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November 05, 2007
axm magazine interview
This month's axm magazine (out in the UK) has a feature about me, but the interview got cut really short. Here for you exclusively is the interview in its entirety:
What was it like being gay and living in Russia?
I knew that was attracted to men from a very early age. I felt very confused by that because in Soviet Russia in the 80s when I was in my teens we had no information about sex, period, let alone gay sex. The paradigm was that men should go with women and homosexuality was a shameful state for which you could go to prison. We had no gay role models and the image of gay men was not even that of a feminine caricature or a nelly hairdresser, it was that of a sleazy, nasty pervert.
I dated women until my first gay experience when I was about 21. At that time, the first gay clubs had opened. I went there hesitantly and with some anxiety but happily, that’s where I met my first guy. It wasn’t a great experience but it was enough to make me sure of what I wanted.
What really helped me during all that time was Soviet propaganda which depicted the West as a decadent cesspool which of course to me looked like paradise.
I left in search of that paradise when I was 23 and never looked back.
The pictures of the gay English activist beaten up during the attempted gay pride march last year illustrate why I haven’t been back since my family has emigrated to the US.
Why did you become an escort?
Having left Russia I found myself in “paradise” but without a cent in my pocket. I didn’t have legal status and while I had a law diploma from Moscow University, that wasn’t a viable way to make money in Germany. My priority was to legalize my status and make a living. Both required a lot of money. I realized that people not only wanted to have sex with me but also were willing to pay for it. After 23 years of feeling bad about my sexuality in Moscow, that was not just a profitable but also a liberating experience. I actually really enjoyed it.
How did you get into it?
I went to the most popular hustler bar in Munich and the men approached me right away.
Do you regret it?
Not at all. Maybe that’s because I have always been an atheist but I never felt that I was doing anything wrong. I wasn’t afraid of anybody or anything.. Besides, I also met some fascinating people through my work who became friends for life. And you know what’s really funny? You are the first people to ask me that question --- which I don’t mind at all.
How did you get into gay porn?
I was being photographed for gay magazines in Germany and appeared in a straight porn movie when I was approached by the wonderful French gay director Cadinot.
Why did you set up your own porn company?
Because I always wanted to be my own boss. In fact, I never worked for anybody in my life --- and I don’t think anybody would want me for an employee. :-)
Briefly, how did you go from acting in porn films to making your own?
I made only a few movies with other directors until I set up my own company in New York. I hired a camera man, photographer and secured locations through friends and filmed my first movie in less than two weeks. It certainly wasn’t as glitzy as “Michael Lucas’ La dolce Vita” or any of the big titles I produce now but I was very proud of running my own company after having lived in New York for less than a year.
Is it true that you set up Lucas Entertainment with money earned from being a prostitute? How much money did you earn from being a prostitute? How much money does it take to set up a gay porn company?
Lets put it this way: I always used my money wisely.
You’ve said you ‘completely dominate’ the porn industry in NYC, why is this?
We are one of the top players in the industry worldwide and we are the only major studio located in New York. Great city, hot men, incredible diversity --- I am thrilled to be able to capture all that and distribute it around the world. But I also film a lot in Europe.
How many guys have you had sex with?
I have no idea, but I am sure I made up for the time I lost in Russia.
Would you say you are amazing in bed?
This is not for me to judge. Just ask around.
Do gay for pay porn stars really exist? How prevalent are they in the gay porn industry?
In the US, it’s more of an 80s thing – like Jeff Stryker. Today, it’s rare. But when I film in Eastern Europe, especially my “Cruising Budapest” line, the majority of guys self identify as straight.
What do you think of them?
I think some of them are confused about their sexuality and all of them look at it as an easy way to make money.
What is it like to have sex with them?
Sometimes very mechanical and sometimes they surprise you. Nothing can be compared to having sex with a gay man who is into you.
How do they keep an erection?
