Ruggedly handsome Buck Angel burst onto the gay adult video scene when he became the first female-to-male porn star to appear in a gay-male porn, in this case Titan Media’s Cirque Noir. But he was just getting started: In addition to winning numerous awards and accolades, including a 2007 AVN Award for Transsexual Performer of the Year, the self-proclaimed “dude with a pussy” started his own production company, among other things.
What’s your job?
I own and operate Buck Angel Entertainment, which includes my own line of videos that I star in (look for my upcoming release, Buck Angel’s Ultimate Fucking Club). I also have an online business with my membership sites and my affiliate program: BuckAngel.com, Transexual-Man.com and BuckAngelBucks.com. I am also branching out into a new line of niche content production featuring Mexican men. And I work in education and advocacy—I do workshops, lectures at universities (I’m speaking at Yale University for Sex Week next year) and so on.
How did you get into the industry?
I used to work behind the camera producing, directing and webmastering for a transsexual girl. When I realized that there weren’t any men like me (female-to-male transsexuals) in the industry, I decided to start my own online membership site: Transexual-Man.com. From the online business, I branched out into making videos. I was so excited about bringing something new to porn, and I was totally stunned when people weren’t open and receptive to it at first. I was shocked at how conservative and closed-minded people in the industry could be! It took a lot of persistence and kicking down some doors to do it, but obviously I finally got through and I was nominated and won the 2007 AVN award for Transsexual Performer of the Year. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to gain acceptance and recognition, but that makes it all the more meaningful and rewarding.
What is your typical day like?
There’s a big difference between my workdays when I’m traveling compared to the days I’m working at home in Mexico. When I’m on the road, I shoot content and do interviews all day long, and perform in clubs until late at night. It is pretty crazy and hectic when I’m traveling. At home, I get up, have a cup of coffee and do some cardio. I answer emails and take care of some social networking business on Facebook and Twitter. Then I have breakfast and head off to the gym to work out. When I get back, I shower, then edit some video, update my membership site and roughhouse around with my seven dogs. I might go for a swim before dinner and then watch a movie before bed. Life at home is pretty mellow. But I really love that because I can recharge and rest up between travels.
What do you like most about working in the adult industry?
I love the freedom to be myself at the same time I’m educating about gender, sexuality and hot safer sex. I enjoy pushing boundaries and making people think. It is not unusual for them to misunderstand who and what I am, and think I was born male, had my penis surgically removed and had a vagina put on instead! For a lot of the public, I’m their first exposure to female-to-male transsexuals, so I really am showing them something entirely new. My work sort of fucks with the system, because here I am, obviously a man, so when I perform with another man, it is clearly a gay scene—but the sex involves a penis and a vagina. I just don’t fit into the usual boxes, and I get a kick out of how that plays out in the world. Also, I get to travel all over the place and make a lot of great new friends, which is fantastic, too.
What gets you off in your personal life?
Privacy!
What can a fan do to get you into bed?
All they need to do is contact me with their photo and tell me what they’re into. If I’m into it too, we can shoot a scene and I’ll use it for my business and everybody’s happy!
Paul Bookstaber is editor of TheSword.com. This article originally appeared in the October issue of AVN.
