Rest in peace, Playgirl

A confession (and you better appreciate it 'cause I don't do confessions on this blog that often).

Back when I was 15 or so and living upstate New York and struggling to understand my attraction to men, I used to rob convenience stores. Yes! I was a drive-by-store gang banger!!!

Except I was a big-nosed and pimple-proned geek (hawt!). And I didn't use a gun. Just stealth. And, hm, I also got caught. Which is probably why my life of crime was cut short.

In my hands when I got caught? The latest issues of Inches, Playgirl and Blueboy! Yes! Blueboy (remember?).

Of course I was embarrassed and scared and all that but when I was asked the all-important question of "Why?" by the store manager I sincerely thought I had a winner when I said "Well, sir, you have to know, sir, that I'm an art major and... hm, we are taking a look at human anatomy, and... well..."

That didn't fly too well - dammit! - and I had to return all of the magazines anyway but at least he let me go.

Which is why today's news that Playgirl magazine will no longer be in the newsstands is such a sad and historic moment.

I guess I'm to blame 'cause I never actually bought a single issue and it is sales revenues that keeps our institutions alive. Then again, maybe it was the magazine's insistence it was just for women when it clearly (and mostly) wasn't.

In any case, rest in peace, Playgirl, I am certainly a little bit gayer because of you and that can't be a bad thing. It certainly is the end of an era.

Related:

• Goodnight, sweet hunks (Radar)
• The rumors are true (Gawker)

How sick is this? YouTube goes REALLY viral

Imagine you are a porn flick producer and need to make your product be noticed. You get a bright idea ("Damn! YouTube vids can go viral in no time if you got the right idea").

Unfortunately, YouTube does not allow pornography. What to do?

Well, maybe you don't need to actually show scenes from the movie. Maybe you just cover your face with a bandana and start reading the names of girls under contract for the films and - what the heck - claim that you've intentionally infected them with HIV!

Brilliant!

Except Australian media caught up with him ("Trashman's AIDS Talk Just Trash," The Sydney Morning Herald, April 23, 2008).

Related:

• Jasmyne Cannick: Strange Behavior - The 'I Got AIDS From That N**** List'

Previously on Blabbeando:

• Cocodorm goes after black and lesbian bloggers (May 9, 2007)
• Of ghetto boys, HIV and gay porn websites (May 3, 2006)

Update: Devout Muslim bear to defend Spain's title at IBR

Well, this certainly has gotten a bit more interesting.

With my recent post about Morocco-born Adil Doukali getting massive online hits this week, a bit more information has become available about the context in which he stated that he hoped to be "on the good path" to meeting a woman and raising kids in the future after being elected to defend Spain's crown at the upcoming International Bear Rendezvouz.

Over at GayMenGC there is a substantial description of the interview that ran on Spain's Antena3 this Friday - which I am quoting almost in its entirety - that provides additional context to Doukali's comments:

The programme’s presentation team were openly supportive of him as the contest winner, and respectful of the bear and wider gay community: but they didn’t pull any punches in questioning him about how he felt about the public repression and ill-treatment of gay men in many countries which describe themselves as “Islamic”.

He’s 32 and Moroccan, but has been living in Spain for some time, working as a painter and decorator. There’s no doubt he publicly identifies himself as a gay man, but also says there’s a bisexual side to him, and he doesn’t rule out the possibility of marrying a woman and raising a family.

What he does rule out is the possibility of marrying a man, for religious reasons. This sits somewhat strangely alongside his new role, since he’s been elected to act as an “ambassador” for the bear community, and it’s probably a comment which the contest organisers may find uncomfortable, and many in the gay community will find unacceptable; though it’s clearly a personal view, and not one which he said others should necessarily agree with.

In some ways, it was a very uncomfortable interview, seeing someone - who is in so many ways a modern Western gay man - still wrestling with the contradictions of the religious teaching he has grown up with (something which affects those gay men here who are also devout Catholics). But it was an interesting snapshot too, which probably captures the confused loyalties of other gay men brought up under Islam.

He accepts that Islam talks about homosexuality as being a sin, but says that God should be his judge not men: he openly condemns the treatment of gay men in those muslim countries where we suffer persecution, and is calling for more HIV/AIDS education in Morocco and elsewhere.

He also acknowledges that there’s a great deal of hypocrisy in Morocco and elsewhere, and that men frequently have clandestine gay relationships, particularly before and often after getting married. But he also admitted during the interview that though he didn’t believe he would suffer any consequences should he go home to visit his family in Morocco (he says in particular that his family are very “modern”), living in Spain has given him a very different life.

