Porn performer Hugh Hunter recently declined his nominations for the 2018 GayVN Awards, citing racism and bigotry in the adult entertainment industry.
Hunter posted a statement on Twitter on November 25, 2017.
“The gay porn industry has always been a place of veiled racism and bigotry,” Hunter wrote. “It now appears as if the GayVN Awards have chosen to make this racism and bigotry more blatant…”
As evidence, Hunter cited the addition of GayVN’s “Best Ethnic Scene” category, which featured the works of Black, Latin, and Asian performers exclusively.
“GayVN has chosen to segregate these models and create a category unto themselves,” Hunter added.
The @gayvn awards announce nominations including a BEST ETHNIC SCENE category for black, Latin, and Asian models. Meanwhile none are nominated as best actor or supporting actor.
My response, “…I am respectfully declining my nominations in all categories…”
Full letter here. pic.twitter.com/CQPxZFRuZ6
— Hugh Hunter (@theHughHunter) November 25, 2017
Hunter called on fans to boycott the GayVNs and members of the adult entertainment world “to stand up against the systemic racism and bigotry in [the adult entertainment] industry.”
“I want to be remembered for stepping forward and starting a movement to eventually end racism and bigotry in this beleaguered industry,” Hunter wrote. “For so many we are the educators of sexuality. Let’s be the best educators we can be.”
The GayVN Awards are a subsidiary event of the AVN media network. NewNowNext reported that, in response to Hunter’s statement, AVN has merged GayVN’s “Best Ethnic Scene” category with the “Best Duo” category.
Via NewNowNext, AVN stated, “This category was never intended to restrict performers of any non-European ethnic background from competing fully in ANY other category, whether in the judged categories or the Fan Award categories.”
The organization offered a “heartfelt, unequivocal apology to anyone who felt that the category of Best Ethnic Scene was an attempt to slight performers of color” and invited members of the gay adult community to offer “a comprehensive critique.”
The GayVN Awards will be held January 21, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the first time the program has been held since the 2011 ceremony.