Some use their imagination, some use straight magazines, some use Viagra and some are so young and horny, they get hard from anything which has a pulse..
Recently, in Britain, a group of porn stars got HIV after working in a studio that makes bareback films. What do you think of these bareback films? Should they be banned?
As you know, I use condoms in all my films and I always use condoms in my personal life as well, unless I am in a relationship. I believe that is what kept me HIV negative. I believe porn can send a very strong message, which in my movies is that you can have great sex when you are sober and you use protection. Porn can educate people, especially young people who did not live through the AIDS crisis in the 80s. I believe by using condoms in my films that I save people’s lives.
I also believe that porn works better than sex education brochures. Young people don’t even bother picking those things up.
What is the most extreme sexual act you have ever done on film?
I don’t really like the term “extreme.” To each his own. What is extreme for someone may be a totally “normal” thing for another! But I guess to answer this in some way, I can go from vanilla to more hardcore, like fisting as a top, watersports… you name it.
What sexual acts do you most like doing and why? E.g. rimming, blowjob, fucking etc etc
Sex is a full meal. I like it all, but I do have a fondness for rimming. :-)
Are you a top or bottom? Which do you prefer and why?
Top.
Porn sounds like a dream job, is it?
It might sound like a dream job for some, but I don’t think that everyone is dreaming to work in porn. I am not just a porn star, I am a producer, director and CEO of Lucas Entertainment and Lucas Distribution. I have a lot of speaking engagements at universities. I’m an adult entrepreneur. So for me it is a serious job which takes most of my time. And most of that time is spent in meetings and behind the computer… regular corporate work.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into porn?
I would say, like in all of showbusiness, it’s fiercely competitive. It’s easy to get into porn, but it’s difficult to stay in it for a long time. You have to have your head straight. No drugs. No alcohol. No partying all night long. This business will chew you up and spit you out. You have to be disciplined and constantly keep yourself in the best shape. And if you get successful, be ready to deal with those who are jealous of your success.
You’ve done some terrific work in the prevention of drug use, why are you so passionate about this?
I’ve never done drugs in my life. My motto is “You can’t miss what you never had.” I also don’t drink or smoke. I think this healthy lifestyle is a part of my success. One of my ex boyfriends was a drug addict. I took him to his AA and NA meetings and saw how many people are suffering from addiction. I know there are people out there who do drugs recreationally and don’t get addicted to it, but there are hundreds of thousands of people who paid a very high price, lost their jobs, families, friends, loved ones. None of them ever planned to get addicted. All of them started doing drugs recreationally. Needless to say, we all know the use of drugs in the community, especially crystal meth, is linked to the higher rates of HIV infections that have been reported in the past few years.
Are you a practicing Jew? If so, what do you say to people who say that porn isn’t compatible with your religion?
No, I never was. I am from a Jewish family and I identify as Jewish, but I do not practice. I consider myself a secular Jew. I’m also not particularly interested in talking about God or any superpower. That bores the shit out of me.
What do you say to people that porn is wrong, that it is evil and a sin?
You know, I live in New York City, and to be honest I never run into those people who say that. But I remember that when I first went on a cruise in 1992 from Russia which went through Turkey and Greece, I remember walking through the streets of Greece in the middle of the night with female hookers walking around half naked, porn magazines in every kiosk, porn store shops… it was shocking to see, after coming from Russia. But I remember feeling very safe. People were friendly, kind and warm. Two days later we sailed to Istanbul. No porn stores. Instead of hookers in their revealing clothes, lots of women in burkkas. The women in our group were warned not to go out at night and to stay together if they do. I remember walking with a girlfriend of mine in a bazaar. Men were behaving disgustingly, whistling and trying to touch her, staring at her with their hungry eyes, making it incredibly uncomfortable. When people are suppressed in their sexualities it comes out in an ugly way. Porn liberates. It educates. It keeps people from going out and getting into trouble. And it’s simply convenient.
Do you think there’s a difference between being a prostitute and being a porn star?
