A new report reveals that thousands of innocent porn consumers and in particular gay men could find themselves facing jail time because of the UK’s laws surrounding porn consumption.
The Adam Smith Institute who released the report are calling on David Cameron to abandon the “absurd” pornographic laws. The report argues that there is no concrete evidence that pornography increases cases of sexual violence, and that the laws – designed to convict paedophiles and necrophiliacs – are so broad that they threaten the private sexual matters of over half of Britain.
The report suggests that obscenity law needs to be redrafted as the current legislation is so sweeping that even those who receive unsolicited images on Whatsapp, for example, could find themselves charged with possession of extreme pornographic images.
What are the UK’s porn laws?
In December 2014 pornography produced in the UK was subject to strict rules. The types of scenes which studios could film were severely restricted with an amendment to the 2003 Communications Act.
Some of the activities banned by the Conservative government could overtly affect the porn consumption of gay men in the UK – including those who watch BDSM, rimming (facesitting) and fisting.
The two latter viewed by the BBFC as potentially “life endangering”.
Penetration by any object “associated with violence”
Physical or verbal abuse (regardless of if consensual)
Urolagnia (known as “water sports”)
Role-playing as non-adults
Physical restraint
Humiliation
Female ejaculation
Strangulation
Facesitting
Fisting
A survey by the British Sexual Fantasy research Project in 2007, of 19,000 adults in the UK, found that 86% of men and 56% of women admitted to having viewed pornography, with a third of adults fantasising about playing a dominant or aggressive role during sex, and a third fantasising about being submissive.
Six per cent of UK adults, or approximately 2.9 million men and women, admitted to privately having violent sexual fantasies of some kind, meaning that hundreds of thousands of normal people who pose no specific risk of committing sexual offences could be targeted as criminals under the extreme porn law.
Sam Bowman, Executive Director of the Adam Smith Institute said,
“Most people don’t want the government in their bedrooms, but that’s what extreme porn laws do. This report highlights just how bad these laws really are – they turn millions of law-abiding adults into potential criminals simply for enjoying consensual spanking or dressing up in the bedroom. The evidence is very clear that pornography does not drive violence, and indeed it may reduce it. These are badly drafted laws that should never have made it to the statute books, and this report confirms the urgent need for the government to scrap them.”
Nick Cowen, author of the paper said,
“The extreme porn ban criminalises depictions of sex acts even if they are safely performed by consenting adults. We have seen the law used, in particular, to target and expose gay men. Each such case represents a personal tragedy and a disgraceful use of our criminal justice system’s scarce resources. The costs of the law are disproportionate to any public benefit, and as implemented cannot plausibly protect women’s interests for which the ban was supposedly introduced.”
Well in our very casual and unscientific survey we discovered that there is not one single answer. The majority of them just simply disappear back into anonymity and sadly many of them do not physically survive.
Arpad Miklos, Eric Rhodes, Wilfrid Knight and Roman Ragazzi all took their own lives, and in Ragazzi’s case it was after he had been exposed and after lost his job at the Israeli Consulate. Others like Josh Weston lost their lives to complications from HIV. In fact, in 2013, the number of suicides or deaths of those in the gay porn industry under the age of 55 exceeded a dozen, which is more than twice the annual average. Some sadly like Christopher Luke McAteer aka Clay at Corbin Fisher who shot himself are as young as 18- years old.
Also several of them like Bobby Clark, Phenix Saint, and Trevor Knight ‘retire’ very publicly and then are back on our screens before we can say ‘safe sex’. Others do however find a whole new life waiting in their future, and we tracked down a few of them to see how they were coping now they were fully clothed.
Jake Floyd aka Jake Genesis didn’t return to the police force when he retired, he just turned to God instead. However after Joey Santiago had been worshipped as ‘Gustavo Arrango’ he went one better and became a Priest at the House of Prayer Monte Santo in Puerto Rico.
Colton Ford made a sort of successful transition from porn to pop star. He covered Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered with a dance mix that went to be no. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. Fredrik Elkund aka Tag Eriksson who went from being a successful businessman in his native Sweden to become a top international porn performer, then parlayed that into becoming a top real estate broker and a star of Bravo TV’s Million Dollar Listing NY.
When Shawn Loftis aka Collin O’Neal hung up his jockstrap he became a teacher in Miami before his past was revealed to the authorities, today he has a successful new career as an iReporter for CNN. Kevin Hodge aka Hytch Cawke also became an educator and was the Head of the English Department of a School in Massachusetts until the local FOX TV station publicly exposed his past, which promptly ended his career.
