I have been under the weather recently and have been here only occasionally. When I saw this thread and the first couple of posts, I couldn't believe it. But I didn't post because I wasn't up to it. Now I check the thread and see how it has grown and become even more unbelievable to me. I could fill a few pages with quotes to which I want to respond, but that would be a waste of space. So I just made notes on the subjects I want to address and purposely not the poster so I would end up commenting on the thought, idea, or opinion and not able to be misconstrued as attacking a particular poster. So here I go:
1. More models of color on
Broke Straight Boys - I have no idea of how the hiring and the scouting of models is conducted by
Broke Straight Boys management and production staff. So it would be disingenuous for me to make a judgment as to their outreach to men of color. The effort could be utterly abysmal or truly great. I just don't know. And unless one does, then judge not lest ye be judged.
2. But - aha! - you'll say, the end product is proof that there is little or no outreach to men of color. "Au contraire"! say I. What it proves is that men of color are not models on the site and speaks not to any outreach to them.
3. But, one might say, there are plenty men of color who would do gay for pay. Prove it. Here's what I know from many empirical studies, news reports, interviews, and polls: There is a high degree of homophobia in the black and latino communities (ever hear of "machismo"). While polls do show that among the younger segments of those communities that is changing, it is still a strong element in them. This, it seems to me, could be a significant factor in not having a very large men of color presence in the gay for pay profession. Another unknown is how many of the straight men of color in straight porn would do gay for pay. It seems everyone acknowledges that for men gay porn pays a good deal more than straight porn. I can't believe that white straight guys are that much more interested in making more money than men of color straight guys.
And I know about this lack of straight men of color available to have sex with other men from MY OWN EXPERIENCE. During my long trek out of the closet, the vast majority of my sexual encounters was with hustlers, street trade, and escorts. (I will leave out escorts because in all my expereinces with escort services there was only one in Philadelphia that could not provide me with the black escort I requested.) I first dipped my toe in this pool in the early 70's in NYC. I would troll the 42nd St. xxx theatres and dirty book stores. I rarely encountered men of color and the few that I did would either let me suck them or fuck me and be on their way. True, I didn't go to Harlem, Spanish Harlem, or the South Bronx, but my guess is that in those days in those neighborhoods any straight men who wanted to have sex with men were on the down low and really low and had to head down to midtown where it was much more easily available. Then I was in DC from the mid-70's until the mid-80's. And much more into the hustler scene. Also because of circumstances, I had limited time for the gay bar scene. Now in those days, DC was somewhere between 55%-60% black. One would think given some of the reasoning of some of the posts here that there would be a significant increase in the available straight hustlers who were black. Again I think the societal mores in the black community kept most straight black men on the down low. I did have a bit more luck encountering straight black men in the xxx theatres and dirty book stores. And I think the reason is that in the case of the two largest xxx adult theatres both gay and straight were in the same building. So you could go in one entrance and at the top of the steps you would go left for gay and right for straight. Thus, if someone saw you go into the building they couldn't accuse you of going into a gay moviehouse because they wouldn't know. Very clever on the part of the owners. And the same was true for the bookstores - they all contained straight and gay magazines, etc. although most only showed gay films in the stalls. And I have been in Pittsburgh since 1983. And it is about 25% black. And in the years I dealt with hustlers, there was only one black guy and he was just passing through. Same way in the bookstores. After I came out and was into the bar scene, as a customer and employee, there were few even gay black men out and about much less straight black men who were looking for sex with men.
Thus, I don't think one can logically assume that because a certain race or ethnicity comprises a certain percentage of the population, that there is a correlation between that and the number of straight men available who want to have sex with other men even on the down low much less on an internet site for pay.
3. Orientation vs. preference - Someone made this distinction and I think it is valid. And again I speak from my own experience. My orientation is gay, but my preferences vary and sometimes seem contradictory, but that doesn't make me anti- anything. Here are some examples:
a. I am a bottom - that doesn't make me anti-top or anti-only those who top. In fact, they are my favorites.
b. I prefer tops with no less than 7 inches - that doesn't make me anti-less than 7 inches; it just means I like to have my prostate hit, and I've found that less than 7 doesn't do it for me.
c. I prefer thicker dicks rather than pencils - doesn't make me anti-pencil; I just like to feel my ass expanding with each thrust.
d. I prefer masculine men - doesn't mean I'm anti-more feminine men; it's just when I'm having sex I have a stronger feminine side and I want to be fucked by someone who meets my perceptions of what a masculine man is.
e. Sometimes I prefer rougher sex and I look for someone who can make that happen. Sometimes I prefer a more romantic encounter and naturally look for someone who can make that happen. I was blessed to have my one true love, my dear Craig, who could do both and believably - so I lucked out.
f. I prefer cut dicks - but that doesn't make me anti-uncut; I've had sex with both.
I could go on and on about preferring certain body shapes and sizes, hair colors, etc. but they are preferences which for me depend on the mood I'm in and the kind of sexual encounter I want. But just because we have preferences doesn't make us anti- anything different from those preferences.
I'm sure there are whites who prefer whites, whites who prefer men of color, and men of color who prefer men of color and men of color who prefer whites.
Diversity is good. And Mark is an astute businessman who is in this business to make money. (And here I digress for a moment to say that I'm not sucking up to Mark as someone else who made a similar comment was accused of doing. That makes no sense. What have I or anyone to gain by doing such a thing? If anything it would make more sense for Mark to suck up to those whose memberships pay the bills and provide the profits. I believe he is astute because of how he has managed the site during my time here and the fact that he has succeeded in this cutthroat business all these years - and at a relatively young age.) As a result of the more reasoned suggestions put forth on this thread I can't believe he won't review the scouting and other outreach efforts to make sure everything possible is being done to get more straight men of color
who are willing to go on an internet website and get paid to have sex with other men.
I emphasize that last clause because - given the mores and folkways of communities of color (even though they are becoming less homophobic) - as I see it that is the determining factor as to the availability of men of color for gay for pay - their willingness to risk exposure of what they are doing for the money they're making.
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