Hindustan Times
How porn made it happy and gay
By now many of you must have seen the new TV advertisements on the new-look Hindustan Times. They’re cool – and this one is my favourite.
To use a cliché — yes we have come a long way.
Is it only me, or does everybody feel that suddenly things are moving rapidly. I mean after decades and decades of refusing to accept homosexuality, there is spurt of change. Of course it all started with that momentous decision of the High Court on Article 377 (please read that judgement – it is a piece of art) – but is now quickly followed by the government’s decision not to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
That isn’t all. Now the Health Ministry is going to start an awareness campaign on gay issues! It would seem that finally Ghulam Nabi Azad – besides suffering from foot-in-the-mouth disease – is finally getting some sensible work done. Just think, one year ago, all this would have been simply unthinkable.
What has brought about this change in ourselves…how have we suddenly come to terms and become comfortable with an alternate sexuality? Of course, there are a huge number of factors that have contributed to this change. But what would you say if I told you that gay porn has played a major role in establishing a gay identity and changing sexual styles. This is the main argument of a book titled “Bigger than Life” written by Jeffrey Escoffier that I’d read recently.
Escoffier, a noted gay intellectual and activist, lucidly argues that this billon dollar industry created space for increased experimentation with a large array of sexualities that were not organised around procreation and reproduction. Escofier believes that sexual revolution in the US in the sixties and the seventies wouldn’t have taken place if not for the series of extended legal battles over obscenity and pornography. These battles over porn helped establish a safe space where new sexuality could be portrayed in a very blunt and honest matter.
Gay porn, he writes, in many ways was a saviour in those dark days of living inside a closet. The porn industry, working in a grey market, helped provide explicit representations of gay sexual behaviour not otherwise available. And the simple availability of these images helped the gay community to help affirm their nascent gay identity.
Not only did it help with identity, but with time the gay porn industry reflected the issues that the community was grappling with and became an effective communication mode. Case in point: the early AIDS epidemic. Escoffier writes: “As the AIDS epidemic devastated the lives of gay men, more gay men were choosing to stay at home and pornography than go out to cruise for sex.” In many ways it curbed promiscuity.
But more importantly, porn also took upon itself to communicate important social messages of the time. Many gay porn stars insisted that pornography had a mission to eroticise condom use as an integral and necessary part of sexual play, and became crusaders for safe sex. By the 90s, all gay producers prescribed the usage of condoms.
Escoffier’s book is a great study of the history of gay porn and how integral it was for the gay movement. Interestingly, in partnership with the Adult Entertainment Business he has set up a website named after his book where one can view many of the classic films he writes about in his book. Check it out here.
Afterthought: While the book stops in the 90s, what interesting to note is what is happening to gay porn today. AIDS is no longer the dreaded disease – and many young gay men believe they are invincible to the infection. As a result, there is a huge demand and proliferation of bareback (non-condom) gay porn. Isn’t it time the gay porn industry to once again reflect on what kind of sexual practices they are advocating to young people who are just about starting to explore their sexuality?
(5 votes, average: 4.6 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Vijay Thapa on Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Filed under Sex and Relationship · Tagged AIDS, gay, gay porn, gay porn industry, gay sexual behaviour, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Health Ministry, ses, Sex and Relationships, sexuality
a thought troubles me. what if being gay, or being champion of homosexuality was not in fashion in USA. does india then have has the guts to go ahead and pass the law.
you know there is a mind set. america is the bench mark of liberals. what ever happens in america has a validity. so if homosexuality is vauge in america. anybody in india, talking or saying anything against it, will look like a fool.
wow, what a freedom of thought we have. alleluia
[Reply]
Tia Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I dont understand why people fail to realize that homosexuality has existed as an option to man long before any legal system was even put in place. Infact, before the British raj, neither homosexuality / bisexuality / x-dressing / transgenders were considered punishable offenses. It was the archaic and inane victorian rule that brought about the biases and taboos in these spheres.
(The same Victorian rule, influenced by a church that criminalized hetero sex by unmarried couples, burnt “alleged” prostitutes alive, propagated masochism as a means to be “one with God” by feeling Jesus’ pain…)
With the British raj came the criminalization of alternate sexuality, the social/economic downfall of the Hijras (a class exalted by our ancient rulers), and along with it all open acceptance to things natural and honest to one’s heart.
I think it is about time we abandon these unevolved and shallow “enforced” laws, and revert to our rich social heritage that was way ahead of its time and highly revered by other ancient cultures worldwide.
[Reply]
Naomi Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I agree. However, I am completely in favour of the abolishment of the law that made being gay illegal in India as there are too many closet gays or secret gays who are marrying women here, but actually being gay. I cannot imagine what it would be like to marry someone you love and then discover they are gay and then have to pretend to be happily married while your husband sneaks off to meet gay men. Hopefully if it were to become more acceptable to be gay in India, then gay men would be more open and not end up ruining women’s lives in this way.
[Reply]
I haven’t seen much gay porn — but the idea that porn helped the gay movement interests me. Larry Flint and Hugh Hefner were icons in their own right fighting for applying the First Amendment to their businesses. Much of pornography helped women to fight the usual stereotyping too. So three cheers for porn!
[Reply]
Every porn has some degree of Gay or lesbian material. The thought however is frightening. Because one third of porn is paedophilac. At this rate the paedophils will be legal.
[Reply]
Homosexuality has been made legal and I guess there is nothing wrong about the decision. But whether things are moving rapidly, I am not at all sure. You see, you are talking about a miniscule educated, liberal class of people here. There are many people who are educated but not liberal.
If you want some idea as to what Indians really think, trawl through the TOI blogs on the subject and the comments posted there. TOI caters to the LCD, so the views reflected there are an indication of sorts.
Social change and its acceptance comes from within an individual, no law can alter mindsets.
Natasha, maybe saying three cheers for porn is taking it a bit too far, since porn insults the sanctity of human realationships.
[Reply]
Mayank Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I believe we have to reach a comfortable state of mind with regards to porn. I disagree that it insults sanctity of human relations..
[Reply]
Mayank,what Rhea possibly meant could be that the porn presents the physical aspect of the thing in such details which are not always possible in routine,on the bed.But then,rhea what would be its attractiveness if its not raunchy.I am sure a lot of people get inspiration to perform better by watching a nice porn material of their choice.I have found it wonderful and helpful at many times when it helped me in getting in shape within a short period and satisfy my partner.Needless to say,its sensible to treat porn just an entertainment so that it doesnt enter our heads.
[Reply]
when can we expect your next poost?
[Reply]
Great post!
[Reply]
Societies which have rampant homosexuality are alos suffering from falling populations.
It seemsz in the evolutionary ycle, such societies are not very desirable.
So legalize homosexuality and go extinct…
That is what is going to happen
..
[Reply]
rakesh Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Most people believe that afghanistan and arab countries have maximum homosexuality,but population is increasing.on the other hand,japan and norway etc have not much homosexuality and still population is decreasing.please comment.
[Reply]