Gay-for-pay Kurt Wild ‘retired’ after his wife gave birth to their fifth child. Now he is a full-time father and he says, without a trace of irony, a wildlife photographer too.
Britain’s own Aiden Shaw dominated gay porn in the ’90s with both his massive personal endowment and his clever novels and memoirs, and then at the age of 47 became a silver-fox high fashion menswear model.
Tom Judson aka Gus Mattox career path is completely unique. Judson was a successful musical theatre actor and performer who transitioned into a porn star when he was in his 40s, which is usually when others are making their exits. He made a big splash for two years picking up a GayVN Performer of the Year before putting his clothes back on for good. He can often be found performing his own one-man musical, Canned Ham in theatres that talks about his life as a naked star.
We did however find several porn stars trying to see what life would be like if they just drop the word ‘porn’ from their job title and turn their hand to acting in more mainstream movies. It’s a big jump from screaming out ‘give it to me big boy!’ to quoting some soliloquy from the Bard so luckily most of them do the crossover in baby steps plumping for roles in movies that won’t stretch their talents too far.
Plus many of them opt for parts that demand they are naked for at least one scene to remind us all what their greatest attributes still look like.
Dylan Vox aka Brad Brenton was one of the stars in the TV series called The Lair which doesn’t totally count as a complete break with the past as it is the story of a gay sex club run by vampires who are into sucking more than just necks of the cast (of mainly porn stars) who have somehow forgotten their clothes along the way. The plots are also as soft as the sex.
Vox fared better in Longhorns a very likeable romantic comedy although it seems like the director must have been worried that the audience may feel that the plot was a little thin in parts, so he had most of the cast proudly dropping their trousers just in case our attention was drooping. Since then however, he has had a steady stream of roles in B-movies from The Asylum Company who specialise in ‘mockbuster movies’. These are films that are released to coincide with those of mega studio epics in order to capitalise on the hubbub surrounding the big-budget movies such as Hercules Reborn that preceded Hercules starring Dwayne Johnson. They may never qualify him for an Oscar but Vox did get one good review ‘he pretty much steals what little thunder there was to steal’ wrote a critic, and it is after all work on the silver screen, and he does get to keep his clothes on.
The heavily inked Frankie Valenti aka multi-award-winning porn performer Johnny Hazzard was another (ex) porn performer who also appeared in The Lair, then went on to put in a surprisingly impressive performance in a lightweight movie called Tiger Orange which is about to be released on VOD. On the strength of this one role film and with his new T-shirt company Valenti wants us, and himself, to completely forget his xxx-rated movies so he declined our invitation to interview him for this article.
Sean Paul Lockhart aka Brent Corrigan aka Fox Ryder has gone one better than his peers and after a brief but intense career as a vivacious porn star, he moved into mainstream movies both in front and behind the camera. True his first ‘legit’ role was in the very questionable Judas Kiss a gay sci-fi movie, which features a plotline where the protagonist had sex with himself. Corrigan did, however, fare better though in a melodramatic gay thriller called Truth, and even with its howler of a script, he turned in a memorable performance. Then in 2013, he directed himself in Triple Crossed a rather inoffensive gay thriller/romance for which he at least deserves an ‘A’ for effort.
François Sagat the rugged French porn star with a tattooed scalp followed bit parts in two mainstream horror movies Saw VI and ‘L.A. Zombie’ with a starring role in Man At Bath, which thanks to Sagat’s wooden performance was probably one of the worst movies we sat through in 2014.
Thankfully for all of us he has subsequently retired to focus on his own clothing line.
This article was taken from our PORN ISSUE (13) July 2015 and now forms part of our Being A Porn Star Series.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
TheGayUK’s Matthew Peake catches up with adult star Edwin Skyes for our Porn Issue.
In our porn issue, we interviewed some of the world’s most popular porn stars to ask them everything you ever wanted to know for our Being A Porn Star Series.
The interview comes from Issue 13, July 2015.
CREDIT: Edwin Skyes Twitter
MP: Have you told your family? Have you told your friends?
ES: As far as my family go it’s not something I’ve shared. A few of my closest friends know. It was never really a big surprise for them as I’ve always had somewhat of an ego. I got a fairly positive reaction after explaining the reality of everything.
MP: Are there things you’ve learnt doing porn that you’ve included in your personal life?
ES: On a sexual level I’ve learnt so much. Too much to list, but it’s sad how much people are sheltered from some of the most exciting aspects of sex, which porn has certainly allowed me to discover.
MP: Do partners expect you to be an ‘expert’ on sex?
