By Steven Brown


New York City is rich with events and opportunities that truly make it the culture capital of the world. Discovering that the 2008 Gay Erotic Expo was in town speaks volumes as to the huge range of things to encounter here. From the most elite high brow happenings to the lowest beat its all here and there's plenty of it. I made my way to the Gay Erotic Expo with the a lofty quest of locating the men of color. In many ways I was not surprised to find a lack of abundance but what I did find was worth telling.

I fully expected to find lots of venders that produced and sold porn featuring black men and I was not disappointed in finding Big City Video and B.C. Productions both with substantial product featuring exclusively Black and/or Latin brothers and the various urban tales they have to share.

But that's it- only two venders of men of color content DVDs were on hand. Where was Flava Men or Ebony D or even Latino Fan Club? I suspect the internet is having some kind of effect on the porn industry but that's just a guess.

 


 
 
Forbiddenfunk reps were on hand speaking to brothers about the Leathersex scene and were also on a search for other black folk. We compared notes and concluded that there just did not seem to be enough chocolate around.

These guys were handing out very well made little books called FUNK! A Brutha's Guide to Safer Saner Leathersex. Produced by Safersaner,  the tiny book is quite educational with lots of nice pictures.

 
A very nice discovery was one Mr. J.C. Etheredge an artist/illustrator on hand to display his work in the comic book field. The comics on display beautifully and openly dealt with the subject of homosexuality and featured super heroes of Asian, Arab, Black, Latin and White ethnicities.

The work is very good and should find welcome places in the collections of many young gay men. Check out the good stuff at Anti-Heroes.

HX Magazine had many models on hand to spread their media mogul message and among them this barely clad young man lent his support to the cause of erotica.

I thanked him for being there. HX is a highly visible sponsor of many NYC gay life events, and often (though not enough for me) features men of color cover models.

 

This young man acting as both model and display item was promoting Leatherfest sponsored by Gay Male S&M Activists upcoming on November 12-15, 2008 .

Check out www.gmsma.org for more details.t the NYC LGBT Center. He seemed quite pleased to be bound in plastic wrap for the occasion.

 

 
Two of the celebrities on hand while I was in the house were the all knowing Robin Byrd & Sherry Vine.

Ms Vine was Mistress of Ceremonies for one of several erotic performances that highlighted the Expo's stage.

 
The most joyous find of the whole Expo experience was to come upon the table manned by Gay Men of African Decent where I met one Mr. Donald R Powell, Project Director with the organization. GMAD has been at the fore front of activities and activism in the Gay and Lesbian communities of greater NYC for all of the ten plus years of my time in the city
 
 
 
I've even marched under the GMAD banner in a Heritage of Pride Parade during the late nineties which remains on my list of best things I've done. The GMAD table was a collection of info about current issues important to any caring gay man of color- HIV status, safe sex, and more.

The individuals at the table with Powell (see blue briefs) were not GMAD staff members but recruiters for a unique program (Us Protecting You) that GMAD implements to partner with Black and Latino men involved in the adult entertainment/sex work industry to engage their peers, sexual and/or drug using partners in discussions that encourage them to obtain HIV tests and link them with supportive services (regardless of diagnosis).

They were their to encourage other men from that social network to join the program as additional recruiters and link with their friends and peers for pre-arranged appointments to get them tested at GMAD's mobile testing unit that was parked outside.

To GMAD I say cheers and another job well done.

 

 

Overall my experience a Gay Erotic Expo 2008 was pleasant, but underwhelming. For the two days that it overtook the Hammerstein Ballroom on 34 St in Manhattan I'm sure there was enough sexiness and kinkiness to satisfy the connoisseur and the neophyte with the right determination. But I was just a bit disheartened to find as few vendors of color as I did. Here's hoping for a much sexier and erotic future.