Written by BRIAN MILLS. Posted in *NEW , FEATURED , i-ON , VISIONARIES

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Fierth.com sits down with Designer, Athlete and Advocate, Jack Mackenroth for our premier i-ON interview. Some of you may know Jack from when he earned his place as a designer on Bravo’s Project Runway, or perhaps as a gold medal winning swimmer in the Gay Games; maybe you have been inspired by his advocacy for those living with HIV/Aids. With the release of his smoking hot 2012 Calendar (of which 100% of the proceeds go to amfAR to help find a cure for HIV/AIDS ) Jack makes an impact in all he does, Get to know the very witty, fearless, renaissance man Jack Mackenroth.





Fierth: What is your name?

Jack Mackenroth

FM: Do you have a nick-name?

JM: Lady Mackenroth, Chief, Jabs (my mom)

FM: What is your motto?

JM: Accentuate the positives and medicate the negatives and accentuate everyone else’s negatives.

FM: What exactly are you wearing right now?

JM: Diesel Underwear and a tiara

FM: How tall are you?

JM: 6 feet

FM: How do you keep it real?

JM: I don’t believe the hype or take myself seriously. I’m always honest. Mostly.

FM: What were you doing right before this interview?

JM: Answering emails and tweeting. (@jackmackenroth)

FM: Describe your home in 6 words or less.

JM: Modern, artsy, well-designed, gay.

FM: What were you like as a child?

JM: Super nelly and a terror.

FM: What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

JM: I used to shoplift a lot. I don’t know why. We were poor but that’s not the reason I did it. Odd.

FM: What does your mother say about you?

JM: Please keep your clothes on.

FM: Describe a time/event in your life that you’re nostalgic for.

JM: Winning gold medals at the last Gay Games inCologne in swimming.

FM: List 5 quirky things about yourself.

JM:

–I grind my teeth

-I can wiggle my ears independently

-I am sober

-I will try almost anything (see sobriety)

-I do a mean robot.

FM: Post a haiku based on your life

JM:

Fabulous faÃ§ade

It’s all smoke and mirrors

I love shiny things

FM: If someone wrote a biography on your life , what do you think the title would be?

JM: Making Lemonaids (My memoir coming out next year)

FM: If you weren’t doing what you are doing now, what do you think you would be doing?

JM: Strangely I’d love to be a web designer, a publicist or a surgeon.

FM: Who are your main inspirations?

JM: People who paved the way for all of us in the LGBT and HIV communities when it was even harder to be out and proud.

FM: Which stars, if any, leave you star struck?

JM: Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington

FM: You can trade places with any other person, living or dead, for 24 hours. Who would you choose and why?

JM: Obama. To push thru the jobs bill, tax the rich and grow some balls.

FM: What brings you the most joy?

JM: Making things like art and clothing.

FM: What makes you angry ?

JM: Liars

FM: Have you ever felt hopeless? How did you get through it?

JM: Yes—When I was diagnosed with HIV. I just took it day by day. I educated myself and talked about it. It slowly got better— and that was in 1989 when everyone was dying. It’s a much more hopeful time now.

FM: What do you daydream about?

JM: I don’t have time to daydream. I plan and make schedules in my head.

FM: What is your guilty pleasure?

JM: X-Factor

FM: Do you have any obsessions right now?

JM: Twitter

FM: Do you collect anything?

JM: I collect oversize jacks—Like the six point kind that kids used to play with in the 50’s. I have about 40 mostly metal and ceramic. I also collect sneakers. I have about 150 pair.

FM: What is your greatest extravagance?

JM: I own an original Mapplethorpe photograph and an original Greg Gorman photograph.

FM: If you could buy anything regardless of cost, what would you buy?

JM: A fab home for my mom.

FM: What’s the strangest thing you’ve done this week?

JM: Dressed as a 1980’s Jazzercise instructor for Halloween.

FM: What were you doing last night at Midnight?

JM: Watching American Horror Story.

FM: What do you think about and are the first three things you do first after waking up in the morning?

JM: I make coffee, take pills and check my phone.

FM: Who was the last person you talked to last night before you went to bed?

JM: My mom.

FM: What’s something about yourself that no one knows?

JM: I have no secrets. Anything that is not already very public will be revealed in my memoir next year.

FM: Ever had a rumor spread about you?

JM: Totally. There was a guy in LA who had told multiple people we were boyfriends. He had told them he’d come to visit me in New York and I’d never even heard of him.

FM: Do you believe in karma?

JM: Yes—In a way. I believe if you keep putting good energy out odds are it will come back to you. Evil just grows on itself. I also believe in visualizing what you want can help manifest it in your life.

FM: What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you?

JM: Someone bought me 50 dozen long stem roses and filled my entire apartment.

FM: Which causes do you believe in the most in, and why?

JM: HIV/AIDS research and education and marriage equality because I’m gay and I’ve been HIV positive for 22 years.

FM: QUICK FIRE !! I am going to say a word – Tell me your first thought

JM:

Bitch: Ann Coulter

Money: Poor

Love: Zachary Quinto

Unique: Leigh Bowery

Power: Con Ed

Hate: Republicans

Moist: Snack cake

Sex: Kinky

Dirt: Mommie Dearest

God: Myth

Cozy: Snuggie

Fame: Coco

Funny: Margaret Cho

Best: Buy

Good: Boring

Bad: Interesting

Worst: Liars

ME: Fearless

FM: What are you going to do next?

JM: I’m in the middle of a calendar signing tour. I’m traveling all over the country speaking on HIV/AIDS education—Myrtle Beach,Omaha,Illinois, and Vegas. I’m finishing my book “Making Lemonaids” and then I will go on tour promoting that and I have 3 TV projects and a movie in various stages of development as talent and producer. I’m also training for a big swimming competition in Iceland this summer.

FM: Leave us a quote to carry on with..

JM: “Be fearless and believe.”

Purchase the Jack Mackenroth 2012 “Calendar for the Cure” at http://Jackmackenroth.com/2012calendar and 100% of the proceeds go to amfAR to help find a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Follow Jack

Facebook: Facebook.com/jackmackenrothfanpage

Website: www.JackMackenroth.com

Twitter: @JackMackenroth