Since we have some new visitors to the site (oh boy, do we!) I thought I'd post a little something to say hello and provide a primer for those of you unfamiliar with my work and especially the fundraising event called Porno Bingo (since it seems to be a little bit of a hot topic today).
Back in 1995 I worked as a model (that's a good euphemism, isn't it?) in the gay XXX industry. As I've always enjoyed being on stage, I soon found myself emceeing fundraising events for a charity that I supported, Aid for AIDS, based in LA. Their mission has changed since the mid 90s but at the time, they provided direct financial aid to those living with HIV/AIDS who were having trouble coming up with short term expenses. One of the neatest things that they did was provide a fund for those in the gay XXX industry, the Joey Stefano Fund. This was especially commendable since no other LA AIDS service organization would touch the gay porn industry. By 1998, I created the Bad Boys Pool Party - an outdoor event featuring a dozen gay porn stars meeting and greeting their friends and fans. The guys generously donated their time to the cause and, over the next 8 years I was able to produce 10 parties - 5 in LA and 5 in Palm Springs to much financial, creative and social success. By 2005 I was living back in New York and felt that the party had run its course, so I declined to produce further installments.
Meanwhile, here in New York, I created a weekly talk show at a bar in Chelsea featuring drag queens, singers, comics, and members from LGBT non profits. It went OK but didn't exactly set the world on fire and the show ended at the end of 2004. Almost immediately a fan contacted me to tell me that the 9th Ave. Saloon was looking for some programming and I should see if my show would work there. I realized that I needed something a little flashier for the New York crowd and thus I created "Porno Bingo" - we featured drag queens, singers, comics... and gay porn stars and strippers.. and eventually added actors, soap stars, kooky personalities from the New York underground, writers, and burlesque performers. Each week for nearly 10 years we would raise funds for a different LGBT charity (ultimately raising over a quarter of a million dollars) and feature a couple of different celebs calling numbers and chit chatting with me throughout the show. The show provided a great gateway to regulars and drop ins to these stars and organizations and you know what? We had a GREAT time each and every week.
After 3 and a half years, the 9th Ave. Saloon lost their lease like so many businesses have in the past 10-15 years and we moved to Pieces in the West Village. Then, after three and a half years there, we really needed a change and so we moved back to mid town to the Ritz for about a year. We finished the show's final full year (2013- 2014) at Uncle Charlies on the east side with a big blowout in February 2014.
I produced a few "victory lap" shows last summer and it was great fun but it was clear to me that it was time to hang up my bingo balls and discover a new direction. And, after finishing up a three year long corporate events management job at a global bank, the sky is the limit to where I go from here.
I want to thank all of my wonderful beneficiaries over the years for their tremendous support and of course all the amazing performers of all different kinds who graciously donated their time so that we could, in our own tiny way, make a difference in the lives of other people. I also appreciate the venues that housed us and the beneficiaries that joined us that always allowed us to experiment with the show and trusted that as producer and emcee, I looked at the long range health of the show and of their businesses and booked talent and acted accordingly.
Porno Bingo is long gone but there are still some galleries up from our final few months so you can sort of enjoy from afar at the fun we had.
All my best for a safe and healthy 2016!
Recent Comments