As a man born in South America, I know how tough it is to turn away from religious dogma when it goes against every grain of your body and yet, as I cringe about Doukali's choice of words in describing a "good path" to marriage and children, there is part of me that is impressed by a man who says he is a devout Muslim and is willing to be chosen as Spain's representative to IBR and to openly condemn "the treatment of gay men in those muslim countries where we suffer persecution."

A curious aside: One of the men Doukali beat for the title was Javier Gónzalez (left) who came in third place. Gónzalez is better known in the States as gay porn sensation Edu Boxer who has performed for a couple of Lucas Entertainment features along with his boyfriend Manu Maltes.

Lucas Entertainment is, of course, run by pouty Zoolander-type Michael Lucas who has an opinion column in the New York Blade that often riles against all things Muslim (which my friend Faisal Alam has taken to task in the past).

I'm sure not all will agree with me but we certainly hope to see Doukali at IBR despite the recent controversies.

UPDATE: Adil Doukali in his own words (Dec. 15, 2007)

Colombia Dispatch: Streets of Medellin

Downtown medellin...
Built to resemble a threading needle, the Coltejer building has been the emblematic building structure of Medellin since it´s construction back in the late 1960´s (much like the Empire State Building is emblematic of the Big Apple). After all, Medellin has long been famous for its pioneering and still leading textile industry. At 140 meters and 35 floors, it remains the tallest building in the city. It did look taller to me when I was a kid (or before I became a worldy man of adventure).
Here´s a look at downtown Medellin from the grounds of the Medellin branch of the National University. Yup, that´s the Coltejer in the background.
There´s some uglyness to this particular urban structure but for some reason it has always fascinated me. Build a building on top of a steep hill, access to public transportation is on ground level. Solution? Build an elevator tower on the outside that gives easy access to the bottom of the hill. Very practical.
Yes, there are Citibanks in Medellin...
One of my favorite movie theatres as a kid, El Cid, long ago ceased to show wholesome family fare. Yesterday´s movie: "Suzanne, the pervert waitress," only U$2.50!
This requires some explaining: Tarrao is a particular slang word used in Medellin to describe someone who is hot. It can be used as a noun as in "Damn, what a tarrao" or as a term of enderment as in "You´re my tarraito." But it denotes, mostly, that you come from a poor neighborhood (where gonorrhea is sometimes also used as a term of endearment as in "How are you, gonorrhea!"). So I had to laugh when I saw this billboard right in the middle of the city advertising tarrao underwear (funny thing - the imagery on their website shows the Boston skyline instead of Medellin´s).
Although there are fewer young men in Medellin sporting anime cartoon spiky hairdos than in Bogota, pink power seems to have taken over women all over the country regardless of age. Pink IS the fashion color of the season, or - to be more exact, fucsia, which happens to be the name of this pink shop.
Second, perhaps, to Caracas, Venezuela, Medellin women are known for their curves, their slavery to fashion, a high rate of bulimia and anorexia and sky-rocketing rates of plastic surgery, even among adolescents. Not for nothing do they call Medellin the fashion capital of the world (the city is still buzzing about the 1st ever appearence by designer Carolina Herrera at the recent ColombiaModa fashion show).

The women of Medellin are extremely fashion conscious, no matter what age, weight, economic class or looks. The preferred look is tight jeans, bare midriffs, high heels, long hair, big breasts and some pink. It probaby would look sluttish anywhere else in the world but Medellin. Above, grandaughter and grandma at the meat rack in a supermarket waiting for a ticket. Loved the stylish grandma wearing that tight, tight, tiiight red full-body jumpsuit.

Cocodorm goes after black gay and lesbian bloggers

It's been a year almost to the day that I posted some comments regarding black and Latino gay porn in the wake of a scandal in Chicago involving porn producer Phillip Bleicher and his well-known (in certain circles) Cocodorm a/k/a FlavaWorks a/k/a Thugboy a/k/a PapiCock a/k/a Cocoboyz productions.

At issue: Did Cocodorm instruct performers not to wear condoms during live sex sessions broadcast online to paying subscribers? Did performers sign a contract that was reported to the Chicago Health Department as being akin to "illegal servitude?" And did Bleicher and some partners also bilk public funding through a purported nonprofit youth service agency he set up for expenditures including liposuction surgery and trips to Brazil?

