Sunday, June 25, 2006

Shaming Indy's GLBT Community

Two well-known gay-owned businesses in Indianapolis proudly participated in the filming of what has to be one of the raunchiest and least professionally-produced pornographic videos of all time. The title, which I shall omit for fear of promoting an otherwise straight to the trash can video, is descriptive of the number of local gay men the featured "actor" performs oral sex on to the point of orgasm while cruising a local video store and a popular leather bar. The number is 40 if you're keeping count.

The two businesses promoted the release of this truly sad creation by blanketing car windshields this weekend outside local gay establishments. Fortunately for the poor souls who participated in the making of this film, the producer was kind enough not to reveal most of your faces. Unfortunately for others, the lighting was the only aspect of the video the producer did half-way right, and you may be surprised to see your face in an orgy-fest which is sure to send any reasonably sane viewer straight to the bathroom to vomit. Fast-forward is a must for this video. The pause or slo-mo feature you can do without. As for the featured actor, he's lucky if he got out of town without earning a death sentence for practicing such recklessly unsafe sex.

The video store is offering the video, which is completely devoid of any artistic value, for $35, or you can rent it for a few bucks. Rather than trying to make a buck off of it, these two businesses would be wise to lock this one away in the vaults so that it never sees the light of day again. They would be doing everyone a big favor. I personally spoke to the owner of the video store about my concerns. He respectfully listened to my concerns, and he had anticipated criticism from some corners over the video. Both businesses have been very supportive of the GLBT community, but I must respectfully disagree with their actions on this particular project.

And for those wondering if a certain someone's partner participated in the video as earlier reported in the blogosphere, the answer is no according to the video store owner.

9 comments:

Gary R. Welsh said...

A warning to you anonymous posters who are tempted to use this space to defame certain individuals, your comments are being monitored and will be promptly deleted. I've already done this once for this post, and I won't hesitate to do so again.

Scott said...

I'm afraid that no matter how hard some people try to fight for gay rights, other people will keep doing things that put bad press on our community. There will still be cruisy parks and bathrooms, there will still be guys hooking up in alleys, there will still be a weekly almost-orgy upstairs at the 501, there will still be closeted married guys on manhunt and gay.com, and there will still be porn.

And I have to ask about the last paragraph: I've been blogging about as long as anyone, and I didn't know there WAS an Indiana blogosphere. What am I missing?

Gary R. Welsh said...

"Indiana blogosphere" is a short-hand reference to the many local blogs-nothing official. Blogosphere is "the collective term encompassing all weblogs or blogs as a community or social network" according to Wikipedia.

You're right in some sense Scott, but it might help if you don't produce a video which portrays Indiana's gay community in a very bad light.

Anonymous said...

The video's title is "Feed the Fag 40 Loads." How pathetic can you get?

Anonymous said...

"I'm afraid that no matter how hard some people try to fight for gay rights, other people will keep doing things that put bad press on our community."

I think that is the single most depressing part about the whole thing. There is so much pressure put on anyone who is out to be perfect. (I'm thinking of Ellen Degeneres / Anne Heche here). How much damage was done by Anne switching back and forth (did I dream that her Mom now speaks on behalf of Ex-Gay ministries)? Yet nobody defines the heterosexual world based on Brittney Spears or Elizabeth Taylor.

Anything that is fuel for the sterotype is stoked, anything that is counter to the sterotype is at worst hidden, at best written off as the single exception.

All of it creates an atmosphere that makes it almost impossible for "normal" (by normal, I mean people that don't consider hooking up for orgies or appearing in porn movies, or DO lead otherwise dull, boring lives) people to be out.

Consequently, the sterotype continues to become a hideous characiture of what it is to be gay.

I just don't know how to even make a dent in it other than to continue to just be who I am (dull and boring and gay).

Marla R. Stevens said...

Paula --

You mean someone took a woman suffering rather acute Dissociative Identity Disorder who might well have been in a fugue state when she was dating Ellen DeGeneres as an actual lesbian?

Are there really people that stupid?

Anonymous said...

i think it is quite ridiculous to say that this is shaming an entire community of people. i think porn is now...what it has always been-an outlet for adults to enjoy sexual material in the privacy of their own homes. What porn is not...is a reflection of any one group of people. I also find it quite offensive that so many people have expressed their disgust for this material...AFTER they've watched it. And i am just sure that most of the opposed are taking a few loads of their own.
I think a big part of being a member of the gay community is embracing those who have a different viewpoint than ourselves.
Like...for instance...those who watch or participate in the making of pornography. I am gay...and promiscuous...and believe in love...and am glad that there are many different types of homosexuals. I am glad that we are all not the same...so that we don't have some sterotypical shoes to fill. I think what REALLY shames our community...are those members of it who degrade the choices of someone else.

Anonymous said...

knowing one of the participants in this film, i must say that this was one of the most unprofessional and disgraceful pornographic films i have ever watched being created! After agreeing not to show his face, the photographer showed it anyway, now he is faced with military discipline because of it. Cheers to a contract that is loose and leaves you powerless. All i have to say further on the subject is that this film was extreamly unsafe, no testing, no names, no protection. enough said.

Anonymous said...

The video in question does not show any unsafe sexual practices when it comes to HIV. The video is oral only.
Oral sex is safe sex according to every scientific study on the matter. (Check the NIH, or WHO websites for yourself)
Only 24 persons on the planet have become positive from oral sex. Each one involved major mouth trauma. Making them actually, direct blood/trauma infections, not really oral.
All of the participants are adults. As the notice at the beginning of the video states.
The only way anyone in the military could get in trouble for this is if another gay person reported them. Which is sicker than any video ever could be.
I don't have any opinion on whether it is right or wrong to participate in one of these things. I do know that it is none of my business, if I choose not to be involved.
As a gay man, I am a member of a highly discriminated culture. It is self destructive to engage in any sort of judgement against other gay men or women. All it does is present fuel to antigay groups.

As a Christian, I am commanded by Jesus to live and let live. And to pray for all those who will not. Bless You.