ES: On a personal level the industry has allowed me to become so much more confident with myself and others and also helped me to understand my body more. I definitely wouldn’t say I was an expert, but people do like to think I’ve tried everything and know everything about sex simply because I’m in porn.
MP: Is it hard to find romantic partners as sex is such an intimate part of the human experience, how do you balance the act versus the deeper connection?
ES: I’ve always found it difficult to find romance on a level I’d like, but I’m a hopeless romantic at heart so romance in a relationship is quite important to me and I believe sex is one of the best ways of showing a connection, even in open relationships I find sex is more intense and fulfilling with your partner.
MP: Have you ever dated another porn star?
ES: I recently split with my partner after about 9 months, he also worked in the industry so it was very easy for us to understand each others career and day to day lives. Because of this, I’d definitely prefer a relationship with another model, simply because outside of porn the industry carries certain stigmas that would probably make a relationship quite difficult for me. The camaraderie between other models is pretty incredible, since starting porn I’ve made some of my closest friends who I know I can talk to anything about. No point in having any secrets when you’re on display 24/7.
MP: Do you ever bottom? If so, how do you take care of yourself? Do bottoms really get paid more than tops?
ES: I would probably consider myself exclusively bottom now (thanks to a certain Ashton Bradley). Taking care of yourself can be quite a chore, but mainly I tend to just keep an eye on my diet, eating healthily definitely makes things a lot easier. And as far as bottoms getting paid more, it’s pretty much just a myth for the most of the industry, unfortunately.
MP: Do you sleep with your fans? Would you sleep with a fan if they paid you?
ES: As far as that goes, it would depend on the person. It’s not something that’s happened, and as for being paid, it’s not something I do. I don’t have quite the level of confidence to escort.
MP: Do you think porn fuels a form of prostitution within the industry?
ES: Porn fuelling prostitution? I wouldn’t use the term prostitution, but I know a lot of models who escort are building client lists from their reputation in the industry. It’s a completely normal thing to me. It carries a lot of stigma on the outside of porn, but at the end of the day, they are providing a legitimate service for their clients.
MP: Do you worry about STIs?
ES: Personally STIs are always something I keep in mind, it can put me out of work for a while if I was to catch anything. But anyone inside or out of the industry should be concerned about STIs. It’s so easy to get tested nowadays there’s no excuse not to. Although I don’t work in bareback porn I know models and studios who do, from my experience I would say bareback sex in porn is safer than in your personal life.
MP: How do fans react to you in the street? Do you find that a lot of people chat you up?
ES: A lot of the time where I’ve met fans I’ve been out with other models, the main reaction we get is what Ashton Bradley calls the “porn double take”. Most people don’t tend to come and strike up a conversation, but if they do they’ll just discover we’re fairly normal. I get pretty much the same amount of advances as I did before porn, but now people tend to know a lot about me, which is always a good laugh.
MP: Why do you think porn is so popular?
ES: Because it’s awesome! If you can’t live out a fantasy in your personal life porn can help you experience it. And other than actual sex whats better than watching hot guys get down and dirty? Also, let’s not forget that porn can be as artistic as any other film, it’s simply a form of expression.
MP: What would you say to people who want to get into porn?
ES: Go for it! I wouldn’t deter anyone that wanted to do porn. I’ve loved every minute of it. Just make sure you’re comfortable with the fact that someone you know may get to see more of you than they or you want them to. You’ll make some great friends too!
MP: What’s the best/worst thing about doing porn?
ES: The best part of porn for me is meeting incredible people, I’ve made some really good friends through my work and even got to have sex with some of them and get paid. As for the worst bit, I’d definitely say it’s the stigma from the outside of the industry, a lot of people just think we have issues, but at the end of the day, we have a job, just like any other normal human being.
MP: What do you think is the future of porn?
ES: The future of porn in the UK I’d say is uncertain right now. The BBFC are enforcing ridiculous laws, allowing them to dictate what consenting adults can and can’t do on camera. Their excuse is that they’re trying to protect people, while they will allow the release of films like 50 Shades of Grey that depicts people in situations they don’t allow in porn and also glorifies domestic violence while giving people a horrifically wrong idea of the world of BDSM. Double standards is certainly the term to be used here.
MP: What’s the average day of a porn star?
ES: The only difference between a normal person’s day is some mornings when I wake up I know I get to go have sex with beautiful men and get paid for it.
MP: After all the sex and fame and thrill… what’s next?
ES I hope to work abroad with some different studios at some point. But I like to take things day by day, so who knows what will come along. Age isn’t necessarily a limitation in porn, I love an older guy and there are some beautiful hunks out there who’ve been in the industry for years. I think the secret is just keeping yourself in shape for as long as possible.
