NOTE: Just to be clear, we are not "anti-gay" and we are not against porn performers. We are anti-porn, because porn harms the performers and users. We are against all types of porn because all types of porn harm people -- whether made with straight or gay people, or men or women.

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This page addresses the harms of gay male pornography.

See "Harms of Lesbian Porn" page for the harms of lesbian pornography, and see "Men in Pornography" page for the harms of pornography on men in heterosexual pornography.

Please scroll down the page to see videos about an HIV outbreak in gay pornography, the "Gay for Pay" Tyra Show episode, and our own interview with ex porn actor LeNair Xavier on the harms of "gay for pay" pornography. Thank you.

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"Whatever the gender of the participants, all pornography is an imitation of the male-female, conqueror-victim paradigm, and almost all of it actually portrays or implies enslaved women and master."

Gloria Steinem

Here are some quotes from author and attorney Dr. Christopher N. Kendall: (a gay man against gay pornography)

From the chapter "The Harms of Gay Male Pornography: A Sex Equality Perspective," from the Captive Daughters Media book:

Pornography: Driving the Demand in International Sex Trafficking

"To the extent that women are not used or ridiculed in the pornography sold as gay male, the effects of sexism and misogyny evident in those that do are not eliminated. These materials continue to promote violence and/or the sexual degradation of others along the lines of gender. Many sexualize large, hyper-masculine man, many of whom are described as "straight" men who are sexually aroused by inflicting pain on sexual subordinates (read: gay men) who, in turn are described as enjoying the pain, humiliation, and degradation to which they are subjected. This is a common theme." Pg. 158

...

"Frequently, sexual subordination is enforced through extreme forms of torture and violence, with masculinity again epitomized and celebrated in men who ridicule and emasculate others in the name of sexual pleasure. Humor, we are told, is found in the sexual debasement of another, assertiveness tied to aggression, resulting in an identity politics that creates, packages and re-sells a sexuality that epitomizes male supremacy. Femininity in turn is linked with emasculation, linked with inferiority, linked with inequality on the basis of sex. Indeed, those who are emasculated in these materials are often specifically described as gay male, while those who abuse them and are iconicized as sexual role models are described as heterosexual. Note, for example, MAC II 19: A Drummer Super Publication Volume 19. This magazine contains an article entitled "Prisoner" that details the torture and sexual mutilation of prisoners of war during a fictional military coup. Many of the prison officers are described as "straight" and "real men" whose masculinity is shown through the sexual abuse of their prisoners, most of whom are belittled as gays, queens, sissies, etc." Pg. 160



...

"What all of these examples provide is a sexualized identity politics that relies on the inequality found between those with power and those without it; between those who are dominant and those who are submissive; between those who are top and those who are bottom; between straight men and gay men; between men and women. From these and other materials, we are told to glorify masculinity and men who meet a hyper-masculine, muscular ideal. The result is such that men who are more feminine are degraded as "queer" and "faggots" and are subjected to degrading and dehumanizing epithets usually used against women, such as "bitch," c*nt" and "whore." These men are in turn presented as enjoying this degradation. In sum, these materials reinforce the system in which, as (author Catharine) MacKinnon explains, "a victim, usually female, always femininized" is actualized. Hence, far from the fantasy or mere fictional representation that its promoters would have us believe it is, gay male pornography presents and therefore is a form of male sexuality and male power.

It is this sexuality of dominance, of hierarchy, through which women are sexually violated. It is this sexuality that leads to the oppression of gay men as well. To talk of sex discrimination is to talk of gender and the inequalities that arise within a society in which gender differences are polarized and hierarchical, a society in which those who are "male" get privilege and those who are not, do not. I refer here not to gender as biologically determined but rather gender differences as socially constructed and as defined by specific behaviors that ultimately result in the gender categories "male" and "female." Pg. 161



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Interview by Justin Samuels (Selected excerpts)

Justin Samuels: How do you think the porn industry harms its actors and gays in general?

LeNair Xavier: The porn industry in general preys upon one's desperation for validation. For who else would put themselves through the torture and humiliation that porn actors, especially females and bottoms are put through? So for gays, who isn't more desperate for that validation that a gay male. When gay media makes sexualizing anything possible being the only way to acceptance. Or as a gay person feels ostracized by family and friends due to a homophobic home or religious upbringing. I am definitely the latter, which explains my late coming out, followed by my road to porn 3 years after that.

JS:Could it be that these alleged downlow guys are just acting? How closeted can they be if they are willing to have sex on tape?



LX: Possibly, but that proves to you what's wrong with the industry. If you're doing that much acting, then your greed and narcissism made you forget how porn teaches questioning gay males how to sexually interact. For gay porn picks up in those lessons of sex where their straight parents are naturally void of the information. But more importantly, porn is like every other business. You have to be mindful of what other companies are doing. So with so many other companies using guys who actually define themselves as "gay for pay", you can't be the one studio out of a gazillion where your guys are just acting straight. If a questioning gay male hears all of these "gay for pay" marketing ploys, then finds that video of gay guys acting straight on Pornhub, he doesn't see the difference.

JS: What would you tell any young person who wants to play the role of a thug in a gay porn? What would you suggest he do instead?