Bernard Tarver over at Bejata has the published findings of the Chicago Health Department investigation and - no surprise - it's a damning report.

Thing is that since the scandal broke Bleicher left Chicago and settled in Florida. But - what do you know? - the past can sometimes catch up to you.

Now, a few bloggers have kept up with the story, including Bernard, Jasmyne Cannick, Darian Aaron and C. Baptiste-Williams. Incredibly, Cocodorm is now targeting them with cease and desist threats as Bernard chronicles over on his blog.

Not the right move at all. Let's hope that Bleicher gets what is coming to him. Support bloggers that are reporting on the issue and stop supporting sites that exploit young gay men.

Other responses:

• Flava Works has gone too far (Keith Boykin)
  
• Cocodorm gets caught in the porn act (Greasyguide)

Update: Marine Corps begin inquiry against Matt Sanchez

I guess you could see this coming: The Navy Times reports tonight that the Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas, Mo., has begun an inquiry about reservist Matt Sanchez' past as a gay porn star.

As the article says, "While Sanchez says he has put his gay porn past behind him, the Marine Corps hasn’t. Homosexual behavior is prohibited by an article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice that forbids 'sodomy.'"

This week I sent a message to Mr. Sanchez asking him to talk about his experience in the military as a Latino soldier and on his views on the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy.

There was an immediate reply: "Andres. There are no black, gay, or Puerto Rican Marines. There are just Marines. :)"

So I guess that's as far as I'll hear from Mr. Sanchez (I like the sideways smiley face though!).

Over on his blog, after a review of the testosterone filled flick "300," Cpl. Sanchez does give a link to a reply he posted on the Military Times (which also hosts the article posted in the Navy Times above).

His response: "I'll be writing another opinion piece on this subject to address this matter in my own words. I'd appreciate it, if my fellow Marines gave me the benefit of the doubt until then."

• Previously: Matt Sanchez 24/7 (March 8, 2007)

Matt Sanchez 24/7

So imagine that you are a graduate school student at Columbia University and dealing with midterm exams and what not. And then a snap of winter weather hits the city making those long pathways between campus buildings that extra windy and cold to traverse, even with a turtle-neck sweater on!

Then again, you are Cpl. Matt Sanchez, Marine reservist and right-wing media darling for daring to (gulp!) back on-campus military recruitment and complaining that some "non-minority" socialist students on campus insulted him by saying he was "too stupid" to understand that the military exploited minorities such as him (Sanchez is Puerto Rican).

An OpEd piece in the NY Post set the usual right-wing media channels on his tail including The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes, culminating in his invite to the CPAC conference where Ann Coulter recently made those "faggot" remarks about John Edwards.

Not to miss out on the attention, Cpl. Sanchez launches his own blog to... promote his Columbia Spectator article on the lack of truly masculine characters in Ugly Betty?

Ah! But that was mere days ago and this is now:

From Joe.My.Blog:

• "Jeff Gannon Redux" (March 6, 2007)
• "Sanchez & Gingrich" (March 7, 2007)
• "Matt Sanchez Responds, Sort Of" (March 7, 2007)
• "Semper Fi, Matt" (March 8, 2007)

From Matt Sanchez:

• "Porn Free: The Truth Has Set Me Free" (Salon.com, March 8, 2007) - also on his blog.

And, finally, for now, from Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

The Real Eleven Inches of Pure Hypocrisy

While it may be delicious to watch our opponents twist and squirm after honoring and embracing a larger-than-life gay porn star, I don’t see any hypocrisy in U.S. Marine reservist Matt Sanchez’s actions. As is his right, he spoke out against what he believed was bad treatment by Columbia’s ‘radical anti-military students’ (Sanchez’s words). Right-wing pundits and organizations pounced on the handsome Latino Marine and showered him with praise and media exposure. Now, they’re scrambling for cover.

Porn — gay or straight — has no ideology. Porn stars and porn consumers are Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, atheists and evangelicals. There’s no inherent contradiction between Matt Sanchez being pro-military and being part of the ‘adult film’ industry. The real hypocrisy expresses itself in two different and important ways. First, the failed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law requires Matt Sanchez and thousands of other loyal Americans to hide their sexual orientation to serve their country in the military. Second, Ann Coulter and her ilk lift a man to hero and spokesperson status until — gasp! — he is found out to be a ‘faggot’ (Coulter’s word).