MP: Is there anything that you won’t do in porn?
ES: There are a few things I won’t do in a scene, I won’t go into details, but we all have our limits and trying to film something that doesn’t do it for you will make an awful scene.
MP: How much do you get paid?
ES All I’ll say it’s good money for a few hours of fun.
MP: How would you describe your sexuality?
ES Being crude… Gay as a bag of fairies, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
MP: Porn is…
ES: I think porn is great! I would consider it artistic, if you look at what directors like Jake Jaxon of Cockyboys have done recently you’ll be amazed. The films are of such quality it’s more than just sex on camera, it is art. There’s something out there for everyone to enjoy. Porn is not taboo, it’s natural. So don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
TheGayUK’s Matthew Peake catches up with adult star Theo Ford for our Porn Issue.
In our porn issue we interviewed some of the world’s most popular porn stars to ask them everything you ever wanted to know for our Being A Porn Star Series.
The interview comes from Issue 13, July 2015.
CREDIT: with permission/ Buck Peters
MP: So how did you get into porn? How many auditions did you have to go through before you got your first job?
TF: I started porn aged 25. I had been contacted many times by producers before and I now felt I was ready and confident enough to do it. I never “auditioned” really. Just Skype interviews to talk with the studios and the producers at most. I started with FRENCH TWINKS. It was like a family, Antoine the producer and Jerome the production assistant are amazing and sweet people. Generous and positive. I don’t think I could have started my porn career in any better conditions. I got very stressed when we started filming but as time went on I relaxed and I am now excited to get on set! I am pretty shy in my personal life.
MP: Have you told your family? Have you told your friends?
TF: All my friends know. Some of my family does too. I don’t think it was such a surprise, but since I do look somewhat innocent and sweet (which is kind of the opposite of the average porn star) I maybe didn’t have the regular porn star look.
MP: Is it hard to find romantic partners as sex is such an intimate part of the human experience, how do you balance the act versus the deeper connection? What are your thoughts about sex and relationships?
TF: I’m very lucky to be able to choose my scene partners most of the time. And I have very often shot with guys who I knew or at least liked. So it was easier to open up sexually to them. It is acting, you must remember that! I am acting on set. I flip a switch and I tell myself that this is my lover for the next few hours. I love getting a real connection to my scene partner. The sex looks real and the energy is honest. Hopefully people can see it through my movies.
MP: Have you ever dated another porn star? If so, would you only ever date porn stars?
TF: I have so many porn star friends. I love working with them. We laugh so much on set!
I know for a fact that it is very hard to date someone who isn’t in the industry at all. You need to find a person that is confident and understands that you having sex with another guy on set is only work. But my husband Shawn Stolz is so understanding and proud of me for doing what I love. He understands even if he gets jealous sometimes (laughs)
MP: Do you receive bizarre messages from fans? What is the weirdest message or request you’ve received from fan?
TF: I get a lot of very sweet messages. Some are a bit more intrusive of course but that’s the price you get when you become a public figure. I’m so happy to answer questions to the greatest extent. All my messages are usually kind words or simply some advice on porn or sex. I am very active on Twitter and I love being in contact with my fans.
MP: Do you sleep with your fans? Would you sleep with a fan if they paid you? Do you think porn fuels a form of prostitution within the industry?
TF: Well, doing escorting is NOT prostitution. There is major differences between the two. First, you don’t pick up an escort on the side of the road. Second, escorting isn’t only or even at all about sex. It is about companionship. You give the intimacy to a person who is looking for it. It could be going to the movies or to dinner, a holiday or even just talking. Doing porn takes a lot of time and you must be free on a regular basis, having a 9 to 5 job doesn’t allow that most of the time. And escorting does give you the financial freedom to accept only the shoots you want and also to travel across the world for shoots.
MP: Do you worry about STIs?
TF: Of course I worry about STIs. But unlike many people I’m actually informed about them. I get tested all the time and I’m aware of all the risks.
MP: Do you think bareback porn is contributing to rising rates of HIV in young gay men?
TF: No I do not believe that porn is a major contributor of bareback sex. The biggest studios in the world only do safe sex (men.com, Falcon, Colt, men at play, Dominic Ford). You don’t go killing your neighbour or rob a bank because you saw it in a movie. People need to be educated on sexual practises and health.
Yes many love bareback sex. So we should make sure they are aware of their status and that they take care of themselves instead of creating a stigma and looking down on them.
MP: Why do you think porn is so popular?
TF: Porn is a place where ALL your fantasies can play out without anyone criticising you for them. I love porn but I love doing porn even more!
MP: What would you say to people who want to get into porn?
