opinion

Big Bad Bi: Shattering the Stigma of Bisexual Male Porn

Big Bad Bi: Shattering the Stigma of Bisexual Male Porn

Male bisexuality in porn is nothing new; it's been around for as long as the entire existence of the modern adult film industry. Conventional wisdom stipulated that bi MMF (male/male/female) porn didn’t sell well and there was no demand, but I've always found this opinion to be unrealistic. How could something that is practiced by so many in their private lives not be in demand?

My journey as a bisexual performer has been a complex one that started in 2006 in New York City. Straight and gay porn were the only avenues available if you wanted to perform (trans and BDSM as well). What I quickly realized was the sudden upheaval once I did both. You could not go from gay to straight, let alone do both.

The level of homophobia was excruciatingly painful. If it weren’t for my Bronx upbringing, from a strong-willed Dominican mother, I don’t know how I could’ve withstood the punches.

Male performers of the day would go by different aliases to hide the existence of their “transgressions” for fear of being blacklisted. Some male talent would just leave gay porn and change their names. It was impossible to be transparent and proud. You either had to fall in line or face the consequences: rejection from the mainstream straight productions. These rules were mandatory — never to be questioned, always to be adhered to or you’d risk being labeled unprofessional.

I resoundingly said, “No!” and I dared to go against the rule of law that reigned with an iron fist. Not only did I decide to simultaneously do both, I kept my stage name the same. This was in the name of transparency and personal integrity. Why could women have sex with men and women on film and be lauded by their peers, but then there was no fanfare for me to have sex with a man and a woman? I forged ahead — knowing what I was up against. I relied on word of mouth from people I had previously worked with for future employment, sending the message that I was professional, up to the task and kind to everyone I worked with.

The immediate response: "He's a gay performer, can't hire him.” This was the case 90 percent of the time. But that 10 percent that did take a chance on me really made the difference and I did not take it for granted. As a slow process, it nonetheless laid the foundation for me to expand my profile and increase my chances for future shoots, based on my character.

What soon followed was toxic. The level of homophobia was excruciatingly painful. If it weren't for my Bronx upbringing, from a strong-willed Dominican mother, I don't know how I could've withstood the punches. But I was up for the fight. Then the lynch mob came: a performer (usually male) would come up positive for HIV, the adult film industry shut down and paranoia would ensue. Half of the entire industry hurtled visceral insults towards bi performers — invalidating our existence and pushing us to stay in "our lane" (gay porn). The better half showed massive support, accurately stating that our testing protocols work and that alone should determine who works and who doesn't.

Traditionally, gay studios did not have the same testing requirements as straight porn in regards to HIV. Although that was true to some effect at the time (most gay studios today require testing before shooting), condoms were used in gay productions and not so on the straight side. Straight porn agents, by de facto, controlled what happened in porn and what didn't. Because of this, most agents pushed the narrative upon female performers not to shoot with "crossover" performers.

"Crossover" is a pejorative, used to insinuate a bisexual male performer is at risk of catching HIV and transmitting it to female performers. Female talent have the full autonomy of choosing who they work with, what acts they'll perform and the types of scenes they request to film, so long as they didn't dare shoot with me and a bi MMF scene or face being fired from their agency.

Today, that word is used nonchalantly to label any fluid-identifying gay porn male talent, but it still holds weight in ways that dehumanizes performers in order to orchestrate a negative agenda. The reality is HIV+ people can be undetectable with medication, which means there is 0 chance of transmission. If someone were to stop taking their meds, it would take six to eight weeks to become detectable.

But times have changed dramatically and for the better. Today, performers have the ability to shoot their own content on platforms such as Modelhub, ManyVids, OnlyFans, etc. The liberty of having passive income means performers can dictate their terms and not rely solely on studio work. Because of this new evolution in porn, I struck a chord when deciding to make my own content. As soon as I started making and marketing bi porn, the response was massive. I've found there was hunger for that kind of content that defied what I heard over the years. When I started producing it, I assumed only bi men would be my audience. But women are now expressing that it's their ultimate fantasy to be with two men that are into each other.

The general consensus about my content is that it seems real and everyone is genuinely enjoying themselves — and there's the key: authenticity. It doesn't matter what the genre is, only what you bring to the table, which is why I've made a concerted effort to create a space where my scene partners can express themselves to the fullest without faking it. I do this by encouraging a level of playfulness that resonates with the viewer for their enjoyment.

With free porn readily available for viewers to consume in the digital age, why would they buy from performers? I believe they're buying into the idea that it's personal, from their favorite stars. For me, it's very real and I express it enthusiastically. In this new age of male bisexuality in porn, it's still in its infancy, waiting for new creators to steer it in the right direction. Now, mainstream studios are finally taking notice.

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