LOS ANGELES - The Faultline Bar, a gay male leather and Levi's bar in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, will host its annual Pornathon Lot Party Aug. 17. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the work of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force as it fights to defeat California's Proposition 8, a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages.
"I am the first to admit a queasy cynicism at the idea of the ‘normalizing' of gay culture, which ‘marriage' in general represents to many," said Faultline owner Shawn Farnsworth. "But even though I do not see marriage, per se, as a defining life pattern for myself, I have come to recognize that it nonetheless embodies an acknowledgment of our fundamental equality and civil rights as gay people in a way that no other legal or social institution could possibly offer. Marriage is a fundamental social cornerstone that even the religious right cannot deny. The very fact that they hate the idea of gay marriage so much indicates its power as an institution to challenge the status quo and change minds - even our own, about ourselves."
Farnsworth also indicated the fight against Prop 8 is important not just to legitimize gay relationships, but also to protect other hard-won equal rights.
"In other states where the state constitution has been changed to define marriage as man-woman only, all other protections of gay people, be they simple same-sex-partner health benefits or even full-on domestic partnerships, have fallen or been irrevocably weakened," he said.
Pornathon is not just about supporting a worthy cause, though. Farnsworth also sees the event as a way to acknowledge a vibrant segment of the gay community. Each year Pornathon honors "the long-term commitment A-list, gay-oriented porn companies have made in promoting hot, hunky, steamy, sex-errific, safer sex," Farnsworth said. "Generally, porn companies are relegated to the back tables at auctions and fund-raisers within the gay community, due to the ‘controversial' nature of their product content. Yet, nothing has established the idea that aggressive, horny satisfaction can be achieved safely than the continuing output of the major gay porn companies. I have always believed that [adult] projects and efforts deserve to be acknowledged as publicly as possible, both for their artistry and their message."
Companies that have signed up to support the event include Titan Media, whose exclusive Tony Buff will headline the event. Titan also has donated multiple sets of the Folsom series DVDs and its entire collection of Blu-ray Disc films for the auction. During Pornathon, Buff will autograph copies of the new 2009 TitanMen calendar, in which he is Mr. January.
"Shawn and his team at the Faultline have always been at the forefront of giving back to the community," said Titan Media vice president Keith Webb. "We are proud to be a part of such a worthwhile event. Marriage equality is a civil rights issue and one we wholeheartedly support. In fact, our general counsel, Gill Sperlein, will marry his partner Carlos in October, so this has very personal meaning for us all.
Other companies that would like to support Pornathon may contact Farnsworth at (323) 664-8702 or (323) 816-5312. Event organizers gratefully accept promotional items like T-shirts, caps, posters and DVDs, and would be delighted to hang large banners prominently at the event, Farnsworth said.
"Whether you feel that gay marriage is for you or not, we are at a crossroads in this country with regard to civil rights that will affect the lives of all gay people all over the world," Farnsworth said. "I believe it is of the utmost importance that legal, equal, gay marriage stands in California. And I believe that the future health and well-being of gay people the world over may in fact involve our re-envisioning of ourselves as equal participants in society at every level."
The Faultline is located at 4216 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
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