TF: Make sure you know what porn is all about. The good and the bad. You need to be very strong and tough to overcome the hard critics and bad experiences.
MP: What’s the best/worst thing about doing porn?
TF: The best thing about porn is meeting amazing people. The human factor is essential to me.
The worst thing about porn to me is that I sometimes get lonely. I travel all over the world alone. I have friends everywhere thanks to porn but the stability is definitely missing from my life. You need to know why you want to do porn and are you ready to be labelled for the rest of your life as a porn performer.
MP: What do you think is the future of porn?
TF: If I knew the future of porn I would be very rich (laughs). Interactivity seems to be getting stronger.
MP: What’s the average day of a porn star?
TF: There is nothing average about my life. I’m travelling across the world all the time. I try to have a healthy life and hit the gym as much as possible. The thing I do the most is show my passport at airports and jump into a taxi or an Uber. My Uber account is my most used app on my iPhone.
MP: After all the sex and fame and thrill, what’s next?
TF: After? Why think of an after? Why already expect it to end?
I want to grow and evolve. Learn new things and try out new adventures but porn will always be in my life one way or another.
I’m still heavily working on my fashion career in ways you will soon discover hopefully. I studied fashion design in Paris after having done international relations in Dublin. My first short fashion film is already out and you can check it out.
I want to direct more movies, design, create, write. Many projects are in the works for this year and I am so excited for them. Mainstream is probably a direction which I will focus on too.
Limitations are only for the weak minded!
MP: Who has been your favourite scene partner and why?
TF: I have had a few AMAZING partners. I’ve also loved working with my friends Brent Corrigan, Colton Grey, Dani Robles and Andrea Suarez. They are great people and the best co-stars I could ever ask for.
Denis Reed has died in a horrific motoring accident after losing control of his motorcycle over the weekend, ploughing into a tree.
The actor, producer and director was just 31-years-old. He was married to a woman and has one child.
A message on his Facebook page read,
In a sharp right-hand bend on the horizon mishandled his machine, the motorcycle fell to the ground and flew straight into a tree. During transport to hospital succumbed to serious injuries.
Mr Reed, who had starred in both straight and gay porn films began his career when he was 19.
Although emergency workers worked tirelessly to save his life, Mr Reed died from his injuries during the journey to the hospital.
A gay porn star has died of a drug overdose, aged just 30.
30-year-old gay porn star Xander Scott has died from an alleged overdose according to a post on Facebook.
Before his death, Xander Scott had performed for the porn studio Randy Blue. He apparently died in Arizona.
It appeared that his mother confirmed the star’s death via a Facebook message on the performer’s personal page.
According to sources, the star’s memorial took place earlier in February.
At the end of 2015 a number of young adult stars died within a short period of time. Zac Stevens, Dimitri Kane and Jasper Robinson all died within two months of each other.
A third young gay porn star has died in just over a month. Jasper Robinson has died at the age of 21.
The porn industry is in shock as young gay porn star Jasper Robinson has died at the age of 21. He is the third porn star to have died with in a month, following the deaths of Zac Stevens and Dimitri Kane.
His death, which was over a month ago has only just been made public. Robinson had modelled for Helix, Cockyboys, Nextdoor Studios and Boycrush.
Although no cause of death has been released, the website Str8UpGayPorn (NSFW) discovered that Robinson had a heart condition which may have caused his death.
Speaking about his best friend, Philip Ashton said on Twitter,
“I lost my best friend Jasper Robinson. I’m still in shock and can’t believe he’s gone.
If you’re a Star Wars fan this just might be the cherry on the top of your week.
Firstly we had hot guys hugging BB8, then we had two hot guys using their penises as lightsabers now there’s a gay parody XXX gay porn in the works…
The brand new gay porn from Men.com is about to be released – actually on the 25th December.
The trailer, which has been viewed nearly 80,000 times features all your favourite characters like, Luke, Obi-Wan and Darth. Apparently, there’s even a storm trooper gang bang.
Blue Blake has been found dead at his London home at the age of 52.
The performer Blue Blake, real name, Glenn Marsh, was found in his London apartment by friends, who became concerned after not hearing from him. Letting themselves into his flat he was found unresponsive in an armchair.
The death is not being treated as suspicious by the Met Police at this time. No details have been released at this time about the actor’s death.
Born in Nottingham, a stream of dedications have been posted on his social media profiles. Blue started his career in the adult industry 20 years ago. He started as a performer but became a writer and director. In 2008 he released an autobiography of his time as a porn star in a book called, Out Of The Blue: Confessions Of An Unlikely Porn Star.
