, discrimination and race on a large scale and to a younger audience who watched the show weekly. He also realized that the editing had cut out these significant issues from the episodes, which is the kind of content that made the original, old-school seasons as great as they were. With those in mind - and also having not read The Book of Mormon in a while, he came to Las Vegas to not only discover who he is, but begin this new journey.
A month into filming, Ammo and Jenna, a Southerner who had been sheltered for many years, had become good friends, but something was up in the air when she made comments on race and sexual orientation. During this, before she was informed of what had been taking place, the other roommates didn't even bother to speak to her for a week as their frustration with her increased as did the tension inside the suite. And despite the efforts he and Kailah made, and Jenna making herself worse by her actions, Chris thought of one way to open her eyes.
He talked to TV site Zap 2 It about what he did to get her attention, and while regretting the manner in which the info eventually emerged he stated, "I can say with confidence that the leak ensured that the comments about these conversations were accurately portrayed." There, Chris channeled his own inner investigative reporter to become a whistleblower and investigate the matters more intently, knowing things like that had been seen on the show before and sparking ire from longtime viewers.
Eventually, he would go ahead and pull the trigger, leading to racial tensions with her and the house, especially African-American roommate CeeJai, and eventually led to their infamous fight at the end of the season that sent the both of them home early for house violence. Just recently and years after this season aired, Jenna posted an apology on her Instagram for her actions, all as she has now become a mom to her first kid.
From his experiences watching Real World - which has long championed the LGBT community, Ammo understood its social impact in putting sexuality, discrimination and race on a large scale and to a younger audience who watched the show weekly. He also realized that the editing had cut out these significant issues from the episodes, which is the kind of content that made the original, old-school seasons as great as they were. With those in mind - and also having not read The Book of Mormon in a while, he came to Las Vegas to not only discover who he is, but begin this new journey.
A month into filming, Ammo and Jenna, a Southerner who had been sheltered for many years, had become good friends, but something was up in the air when she made comments on race and sexual orientation. During this, before she was informed of what had been taking place, the other roommates didn't even bother to speak to her for a week as their frustration with her increased as did the tension inside the suite. And despite the efforts he and Kailah made, and Jenna making herself worse by her actions, Chris thought of one way to open her eyes.
He talked to TV site Zap 2 It about what he did to get her attention, and while regretting the manner in which the info eventually emerged he stated, "I can say with confidence that the leak ensured that the comments about these conversations were accurately portrayed." There, Chris channeled his own inner investigative reporter to become a whistleblower and investigate the matters more intently, knowing things like that had been seen on the show before and sparking ire from longtime viewers.
Eventually, he would go ahead and pull the trigger, leading to racial tensions with her and the house, especially African-American roommate CeeJai, and eventually led to their infamous fight at the end of the season that sent the both of them home early for house violence. Just recently and years after this season aired, Jenna posted an apology on her Instagram for her actions, all as she has now become a mom to her first kid.
Mormonism is defined in Wikipedia as "the predominant religious tradition of the Ladder Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity." Founded almost 200 years ago in Upstate New York and later settling out in Salt Lake City, the Church of Ladder Day Saints have been the voice of the Mormon culture, which includes retired Senator Harry Reid and Maze Runner author James Dashner, a month others. The Mormon lifestyle places church and family at the top, takes out alcohol and bad habits, and explicitly tells young adults to not have sex until they get married, among other things.
This wasn't the first time that Real World has featured someone with a Mormon background: twenty years ago, Julie Stouffer went onto the RW New Orleans house and led the college she went to, Brigham Young University (ironically owned by the Ladder Day Saints), to expel her for living in a co-ed house - something that goes against the Church's beliefs. At decade's end, Chet Cannon moved into the RW Brooklyn house, and aside from his always unique fashion and nostalgia for the 90's he has become an outspoken conservative supporter and trolls anyone who leans to the left - just glancing at his Twitter account is proof of that.
