Chip Arndt. Photo by Dale Stine___________
Reichen Lehmkuhl has traveled the high-profile Hollywood road since his split from Chip Arndt, his husband and winning partner on season four of CBS-TV's The Amazing Race.
Lehmkuhl is now the LGBT super-stud, a buffed beauty who was recently romantically linked to former *NSYNC star Lance Bass, a published author ( of his own autobiography ) and a steadfast public supporter for abolishing the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy.
Arndt, meanwhile, is just an entrepreneur in Miami. Well, that's like saying Donald Trump is just an average 9-to-5 businessman.
Arndt is not under the media glare that Lehmkuhl is in, but Arndt is every bit as successful, and is truly a self-made super-stud in his own right.
Success clearly has followed both, albeit on different paths.
'I think I can speak on behalf of Reichen when I say winning The Amazing Race has affected us dramatically,' said Arndt, 40.
'I have received literally hundreds or thousands of e-mails from young people worldwide. They're appreciative for us participating [ in The Amazing Race ] , and that's a response that neither of us ever anticipated. We quickly realized that we had an impact beyond what we could have imagined, just by being an example.'
Thus, Arndt has a perfect platform for his long-reaching, ever-expanding fund-raising and charity work. Take, for instance, his personal Web site ( www.chiparndt.com ) , which re-launched in early May. It is a portal for resources and information targeted to LGBT youth. 'The site is the place to go to get whatever type of LGBT-related information that people—gay, straight, transgender or questioning—may want or need,' he said. The site's motto is 'You're not alone.'
'I find it incredibly disturbing that that there are so many kids out there now who literally hate themselves for being who they are,' Arndt added. 'Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is not a choice; it is a state of reality. And this questioning and self-loathing is something I too went through as a kid.
'It's horrific that there aren't more people out there supporting kids, so they can explore exactly who they are and to allow them to flourish without hatred and bigotry from others. I really don't care whether you are gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. If you are encouraged to be you, I find that people usually contribute more to society as they are much happier knowing that they are accepted and loved.'
Arndt said he also has had support from many straight, gay-friendly people, and not just those with direct ties to the LGBT community.
Since leaving the TV spotlight, Arndt has started three companies, including a holding company, Arndt Strategies. He also started AlmostGolf.com about four years ago with a former professional bicycle rider as an off-shoot of his former professional golf career.
He is now a co-founder of Merchant Advantage, which involves another love of his: online retail. Merchant Advantage allows Internet retailers to help market themselves better to all of the various marketing destination sites and online shopping channels. Merchant Advantage has more than 200 clients, marketing more than $375 million in products per day since launching in January 2006. 'It's going very well; I'm very excited about that part of my life as I love to germinate ideas into successful ventures,' he said.
Since mid-2006, Arndt has been the president of the Freedom Democrats, formerly known as the Miami-Dade County LGBT Democrat Caucus. About three months ago, he launched the group's Web site, www.FreedomDems.org, and the membership has grown tenfold.
'Politics is a personal passion and love of mine; I have been a part of political campaigns before my time Yale, and at Yale it really started to take off.'
Arndt previously has helped raise funds for Presidential campaigns on down.
'My mission is to get more people to vote in November,' he said. 'If I can get more people interested in politics now, regardless of which candidate is special [ to them ] , they will be more engaged in the process and thus be more inclined to vote, which is critical.
'Sure, I may have a secret, personal person who I'd love to see get the Democratic nomination, but my real goal is to get more people interested in Democratic ideals and the process of holding our leaders accountable through 'the vote.''
Helping others
Arndt recently launched an ambitious challenge to raise $100,000 for nine HIV/AIDS service organizations in Florida; Washington, D.C.,; and New York City—the areas currently hardest hit by HIV/AIDS.
'Chip's Personal Response to AIDS Across America' ( dubbed 'CPR to AAA' ) will include two AIDS Rides and two AIDS Walks in 2007, spanning a combined 425 miles. Among the organizations that will benefit from the project are the LGBT Community Center in New York City and the South Beach AIDS Project in Miami Beach.
To date, Arndt has ridden in six AIDS Rides, run two AIDS marathons, five half-marathons, and completed three AIDS Walks, including one he helped organize and run in 2005 as marketing and public relations manager for Miami's Care Resource. 'I'll never forget my first AIDS Ride; the weather was horrific, but the event truly changed my life,' he said.
Arndt's athleticism certainly spills into the straight sporting world, which, in February, learned that former National Basketball Association ( NBA ) player John Amaechi is gay. Arndt believes that an active professional player from one of the four major sports ( baseball, basketball, football and hockey ) will come out while still active—and it will happen soon.
GETTING TO KNOW … CHIP ARNDT:
Hobbies: Water-skiing, politics, reading political history, golf, teaching golf, riding horses. 'I love interacting with animals. Being around animals calms you.'
Favorite TV Show: 24
Favorite Movie: Platoon
Favorite Magazine: Economist
Status: Dating. 'He's a wonderful guy' who lives in Seattle, although Arndt would not name him. 'The Seattle-to-Miami commute can't get much further.' The two have been together for about a year, Arndt said. 'We both share a passion for working hard and wanting to build a family.'
On Reichen: 'I love Reichen [ and I ] always will. He is still a very good friend and we share a kindred spirit of giving back what and when we can.'
Personal hero: His sister, Sarah, who died of ovarian cancer on Memorial Day 2006. 'That [ death ] was really hard because she was my best friend,' Arndt said. 'She was an inspiration.
See www.chiparndt.com and www.myspace/chiparndt.
