-- So where is the gay adult industry? Has it fallen into some abyss or possibly been abducted by aliens? Of course, none of these incidents have occurred. The gay adult industry continues to flood their devoted fans with tantalizing, high-quality merchandise. Yet for some reason, it was not only absent from the mostly-straight Erotica LA show held in April, but June's Gay Expo was also surprisingly bereft of gay adult production companies and the hunky porn stars that often accompany them. The reasoning behind the Erotica LA absence is debatable, but the no-shows at the Gay Expo were definitely beyond the industry's control.\n Held on May 30 and 31 at the Hollywood Palladium, The West Coast Gay Expo, produced by MDMA Publishing, Inc., and sponsored by fab!, Genre and United Airlines, featured hundreds of exhibits, from car dealers and financial institutions to apparel firms and travel agencies, plus top-name live entertainment. But there was one faction of gay industry not in attendance. Only 72 hours before the event, the gay adult companies were informed that the Palladium could not allow them to participate.\n "It basically came down to their liquor license being threatened," said Tom Marks, producer of the event. "They said erotic material can't be in the same building with alcohol. It's unfortunate."\n Allen Schuman, president of the Palladium, reiterated this point. "We don't have an adult entertainment license; it is against the law to have alcohol and adult material in the venue." \n Schuman admitted that he doesn't agree with law and that it too closely encroaches on people's rights. "But it's the law. It's there in black and white, there is no gray; and we cannot lose our license."\n So now the question becomes: Why weren't the adult exhibitors told this from the beginning, or at least given more than 72 hours notice? After all, the venue was booked months in advance and the organizers knew from the beginning that the gay adult industry would be attending. "We were not aware they were going to exhibit," Schuman adamantly proclaimed.\n However, Jo-Ann Manzo of Pacific Media Entertainment doesn't buy it. "We even sent box covers early on to make sure they were okay," Manzo said. "It's unbelievable, especially with all the time and money we put into this." Luckily, Manzo said, they can use much of the exhibit promos and other materials they acquired for their upcoming VSDA exhibit. \n Was homophobia a factor? "It makes me wonder if it would have flown if it was heterosexual material," said Marks. "Now we will never know." But believe it or not, many in the gay industry don't think such prejudice played a part in the industry's omission. Besides, the Palladium has run into similar problems in the past regarding straight events, particularly with last year's Erotica LA show, which is why, Schuman said, it was not held at the Palladium again this year. \n Hollywood's Vice Squad seems to be the culprit in the view of many. The squad has long been an opponent of the industry and has often allegedly tried to shutdown any event, straight or gay, containing erotic material. \n "We've never have a problem at the Convention Center. It's only in Hollywood," said Bob East of Men of Odyssey. \n However, Officer Johnson, a member of the squad, said that these allegations were unfounded and that there was, in fact, no law prohibiting the sale of erotic video tapes and alcoholic beverages in an establishment.\n But Hillary Vasquez, a supervisor with the Alcohol and Beverage Commission, said that while there is no law per se, the commission can file an accusation on an establishment that sells liquor and allows "lewd conduct or material."\n "It is a very fine line," Vasquez said. "I can understand why they wouldn't want to risk it." She went on to say that the there are many factors involved when deciding what is or isn't lewd, including how the item is displayed as well as the extent of the nudity. "A venue is well within its rights to decide whether or not to have such material in their establishment."\n So ultimately, regardless of where the blame lies, the gay companies lost another opportunity to market their products, and the fans missed another chance to see all their favorite porn pups
All models were at least 18 years old at the time of their performance. 18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement.