The important 11 inches in this story? That is the approximate distance between berths on U.S. naval submarines, so defamatorily measured in front of TV cameras by then-Sen. Sam Nunn in 1993, who immorally intimated that openly gay service members could not be permitted to bunk next to straight service members. From that shameful episode, Nunn led Congress to adopt the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ law, which should now be repealed. Let’s be done with officially enforced closets.

It's sometimes fascinating to see one of these mini-scandals shape up but part of me also cringes when you see someone who obviously did not know what was coming to him become a deer caught in the headlights.

The Task Force does well by defending Sanchez' right to his views and tries to redirect the dialogue towards renewed efforts to challenge the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policies (it was just last week that we blogged about yet another conservative Hispanic Marine in a whole different situation).

Still, I'm not sure I'd say that there was no hypocrisy in Sanchez letting Fox news use him in the same way that he accuses left wing media of championing minorities who express left wing views (though he does have a point when he says that when his views became prominent, it was only the New York Posts and the FOX news of the world that picked up the phone).

Still, what is most insidious to me is how conservative media outlets canonize a few minorities that espouse right-wing ideologies (Michelle Malkin anyone?). Perhaps it's my turn to turn into a Minutemen-loving, reggaeton-hating motivational speaker and Newt Gingrich fan and see if they bite? I'll even call myself Hispanic! I certainly could use the money!

An interesting point about Sanchez' Salon.com essay: He never says whether he is a gay man or not. Likewise, though he does name the titles of a couple of his porn flicks as well as the monikers he used as an actor, he never once directly says that these were gay porn flicks, just "adult films."

Online he has also claimed to have had two fiances and a wife - but never a boyfriend (a bad thing when you've dated one of the most widely read gay bloggers).

Is he trying to avoiding being thrown out of the reserves? Is he bisexual? Is he gay and doesn't think it's a public matter? Only Sanchez knows.

Not sure the truth has set him free but let's hope he does come out a better man at the end of this.

UPDATE: Just for the heck of it, a few views on the right (all in defense of Sanchez).

• A Message for -- and from -- Matt Sanchez (Michelle Malkin, March 8, 2007)
• In defense of Matt Sanchez (Right Wing News, March 7, 2007)
• Using Matt Sanchez' Past to Dismiss Conservative Ideas (Gay Patriot, March 7, 2007)
• Gay Escorts Say the Darnest Things (Chris Crain, March 6, 2007)

Updates: Loose ends

Yesterday's NYS marriage decision: There is lots out there about yesterday's marriage decision so I won't say too much about it except that after the initial anger there's the sadness that one of the states that is considered among the most progressive can elicit such a regressive, backwards majority decision against gay couples.

And, because I also don't want people to forget who is doing some of the gloating today, I will point out to this article from today's The Christian Post in which the oh-so-ethical and moral Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr. forgets, once again, that there is a separation of church and state. He also says that while "only the state legislatures are the ones that could decide if there should be homosexual marriages or not," it is obvious that he'd rather not even give the New York State legislature that chance (he also reacts to the recent settlement in the case brought against the Harvey Milk School).

The man in the blue shirt standing on the tree pot and blocking the view: In the meantime, since I'm the one always taking the photos at events, I rarely get the chance of capturing myself in the frame, which is why it's so nice that Lavi took the above picture while I stood on one of those cement tree pots that are spread throughout the city. To the man who shouted that I should keep my hands off the tree, I was actually careful and nice about the tree but also wanted to keep balance and avoid scraping my knee at the event just like I did with the same cement pot while taking these pics. To the man who asked me to step down if I wasn't gonna take pictures, I did take pictures! For others whose view might have been blocked, apologies!

Porn: Now, a couple of months ago, we made comments on some scandalous allegations involving FlavaWorks and CocoBoyz / CocoDorm, purveyors of so-called homo-thug porn. In said post, we mentioned Enrique Cruz and his La Mancha Productions and yesterday someone who signed in as 'Ken' left some choice words about Cruz (see replies). My original post was elicited by something that Bernard first wrote in April. Last week, Bernard posted an update that we'd be remiss if we didn't link to as it speaks of changes at FlavaWorks that bode well for the enterprise. On a side note, Rod2.0 also links up to former La Mancha star Tiger Tyson's - uh - blog?

David Papaleo shows us love, we show love back

From: david papaleo
Sent: Wed 3/1/2006 8:24 PM

Thank You Andres! I read what you wrote, and it made my day. Thank you.

John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" That means ALL of us!! Best wishes to you.

[Note: Classy guy, he?]

