Lesbian Tool Academy 3

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, VH1’s Tool Academy returns on Sunday for a third round of couples counseling, zany competitions, and the rarified pleasure of seeing douchebags cry. But there’s a new twist for the “Selfish Twits and the Women who Love Them” competition: two Tools will be female, and the show will feature its first same-sex couple. We caught up with the Tool half of that couple, Courtney, to talk about her role in the show, and how she ended up fighting a professional wrestler.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Do you feel honored to be one of the first female Tools on Tool Academy?
COURTNEY: It’s a different type of honor, yes.

Did you think that you belonged in the Academy?
No. (Laughs)

How’s it going to feel to watch the series?
I know everything that happened, but I’m also the first gay Tool, so to speak, and I’m representing a whole community of people. So not only am I gonna have the heterosexual community commenting on me, I’m gonna have my gay community viewing this person. I’m a little bit more anxious.

Was that on your mind while you were filming?
I’m in Mexico, having a great time, and then I get thrown into this show by my partner. [NOTE: the Tools were initially told that they were competing in a reality show to decide who would be the new Party Ambassador to Mexico.] Like, “Awesome, thanks. Now I know what the show’s about, and you’re calling me a douchebag.” I didn’t think I was that bad! My first reaction was, “Holy S—! I am on this with a bunch of dudes and one other chick, but I’m the only gay person.” Once we got back into the Academy, that’s when it clicked: I’m not only representing myself, I’m representing bunch of people.

I’ve heard a lot of my gay friends say they should make a Tool Academy for gay people. We’re the same as straight people. Sometimes more dramatic, sometimes less.