Television
Pissing Match Between Chris Crain and Queerty Leaves Real World-er Dan Renzi Soaking Wet
By Adam Higgins

Jun 20, 2008

Dan Renzi

Former Washington Blade editor turned political blogger Chris Crain has taken to the Web to take a pot shot at Real World alum Dan Renzi, who has taken over as Managing Editor of Express Gay News, a publication Crain used to oversee.  

Crain left the publication in 2006, turning his attentions instead to the “independent gay blog” Citizen Chris.  

He appointed long-time gay journalist Mubarak Dahir to the editor’s seat, who was replaced a year later by Phil LaPadula and, most recently, Renzi, who made a name for himself as one of the first openly gay cast members of The Real World and, later, as a model and sometimes writer.  

Crain chalks his bitchy banter and subsequent stints on many a Real World/Road Rules Challenge up to his being “a kid back then”, but goes on to say his journalism credential—a few freelance articles and a stint at Queerty—are certainly unusual.  

Queerty, of course, fired back, referring to Crain as a homo blowhard and calling him a dick. However, they support Crain’s assessment of Renzi’s abilities to edit the South Florida gay news source, saying: "We know Renzi once edited this very blog, but he doesn’t anymore—one guess why."  

So what got Crain all fired up in the first place? Renzi’s online call for a writer to “write a story for me about the whole gay marriage thing,” going on to say, “I'm thinking it will be more interesting as a column, that is not just a regurgitation of facts. Great, gay people can get married in California now. That's it for the facts.”  

No response from Renzi yet on his blog, though if his assessment that “as the ‘editor,’ I never have time to write my own stuff” holds true, this pissing match may well continue without ever hearing a peep out of the third party.