I know lots of guys in the porn business who escort on the side, and I know plenty who do not. I definitely don’t think they are the same thing.
Does your boyfriend mind that you’re a porn star?
My boyfriend is a very open-minded, wise man. He respects me and supports the work I do. And this is one of the reasons we’ve been together for over 6 years. I would never be with someone who would want me to choose between him and my work, who would try to suppress me. Jealousy does not translate to love; sometimes it’s pure selfishness and insecurity. I’ve never compromised my work for anybody, and I never will.
What makes your films different from the other gay porn out there?
The realism of the sex. We shoot the sex in real time, usually under an hour. Other studios shoot for 10 hours and edit scenes down. They sometimes shoot the same scene for two days or longer. We also have amazing videography, great style, and if we go for a serious plot, it’s never cheesy or tacky.
You live with your boyfriend who is involved in politics, so, as this is our political issue, I have some political questions:
Who do you want to win the next election, Hillary Clinton?
Look, all the Democratic candidates have their pluses and minuses. Hillary is two faced but she was a good senator and brings her husband in the package. We don't know much about Obama but independent voters like him and that helps a lot to get elected. Edwards is a scary protectionist but he has put out the most detailed plans on how to fix some big problems we have, like healthcare. I guess on balance I like Hillary but the most important thing is that each of the three would be a world better than the moron we have in office now.
What do you think of President Bush and the war on terrorism?
I think everybody knows by now that Bush is the most incompetent President the US has ever had and the war on terrorism is only one of the many disasters he started. I really have a problem with the term “war on terrorism,” because terrorism is a method, not a target. It’s just like saying “the war on bombs”. So, you see, in my opinion, the US administration doesn’t know who it is actually fighting. We enslaved ourselves with fucking oil, and that prevents us to look in the face of reality and say that we are at war with Islamic fundamentalism.
What person, outside of politics, would you like to be president and why?
I happen to think that politics is a profession and should be left to politicians. Remember the last time we had an actor as a President?
What do you think of Gordon Brown, the British prime minister?
From here in America, at this point it is difficult to say, as it’s only been a few months since he’s been the prime minister. But he’s obviously a competent man, as he has a long record of Chancellor of the Exchequer. It does seem to me that he might have the right understanding of the problem that England got itself in over its wrong immigration policy, becoming the biggest shelter for the leaders and brains of Islamic fundamentalism, to the Imams that preach hatred, to the oil bankers and money bags who finance it, to all those emirs, sheiks, sultans.., in other words, this medieval feud which enslaved us with their fucking oil and now own the most beautiful buildings in London.
What did you think of Tony Blair, do you think he’s hot? Apparently he’s a gay icon over in America, is this true? If he is, why?
That’s big news to me. We do think that he dresses well, especially when he appears next to our President. But a gay icon, you’ve got to be kidding.
Your blogs are very impressive. From what I’ve read it seems that you campaign a lot for gay rights. What causes are you campaigning for particularly at the moment? Why these?
I am a very active member of the gay community. I have a big following, and I use my platform to speak for what I believe. So I speak a lot about HIV prevention, against drug use, against anti-gay violence. I work with the Anti-Violence Project here in New York. I write for a couple publications here in New York too, where I always discuss gay issues from all over the world.
You’re a vocal critic of Islam. In your blog you call Muslims ‘stinkpots’ and a ‘rat problem.’ Why is this?
I think you’re quoting me when I said something about how Muslims are breeding like rats, sitting on Western welfares...
I do believe that the West is behaving like a masochist and making a big mistake by separating terrorists from the world they belong to, the world which breeds them, which is the world of Islam. We are talking about millions of fanatics (not a few lunatics) who not only don’t share our values but want to destroy them; who instead of believing in reason believe in a Garden of Eden with 73 virgins waiting to be raped. The dialogue with these believers seems to me impossible, showing the weakness suicidal. And tell me, what logic is there in respecting the culture of those who do not respect our culture?
