Design Star, an HGTV interior decorating challenge show, is one of our gayest reality programs, and the network is free to admit it. Their PR people set up interviews with gay-themed publications for the series' many out loud 'n, um, loud designsters, though it is ultimately each man's (or, I guess, woman's) choice whether or not to talk about their sexuality. Pretty admirable for television, I think. So what, then, happened with Mikey V., a queeny cop cum (always makes me awkward, every time) decorator with a tiny little bondage porn past who says he was happy to chat with the gay media, but claims he was shushed by HGTV? Two theories abound. Was it a marketing decision, or pornophobia?

Like any show aimed at dumpy gay men and their willowy and plain lady friends, Design Star needed a "straight" dude for people to sexually fixate on. Mikey, with his muscles and tattoos, was likely the most solid choice, so producers and handlers made him the sacrificial ham. One could read that as repressive and deceitful or as just another tale of reality shows rarely reflecting reality. It depends on how uppity you are, I guess.

The other theory is that it had something to do with Mikey's supposed gay bondage porn past. Someone very similar looking to Mikey appeared in an alliterative 1996 BDSM film called Rope Rituals, though Mikey has denied any involvement. Perhaps HGTV got wind of this and figured the best way to keep it quiet (short of kicking him off the show, I guess) was to play down the geigh. Suspiciously, Mikey did not appear on the reunion episode at the end of his season.

For what it's worth, HGTV execs say that Mikey was given the opportunity to speak with the gay press, but chose not to. "At the time the AfterElton interview request was made, Mikey V. decided to decline the opportunity," says a publicist for the show.

However it went down, Mikey is now on paid administrative leave from his policeman job and is probably slowly realizing that appearing on a bargain basement cable network reality show isn't exactly the rocket to stardom he'd hoped. Maybe he can go film Rope Rituals 2: Pantyhose Proceedings.