Something that's also frowned upon by the LDS has been homosexuality and conservative, sometimes negative, views of gays and lesbians. In a year that saw the Supreme Court's game-changing decision making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, in 2015 the Church made a bold move: news leaked that the Church had announced a change in their policy in which same-sex couples would be deemed by them to be apostate, thus being renounced from the Mormon membership. Additionally, any children gay couples would adopt could not be baptized until the age of 18, had to live out of their home, and responsibility or support for them would not be granted.
The result was a flood of controversy across social media and mostly negative outrage from the LGBT community condemning the anti-gay decision, culminating in a mass resignation that took place outside the Latter Day Saints' Salt Lake City headquarters. Nearly 2,000 people gathered to protest the Church's decision, and six former attorneys were present to make their decision official. Every time a person went up to the mic and speak, cheers and applause reined from supporters.
After taking a day to pen his speech - and in wearing all-black in dressing like he was going to a funeral, what follows below is his resignation speech in its unedited entirety (also available on LGBT site Advocate), eventually breaking down in tears after giving the defining speech of his adult life.
"Having spent my entire life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have always been taught to stand for what is right. As a child, I remember singing these words in primary songs and hearing them in talks given by Ward members and prophets. As a young man, I recall working, saving my money, studying late into the night and hoping that someday I might attend Brigham Young University and study with others who shared the same belief.
As I stand here today, I ask my family, my former BYU classmates and any others who hear me, 'Who is there to stand for what is right?'
While at BYU, when I learned through social media and dating apps, gay men were being hunted like witches or communists, only to be expelled from the university and then publicly outed to their friends and family, who was there to stand for what was right?
When I learned that a dear friend had been drugged and raped by another male BYU student at a party, a rape that not only led to my friend's expulsion but was also never reported to the police even after being shared with a bishop, who was there to stand for what was right?
When a friend confessed to me that after six years of weekly forced conversion therapy, he had expressed to his family his desire to end it and finally be with another man… just to be cut off by his family completely, who was there to stand for what was right?
When millions of dollars were spent to put into action an amendment that would prevent thousands of same sex couples from marrying civilly in the state of California, who was there to stand for what is right?
And when our leadership declared that those in same-sex marriages are to be considered apostate and that their children must disavow the practice of same-sex cohabitation and stop living with their adopted parents in order to be baptized, who was there? (Person yells "We are!", followed by applause)
Today, I turned in my letter of resignation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (crowd applauds) If you would've asked the child, the young man or the prospective BYU student if he ever believed this day would've come, he would've told you no. (Crying) That was when I still believed in this church. That was when I still had hope that the institution I was a part of was stand for the rights of all of its members, regardless of their race, their gender or of their sexual orientation.
Today, I am proud to stand with others like me who, when their church refuses to do so on its own, will stand apart from it and independently say, 'I am here to stand for what is right.' Amen."
The speech that lasted all of four minutes, and edited down for TV time to fit his episode of Real World, asked the question of whether someone "was there to stand for what is right" six times... and it was after he dropped the mic that Chris was no longer a member of the LDS Church, and it felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off of his shoulder, even though he would later receive hundreds of violent & death threats and some even going far by calling him a homophobic slur after his season ended. His moment of going against his home state's most powerful organization was captured by Real World cameras and is one of those moments where the series' simple title best glows.
A few years ago, allegations emerged in the showbiz industry about sexual assault and harassment, which began with rumors swirling around what happened behind the scenes on Bachelor in Paradise and then most notably with top Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, who just this week was sent packing to jail with a 20+ year sentence for sexual abuse against 80 of his employees at his self-titled indie company. Those have since escalated and spread like a California wildfire to all but send down the drain the careers of many top executives, stars and journalists too many to mention, all triggered by the #MeToo hashtag popularized by Alyssa Milano which turned into a revolution.
Before he went onto Dirty 30, Ammo went through an unpleasant night where he was the victim of the kind of crime that often go unreported: interrelationship rape & assault. In a story he shared on a crowdfunding site, he revealed that in November 2016, he was the victim of a rape in his apartment by his former partner - the first man he ever dated nearly a year after he sent that resignation letter and one who he thought was the one. But as he went to a Planned Parenthood, he told a social worker of that night, "It was painful. It was mortifying. And it was non-consensual. And yet: I still didn't know that it was rape." And when he was forced to tell his story to the lady he was reminded, "Rape can happen to anyone, by anyone. Sometimes it is the people closest to us who hurt us the most."