LX:To any Black or Latino, wanting to play a thug, I might first ask them. To be honest, I know my temper, especially towards such ignorance. So let's hope I would ask them that before telling them how much of a sellout to their own they are being. I would also tell them that if you find that lowering yourself is your only way into a certain circle, then it's not a circle worth being in. For I lowered myself when I worked for Pitbull Productions doing 2 movies, then became a blogger on their ThugPornBlog. I was giving fuel to a bad image of us Blatinos that needs to disappear, and the sooner it's gone, the better. Luckily, I took those lessons, and did better for myself. But not everyone is as blessed as I am to come to that needed realization.

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Porn... What it did to me

by Jamie De-Bro (Formerly known as gay porn performer "Taylor Wade")

I s tarted porn when I was like 18 and a half, and did it until I was around 20. I have already done articles about my porn past; but this is to express how doing such a career can make you feel... Make your friends and family think of you, and just how hard it is to explain it to a new partner.



So firstly porn at the time made me feel good and in a totally different world. We called it "Porn World." At the time when you all go out and you're in a group of porn stars, it's amazing. The feeling you get in the club is awesome. But then when you all leave and go back to reality... you actually sit there and think... Have I actually just done that?



Once you've done it and have been paid for it, that's it... You know people are going to be watching it. You start to look at yourself differently and you start to wonder why the hell you did it. All my respect for myself went... And even though my friends were like, "We don't think of you any different," you can see it... that they have lost respect for you as well.



You do not realize all this until you stop doing it. Some people can deal with it and can be very successful in the porn world, but myself... It's just not for me. I really did love myself and really look after myself before I did porn. Porn changed me. I do still look after myself, etc... But it just makes you feel worthless... Instead of speaking about it... It's easier to just smile and be happy. I have not told anyone how porn made me feel. This is the first time I have mentioned how porn made me actually feel. I was not that happy person who everyone saw. I was someone who had lost all respect and all hopes for myself.



Now doing porn is very risky. Even though you do wear protection, there is still that risk of the condom breaking. And if that person has something, then you're going to have it too... I never caught anything from doing porn, but there's a much higher chance if you do porn.



Now every porno I did, you met the person on the day. You did not know anything about them apart from their porn name and picture. If you are going to do porn, go with a respectful company... a company who won't just see you as a porn star, but will look after you.



Read more about Jamie's experiences in the gay porn industry at his blog

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DEATH AND SUICIDE IN THE GAY PORN INDUSTRY

As we noted in one of our Facebook posts on this topic, doing porn can contribute to the deaths of any type of porn performer, including gay men. We hope that anyone who thinks that gay porn is less harmful than the rest of the porn industry, reads the articles below. They show that no part of the porn industry is immune from serious harm, suffering, or even death.

Recent epidemic of gay porn stars dying young, more LGBT support needed

There has been an epidemic of gay porn stars dying recently, and one has to wonder why the industry is consuming them at an alarming rate.

The life expectancy of the average American male is 78.8 years old according to The Center for Disease Control , but it seems in the MSM (Men who Have sex with men) adult video industry that number drastically drops to about 25.

http://sdgln.com/news/2016/01/04/recent-epidemic-gay-porn-stars-dying-young-more-lgbt-support-needed

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Why Gay Porn Stars Keep Dying

A friend, James Keating, believes that the porn world damaged Cohen psychologically. "The truth is, Michael never went looking for porn," Keating tells me. "He laughed and joked about it when he could, but he was ashamed, frustrated, and angry, and it did a lot of damage to him emotionally. He was sensitive, and he couldn't deal with it.

In the past year, a number of gay porn performers have died young. Zac Stevens, 25, committed suicide; Mehran "King B" Chestnut, also 25, died from a seizure brought on by poppers; Dimitri Kane, 20, died of an accidental drug overdose; and Jasper Robinson, 21, died from an underlying heart condition. Other years have been worse: More than a dozen porn performers under the age of 55 died over the course of 2013.

https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/why-gay-porn-stars-keep-dying

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The Porn Problem

In the last year, the number of suicides or deaths of those in the gay porn industry under the age of 55 -- including the performers Roman Ragazzi, Erik Rhodes, Josh Weston, and, in March, Wilfried Knight -- has exceeded a dozen. That’s more than twice the annual average, according to Adams.

Whatever the reasons for this spike -- and it’s possible that the proportion of people in gay porn who die young or kill themselves is no higher than that among gay men in general -- could some of the fatal brew that brought these sex gods to their deaths be rooted in the industry itself? One key factor is economics: Porn alone does not pay the bills. These days, an actor lucky enough to have an exclusive contract with a studio won’t make more than about $24,000 yearly. Many do videos mainly to advertise their escorting, where they can charge $250 an hour or $1,200 for overnight sessions.

It all makes for a secretive, isolating career, without recourse to human resources, unions, or health insurance.

http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2013/05/09/porn-problem-star-death-arpad-miklos

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VIDEOS:

CHECK OUT OUR OWN VIDEO ON THE HARMS OF "GAY FOR PAY" PORNOGRAPHY:

INTERVIEW WITH EX PORN ACTOR LENAIR XAVIER

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"Gay for Pay" Episode of the Tyra Banks Show (Playlist of 5 videos)