Julie Stoffer, cast member of MTVs The Real World New Orleans, said in a speech on Wednesday that her experiences in New Orleans challenged her to be more tolerant of others. Stoffer spoke as part of a nationwide public-speaking tour sponsored by the Bush administration to raise awareness on drug abuse, abstinence, diversity and AIDS among American youth.
Stoffer said that her experiences on The Real World marked a period of growth and tolerance from what she describes as her “closed life” at Brigham Young University.
Living with Danny, a homosexual cast member on The Real World, Stoffer said that she grew more tolerant and open-minded of different kinds of people.
“I would never judge Danny,” Stoffer said. “But what I believe about homosexuality in God’s plan has not changed.”
After filming The Real World New Orleans and The Real World-Road Rules Challenge, Stoffer said that she was notified by BYU that she was suspended for “sleeping with persons of the opposite sex.” As a Mormon, Stoffer said that she was shocked by the suspension.
Stoffer said that she believes that sex should be a spiritual, emotional and physical experience embodied only in marriage.
Stoffer said that she understood that virginity is uncommon among American college students, yet still encouraged students to abstain from pre-marital sex. “Keep your pants on!” Stoffer advised.
“Without the spiritual and emotional, sex is just disgusting,” Stoffer said.
Currently, Stoffer said that she is eager to go back to school and enter “the real world.” Stoffer said that she hopes to eventually marry and become a stay-at-home mom.
“The typical soccer mom, that’s what I want to be,” Stoffer said.
Stoffer said that her belief in sexual abstinence and her support for the president pursuaded her to participate in the tour.