The memories of that harrowing night were still fresh in Ammo's mind as he got to move forward in the recovery process. He wrote, "I did 'The Challenge' to prove to myself that I was strong-- that I could do anything. I wanted to show myself, my ex partner, and the world that I was the master of my mind and my body and that NO ONE could take my spirit away from me." And while going through that elimination which he lost to Jordan, the position of him being underneath Jordan brought back memories of that assault and he would find himself in a sense of panic which would leave him paralyzed and saw him collapse to the ground. He had experienced an episode of post-traumatic stress disorder -- the same PTSD that affects soldiers and people following war, death and distress.
Ammo left after that elimination in bypassing a probable chance at Redemption to go home and begin recovery, and has had ample time to focus on himself, get better and working as hard as he can to get as much help both psychologically and medically. And he would receive much support from the social community as he had the nerves of putting that person's name out in the open and reminded members of a Challenge Facebook group, "What matters the most to me is other victims of assault hearing my story and knowing, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Sexual assault is usually a silent crime and you gave it a voice in ways I could have never imagined."
And then, there's the most recent addition to this backstory: last fall, US Weekly talked to Amo -- now a budding musician who calls Nashville home -- about the next big challenge on the mind of this now non-binary person who goes by the they/their pronoun in reference to them. There, they revealed that they are transitioning from a male to a female and changing their last name from Ammon originally and Ammo after that, to Amo with one "M."
The definition of the new name, according to them, "...means 'love in many languages. Given that this transition has been the ultimate act of self-love, Amo seems a fitting name for this new chapter of my life." They added, "I've been really lucky that I have an online community of trans people, both men and women, who have been helping me feel empowered this transformation. I guess maybe that's more of what I'm calling it -- a transformation, rather than a transition."
When US did their story on Amo, it was two months into them taking hormones that will ultimately see Amo become a female... but this story is familiar to those who've been watching Real World since it began in 1992. On Real World Brooklyn in 2009, Katelynn (with a K) came to the Big Apple just months after surgery that transitioned her from a man to a woman... and six years later the term came into public consciousness when Olympic legend and Kardashian family patriarch, Bruce Jenner, went through surgery to become a female and changed their name to Caitlynn.
And tomorrow (March 12) sees Amo add another title to their resume: a lead role in the LGBTQ TV series, Stranger Hearts, which sees they and five other fellow characters encounter much struggles that comes with being part of the gay & lesbian community. They wrote on Instagram @LoveIsTheAmmo, "This show was so instrumental in helping me find the courage to start transitioning. In playing a character that is living so many of the struggles I expected to face as someone beginning a transition, I was able to find peace in the journey to come."
When it debuts on LGBTQ streaming platform Deekoo and third-party outlets like Amazon Prime tomorrow, Stranger Hearts will represent the latest chapter in what has been quite a journey for the person formerly Christopher Ammon-Hall, now simply Amo. They have gone through a lot: growing up in the Mormon church, resigning from the LDS on national television, going through a panic breakdown also in front of America, and many episodes of sexual abuse around this time.
At the time of the launch of The Challenge XXX three years ago this summer, a founding father of MTV Reality, Real World & Challenge creator Jonathan Murray, told TV Guide that, "(Ammo)'s had an evolution as far as his identity. I think viewers are going to find that really interesting." This evolution has been quite an eventful one, which now sees the latest chapter unfolding of transitioning, all as the LGBT community continues its rise in mainstream acceptance.
