Gay For Pay

“Gay-for-pay is a term used more commonly with male (and, less frequently, female) actors, pornographic stars, or sex workers that identify as heterosexual but are paid to act or perform gay professionally.”
wikipedia.org

As a guy, will you do such things?
As a career, for the money; is it worth it?
Does your family and relatives ever cross your mind when you consider such an option as a career?
Do you think your loved ones will approve of you doing something like that?
As a girl, will you approve of your boyfriend/fiancé/husband committing such acts?

Enough of those hypothetical questions. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for us, pornography is illegal, and there is no porn industry in existence. There is, however, a similar profession within the realm of the sex industry – prostitute. Whatever the job, I can safely say that they are usually frowned upon in disgust and disapproval. Sex, in general, is a largely taboo and unspoken topic in Singapore.

While it is true that globalization has exposed us to much information and numerous cultures, causing us to be more liberal in our thoughts and actions, we cannot deny that we are still pretty much conservative as compared to our American counterparts.

Based on the series of videos, let’s make a comparison between what we see and our local beliefs/mindset. The following are some differences we have.

- As stated in the beginning, there is obviously no such thing as a porn industry here.
- If there was, it would be considered a shameful thing to be in it.
- There is a low level of acceptance for the local LGBT community
- Sex-related issues are very seldom discussed openly.

Obviously, the 2 cultures are not like opposite ends of a spectrum. There is also negativity associated with pornography and homosexuality in the US, undeniably. But despite such a similarity, there is a difference in the tolerance towards these issues. This is an example to illustrate my point.

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From the above, we are roughly able to identify the few major differences in perspectives between 2 countries on the issue of sex. Consider this in terms of other topics, like time, values, power distance, gender roles, uncertainty avoidance, etc. Add on the fact that some people carry an attitude of implicit superiority, while others have extreme cultural prejudices. In the larger scheme of things, all these become potential barriers to intercultural communication.

Well there are definitely tactics to overcome the barriers, but it’s going to be hard to encompass all of them when communicating with someone of another culture. Here are some tactics:
- Expect & tolerate uncertainty
- Be open-minded
- Build cultural understanding; Having cultural knowledge
- Practice mindful communication
- Engage in person-centered communication

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So what do you think about gay-for-pay? Is it wrong? Or is it simply just another job?

And what do you feel about these issues being discussed openly? Are Americans overly liberal? Or are we just too conservative?