Fleshbot shows us love, we show love back

So Fleshbot has picked up on our recent post about Tom Katt's transformation into David Papaleo and thanked us for leading them to the original Dallas Voice article. Well, thanks for the thanks, Fleshbot!

The church of David Papaleo (a/k/a Ex-Porn Star Tom Katt)

OK, this might be a bit off-subject, considering that I rant mostly about Latino stuff but stories like these actually fascinate me.

Turns out one of the biggest gay porn stars of the last decade, who I briefly met at a gay pride parade here in Manhattan, says that he has retired from gay porn, found Jesus Christ, thought he was bisexual but now knows for certain he is straight, has retired his Tom Katt porn name (he responds to David Papaleo now), wants to become a priest and, get this, still thinks that God loves gays and lesbians and that they should have the right to marry!

As someone who thinks that sexual identity is more fluid than people give it credit, I will take Mr. Papaleo's statements at face value. What is different about his statements and those of so called "Ex-gays" that some conservative churches trot out to media to prove that sexual identity can be changed, is that the so-called change also comes with a repudiation of homosexuality and the argument that to be in God's graces one must abandon one's identity (or, in their words, one's 'lifestyle').

In an interview with the Dallas Voice published today, Mr. Papaleo does not argue that people can change their sexual identity, he does not argue that being gay means you are evil and says that his new-found belief in Christianity was not a catalyst for now leading a straight life (he is now a married man).

He does share some other interesting points of view.

Of his experience as a porn star he says: "I don't think that erotica or sexuality is a bad thing. I believe that sex is the strongest physical expression of love to another person. But porn is not an expression of love. It's empty and cold. There is nothing wrong with sex. God made sex, too."

As for Christian fundamentalists preaching against gays: "So many people are shunned or feel like they've been pushed away from God - that God doesn't want anything to do with them. I want to tell as many people as I can that that is an absolute lie. God loves everybody. He made you the way you are [...] Don't let anyone tell you you're less than anything in God's eyes."

I say, give the man a church!

UPDATE: David Papaleo shows us love, we show love back (March 1, 2006)

Guatemala gay porn uproar

A gay porn flick released by the Miami- based Kristen Bjorn Productions in 2004 called "Men Amongst the Ruins" is raising heckles from local community leaders in the colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, who are disturbed that some of the sex scenes were aparently filmed in the ruins of colonial-era Christian temples.

Antonio Tovar, the Director of Conservation of Ancient Guatemala, told the AP that while the production company did film in an 18th century Catholic temple that has since been converted into a museum, the sex scenes were filmed elsewhere and edited to seem as if they took place inside the museum.

Antigua, which dates back to the 16th century, used to be Guatemala's capital city until a series of earthquakes left it nearly deserted in the 18th century and Guatemala City became it's last and current capital. Kristen Bjorn, known for the exotic worldwide locales he choses as settings for his porn films, did not make a comment to the AP.

So, while the Guatemalan gay rights organization has suffered the loss of eight of its members to violence just this year, a US-based gay porn producer uses a Central American city for profit (reminds me of something else) and Guatemalan authorities seem to care more about the sex that aparently never took place in a temple than the rash of killings that has plagued OASIS over the years.

UPDATE: You can read more about this at "Drowning in a glass of water" from El Blog Diabolico.

My New York - Death at Penn Station

Death happens. No, there wasn't a terrorist attack at Penn Station last Thursday at 3pm. But some of the hurried masses must have at least stopped and wondered about (maybe helped) the young man lying on the floor. Unfortunately, according to a message I got on an e-mail list, the young man didn't make out of the famed train station alive:

Rod was a bodybuilder, model, tattoo enthusiast. He was a friend to some (a lot), and idol to most, and in general a spectacular human being. Rod passed away Thursday afternoon in NYC. According to his good friend Wayne, Rod had a major heart attack about 3pm...collapsing in Penn Station in NYC. Rod's heart had only been functioning at about 30% due to a previous illness. Here's to you Rod. We will miss your extraordinary presence. You were spectacular, and one of life's truly nice guys. We grieve the loss of you.

Now I didn't know Rod (whatever his real name was) or even knew he had been in some flicks. But if a porn star collapses and dies at Penn Station it must be some sort of news, no? You wonder who he was, what was his life like, where he came from, how many men (and women?) were his fans.

Not to belittle his passing but it does bring us to the final episode of Six Feet Under on HBO on Sunday night. Rod and Six Feet Under, RIP.