In the caption of a Instagram pic posted during this big week of their return to our screens, Amo reminded their followers of the journey that's still to come: "I am learning to love and trust myself in ways I never dreamed to be possible. As I do so: I am watching my dreams come true. Change, in my opinion, is synonymous with progress. Not good or bad, but forward. As always, a thank you to those who continue to love and support me through this transition. Sending love to all 🤍"
Stories such as the one you've just seen is offered from the vantage point of ExtraTime - DCBLOG's way of highlighting the shows you love and its stars with original storytelling offering a detailed look at the most-talked about moments of TV's most fascinating reality programming and stories from this world you can't get anywhere else. It's only part of our view Inside MTV Reality, with weekly episode coverage, social reaction and more, including coverage of The Challenge: Total Madness with Amo's fellow Real World castmate Kailah making her return next month. Our coverage of it begins next week after our recap of the Season 3 winter finale of Siesta Key coming this weekend.
If you like you've read, bookmark us and like, comment & share our posts on the social media platforms of your choice, and include the hashtags #DCBLOG & #SeeForYourself in your posts to @DC408Dxtr... and thank you for reading and for your continued support.
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Ammo left after that elimination in bypassing a probable chance at Redemption to go home and begin recovery, and has had ample time to focus on himself, get better and working as hard as he can to get as much help both psychologically and medically. And he would receive much support from the social community as he had the nerves of putting that person's name out in the open and reminded members of a Challenge Facebook group, "What matters the most to me is other victims of assault hearing my story and knowing, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Sexual assault is usually a silent crime and you gave it a voice in ways I could have never imagined."
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| Facebook: Stranger Hearts |
The definition of the new name, according to them, "...means 'love in many languages. Given that this transition has been the ultimate act of self-love, Amo seems a fitting name for this new chapter of my life." They added, "I've been really lucky that I have an online community of trans people, both men and women, who have been helping me feel empowered this transformation. I guess maybe that's more of what I'm calling it -- a transformation, rather than a transition."
When US did their story on Amo, it was two months into them taking hormones that will ultimately see Amo become a female... but this story is familiar to those who've been watching Real World since it began in 1992. On Real World Brooklyn in 2009, Katelynn (with a K) came to the Big Apple just months after surgery that transitioned her from a man to a woman... and six years later the term came into public consciousness when Olympic legend and Kardashian family patriarch, Bruce Jenner, went through surgery to become a female and changed their name to Caitlynn.
And tomorrow (March 12) sees Amo add another title to their resume: a lead role in the LGBTQ TV series, Stranger Hearts, which sees they and five other fellow characters encounter much struggles that comes with being part of the gay & lesbian community. They wrote on Instagram @LoveIsTheAmmo, "This show was so instrumental in helping me find the courage to start transitioning. In playing a character that is living so many of the struggles I expected to face as someone beginning a transition, I was able to find peace in the journey to come."
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| Facebook: Stranger Hearts |
At the time of the launch of The Challenge XXX three years ago this summer, a founding father of MTV Reality, Real World & Challenge creator Jonathan Murray, told TV Guide that, "(Ammo)'s had an evolution as far as his identity. I think viewers are going to find that really interesting." This evolution has been quite an eventful one, which now sees the latest chapter unfolding of transitioning, all as the LGBT community continues its rise in mainstream acceptance.
In the caption of a Instagram pic posted during this big week of their return to our screens, Amo reminded their followers of the journey that's still to come: "I am learning to love and trust myself in ways I never dreamed to be possible. As I do so: I am watching my dreams come true. Change, in my opinion, is synonymous with progress. Not good or bad, but forward. As always, a thank you to those who continue to love and support me through this transition. Sending love to all 🤍"
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Stories such as the one you've just seen is offered from the vantage point of ExtraTime - DCBLOG's way of highlighting the shows you love and its stars with original storytelling offering a detailed look at the most-talked about moments of TV's most fascinating reality programming and stories from this world you can't get anywhere else. It's only part of our view Inside MTV Reality, with weekly episode coverage, social reaction and more, including coverage of The Challenge: Total Madness with Amo's fellow Real World castmate Kailah making her return next month. Our coverage of it begins next week after our recap of the Season 3 winter finale of Siesta Key coming this weekend.
If you like you've read, bookmark us and like, comment & share our posts on the social media platforms of your choice, and include the hashtags #DCBLOG & #SeeForYourself in your posts to @DC408Dxtr... and thank you for reading and for your continued support.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
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