Thursday, April 16, 1998
Porn star brings interesting twist to gay literature class
experience
LECTURE: Guest speaker adds real human aspect to learning about
male homosexuality
By Barbara Ortutay
Daily Bruin Contributor
That one extra step that makes all the difference between a
boring lecture and a memorable learning experience may simply be
adding a human aspect to the class, something that goes beyond
regurgitating theory.
Listening to Derek Cameron speak of his experiences as a porn
star gave students in English M101B (Post-Stonewall Gay Literature)
a tangible context to John Rechy’s book, "Sexual Outlaw," and the
topic of male homosexuality.
"I wouldn’t teach if it was simply about theory and
intellectualizing," said Professor Greg Sarris. "The whole purpose
of teaching is to make a connection and to grow because of it."
A political commentary about oppression and the rage it creates,
Rechy’s novel documents the sexual journey of a gay
hustler/bodybuilder on the promiscuous streets of Los Angeles in
the mid 1970s.
"If we are going to read books by Rechy, we need to talk about
these issues in the most real way possible," Sarris said.
Cameron described his relationship with the adult film industry
as a mostly positive, rewarding experience. He also said he has,
for the most part, been able to avoid the exploitation present in
the entertainment industry by working with the most well-known
companies.
"There are many people exploited and taken advantage of. It’s
like chewing gum; when the flavor goes, there is always another
piece," he said.
Becoming a porn star was not something young Lee McKinney grew
up dreaming about; however, moving to Los Angeles took his life in
that direction.
The stage name, Derek Cameron, was given to him by the same
person who created gay porn icon Jeff Stryker.
"Looks do get you places, whether it is a positive or negative
thing," Cameron said.
One of his first appearances was in Playgirl magazine, which
everyone in his small Texas hometown found out about.
"I told my mother and two of my sisters," he said.
After that, one thing led to another, and in just two and a half
years, Derek Cameron became one of the biggest names in the gay,
adult-movie industry.
"He is at the pinnacle of the single most lucrative business in
the gay community," Sarris said.
Cameron does not see pornography as a long-time career;
currently it is a part-time endeavor. He has won several awards and
takes the often highly demanding work seriously.
"Under lights, hot, sweating, whether you are embarrassed or
not, you have to get over that," he said.
He added that a typical shooting schedule can be as long as 28
hours, "but that’s with dialogue." With a reserved smile, he
clarified the dialogue as "not just moaning."
To make the process of shooting porn films more comfortable for
the actors, Cameron said there are always as few people as possible
on the set.
"They usually do the intercourse scene first, to get it out of
the way, then go to foreplay," he added.
Unlike its heterosexual counterpart, the gay porn industry
places a great emphasis on safe sex. Condom use is mandatory,
according to Cameron, while in straight porn it is not
enforced.
Cameron said doing adult videos has made him more secure and
less hypocritical about judging people.
"I’m a totally different person than the person on the screen.
Because of that I learned that you can’t judge a person just by
their cover. People have different reasons for doing what they do,"
he said.
Sarris suggested that today, in the time of AIDS, pornography
may have taken the place of the ’70s sexual promiscuity.
"Porn creates a certain type of ideal beauty. It also means sex
alone, with a video, rather than human intimacy," he said.
In "Sexual Outlaw," sex with everyone, everywhere, is a form of
rebellion against heterosexual oppression, but also an alienating
experience devoid of human connection.
Cameron said what he does in front of the camera has little to
do with sex or intimacy.
"I am not sharing my soul when I have sex on screen, it is just
my body they are using," he said.
Cameron talked about growing up in Texas and attending Catholic
school as a "straight" high-school athlete. Toward the end of his
senior year, after having a man come on to him, he began
questioning his sexuality. The thought initially scared him, enough
to transfer to another school just three months before
graduating.
The idea of internalized oppression often surfaces in class
discussion, as well as in Rechy’s writing. Gay people often grow up
with the idea that homosexuality is wrong even before they discover
their own sexuality, creating a dangerous combination that leads to
the high suicide rates of gay youth.
First-year undeclared student Mason Chuang said it was an
enlightening experience to hear Cameron speak.
"I’m really glad the professor took the risk to bring him in. He
is willing to go a distance for the students, to give them an
experience that is more than just the books," Chuang said.
INGA DOROSZ
Gay porn star Derek Cameron spoke to an English class about life
in the industry.