It also seems to me that the West will lose its fight if it keeps answering intolerance with tolerance. The idea to tolerate those who want to change our way of life or to kill us is a suicide of reason. And to avoid the suicide of reason, we must defend our democratic, liberal, and very fragile world as ferociously as they are trying to destroy it.
The clash between world of Islam and the West is not a military one. It’s a cultural one. Our military is useless in this conflict.
Think about it. There is not one Islamic country in the world that is governed by a democratic regime. I don’t see what the difference is between Islamic tyranny and a Fascist one, so isn’t it hypocritical that we fought Nazis but are shy of even acknowledging the enemy that might be even greater? The world didn’t wake up to the threat of Nazism until it was too late. It took the cost of millions of innocent lives for the Western world to wake up and fight. Today the West is asleep while Islamics are plotting more and more bombings, more and more chaos. All we are doing is sitting and waiting.
Political correctness got the Western world into a horrible mess. The idea of multiculturalism would never work when it’s applied to a Muslim community. As it is not simply a choice between hummus and pasta, because the Muslim community not only chooses hummus, it also chooses to follow every ugly requirement of the Koran, with its polygamy, imposition of burkkas on women, decapitation of adulterous wives, mutilation of thieves, wife beatings, arranged marriages, female circumcisions (so they never experience sexual pleasure), and of course the killing of gays, etc. The list of horrors is way too long for this interview to list.
How should the world deal with the homophobia of Islam?
To begin with, we should publicize it, expose it and criticize it. Islamic homophobia is still treated as a dirty little secret, probably because it’s convenient for multicultural liberals—gays and lesbians among them—to forgive Muslims for all their horrors and Israel for nothing. Who rather than protest in front of Arab embassies against the stoning of gay people argue that Pension Funds should disinvest Israeli companies and boycott Israeli products.
Has your criticism of Islam ever got you in trouble? E.g. death threats, hate mail etc
Never death threats. But lots of hate mail. I was called a racist, which is a big disservice to a language and to intelligence. As the word “racist” has to do only with the race, not with the religion. In fact, my rage is not and never has been against Arabs. It is against those who call themselves sons of Allah. In fact, some of the people I have huge respect for are Arabs. Those like Aayan Hirsi Ali and Wafa Sultan, who escaped their countries, came to the West, and became the biggest critics and accusers of Islam. And let me point out that with every suicide bomber detonating himself in malls and public squares, with every bomb exploding on a subway or in a buss, with every new terrorist plot that is discovered, I am getting less and less of those “hate mails,” which, to be honest, never bothered me much anyway, as they usually come from people who never traveled outside of the Western world or been to Israel, who criticize Israel without ever being there, who hail Islamic countries without ever spending a day in any of them. I’ve traveled a lot throughout the Middle East. I’ve seen it all. I am a free individual who thinks for himself and believes only in the facts.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Gordon Brown, David Cameron or Menzies Campbell? Why?
Gordon Brown, for the lack of a better candidate.
Your political icon? Why?
Winston Churchill, for his bravery, wisdom, ability to see the future, and being able to face reality and ignore the polls. He refused to negotiate with Nazi Germany when everything seemed to be lost.
Most attractive/fanciable celebrity?
Clive Owen. He's smart, sexy, and mysterious. He became a huge star and it seems completely effortless.
Biggest political fear?
That the wakening of the West to face Islamic fanaticism will take too long.
Is porn good?
It's not just good, it's useful, safe, and unfortunately sometimes it's better than the real thing.
Posted by Michael at November 5, 2007 03:37 PM
Comments
What is this about a Chancellor of the XXXchequer?
Posted by: Tight Hole at November 5, 2007 07:50 PM
Great interview! You are awesome...love your intelligence, wit, outspokenness and atheism. Keep up the great work. America is very lucky to have you among its people.
Posted by: Bill at November 8, 2007 01:43 AM