A community college in New York rescinded an invitation extended to adult-film actor Conner Habib, because the school didn’t want to confuse gay rights and gay porn.
Honey, access to porn is one of our most basic gay rights.
Earlier this month, Corning Community College president Katherine Douglas told members of the campus LGBT group, Equal, that she was canceling Habib’s talk because “she said she in no way was about to let porn rights and LGBT rights become intertwined on her campus,’ said Equal president Brandon Griewank.
Griewank told BuzzFeed that he forced into an “intimidating conversation” with Dean of Student Development Donald Heins, who essentially tried to bury the whole incident. ’He told me I wasn’t allowed to speak to the press, told me I wasn’t allowed to help Conner,” recalls the student.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In a followup column Habib maintains the school didn’t stop there:
I was informed that administrators contacted a local hotel and local businesses to make sure I wouldn’t be coming to town… that the president wanted to schedule her own talk to tell students about why she canceled my appearance, and that if I were to appear in the town of Corning, students were not to attend my lecture.
Apparently the school’s higher-ups thought that because Habib, who’s really rather erudite, is an entertainer, he couldn’t possibly also be an educator: “Mr. Habib’s celebrity status as an adult film star is inconsistent with the educational theme of this program,” said administrator William Little. “Mr. Habib’s contract was paid-in-full, yet we respectfully declined his participation. Our students are free to express themselves and attend any events they choose.”
The talk did happen after all, but off campus at a nearby library. Ironically, Habib says the topic was how “we’re, as a society, kind of screwy when it comes to sex—a little messed up about it”
You don’t say.
Taliaferro
Why is the straight world so obsessed and afraid of gay porn? It seems to me that the current group of gay porn actors stands for what we have as an aristocracy in the LGBT community. I realize that many are going to be offended by that comment, but it is no different from society’s fascination with actors and athletic stares and people such as Honey Boo Boo and the Kardashians. What purpose do they serve? Indeed the rights of the LGBT community include the right to enjoy pornography, and there is no reason at all why an adult film star cannot be articulate and aware of many things in addition to what roles he portrays in front of a video camera.
MikeE
@Taliaferro: No, I’m sorry, but porn stars are most definitely NOT our “aristocracy”.
We have great actors, musicians, composers, artists, writers, poets, sculptors.and activists who are FAR more apt for the position of “aristocracy”.
I have nothing against porn , those who enjoy it, or those who create it. And I’m certain that there are some surprisingly erudite performers in the field as well. but their “talents” are limited to their appearance, how long they can keep a hard-on, and how long that particular appendage happens to be. “Actors” they most certainly are not. “Art” porn most definitely is not.
With comments like yours, it’s no wonder that our enemies think we’re sex-obsessed.
Dakotahgeo
I have been student of life and academic pursuits almost all of my life, and I can tell you from experience that the education “some” people obtain (i.e., degrees), the dumber they become. This appears to be the cast at Corning! My condolences to your thinking abilities, or the lack thereof.
Dakotahgeo
@Dakotahgeo: Correction: “…the more* education “some” people obtain….”
Cam
Porn rights? LOL Um…….Katherine Douglas sounds like she was reading from some 1960’s Gloria Steinam book. Oh but wait, she would do that because Steinam worked in the Playboy club so she wouldn’t want to get Porn Rights confused with Women’s Rights…(Snicker)
viveutvivas
@MikeE, Conner Habib is actually an erudite and published writer as well. So much for your stereotypes.
rarecargo
just crapolooza pr- could it be that connor isn’t the right person to speak with anyone regarding these manners. he should have brought that really old dude he banged in the last movie to vouch for him.
this model states the obvious but misses the boast on so many simple issues that are right in front of his face due to the trying not to grand stand.
RomanHans
@Taliaferro: Yes, there’s no reason a porn star shouldn’t be articulate and aware. Also, since they’re famous solely for how they look naked and how well they have sex, there’s no reason we should EVER see a porn star with their clothes on.
Stache1
This makes no sense. Conner Habib obvioustly doesn’t represent the whole gay community and anyone who confuses porn and the lgbt community is an idiot.
NateB79
It’s another situation of people wanting everything both ways. He wants to get paid to have people put their penis in him, but at the same time, have universities take him seriously as a writer and orator. Unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways. Save your sex for your private life and be famous as a speaker, or film c*mshots. I love Conner in porn, I think he’s amazing, but I’d rather see him with Garth Brooks than hear him lamenting about how uptight people are about sex.
viveutvivas
@NateB79, are you saying he cannot have it both ways because of prejudice (but should be able to) or are you saying you think he shouldn’t be able to have it both ways. Would you say the same to a woman who wants to have a family AND be taken seriously in her career? He is actually a pretty good writer.
viveutvivas
…and, by the way, his porn career is something that significantly contributes toward making his writing interesting. Or do you only want to hear from tax accountants?
NateB79
I was saying that with the stigma that a lot of society places on the porn industry, it will be difficult to be taken seriously, no matter how well he writes. It’s just the way that a lot of people see those in the adult industry. Also, I would not say anything to a woman that worked in the corporate world wanting to have a family and be taken seriously at work. I’m not really sure how that correlates to Conner. He wants to be able to have two separate jobs that are viewed in complete contrast of each other in society and be successful at both. No matter how deserving (or not) he is, that most likely isn’t possible at this juncture in America where most people in that profession are looked down on, often times by the very people that watch their films. Personally, I think that if you have sex on film, it should be a non-issue if you want to branch out into other avenues and you have the knowledge or talent to do so.
jackpapa
I know what LGBT rights are, mostly from fighting my whole life to get them.
I must admit that I don’t understand, in this context, what ‘porn rights’ are and how they might be intertwined or somehow confused with ‘LGBT rights’ in an educated person’s mind.
But I sure as hell know what First Amendment rights are:
Here is one violation – “Griewank told BuzzFeed that he forced into an “intimidating conversation” with Dean of Student Development Donald Heins, who essentially tried to bury the whole incident. ’He told me I wasn’t allowed to speak to the press, told me I wasn’t allowed to help Conner,” recalls the student.”
And here is another – “I was informed that administrators contacted a local hotel and local businesses to make sure I wouldn’t be coming to town… that the president wanted to schedule her own talk to tell students about why she canceled my appearance, and that if I were to appear in the town of Corning, students were not to attend my lecture.”
Katherine Douglas is Un-American and Donald Heins is her stooge. I’ll listen to Connor Habib’s ideas over theirs anyday.
Al Lucard
“A community college in New York rescinded an invitation extended to adult-film actor Conner Habib, because the school didn’t want to confuse gay rights and gay porn.”
That means he was invited, initially, correct? I’m glad to read he was actually paid for the gig, but.. why was he even invited if “Mr. Habib’s celebrity status as an adult film star is inconsistent with the educational theme of this program”?
Or were they just not aware before the invitation was sent?
ositorican
I personally know a couple of adult film actors who have a college education and are pretty darn smart. One may question their career path but that doesn’t make them any less of a contributor to society nor does that make their opinion of the world around them any less valid.
Katherine Douglas is the college president and makes such an ignorant statement,”she in no way was about to let porn rights and LGBT rights become intertwined on her campus”?! Seems to me she’s ignorant of both “issues” and guilty as well of running a militant academy and not a institution of higher learning. Thought the college belonged to the government and the government belonged to the people NOT HER! I’m assuming liberal arts isn’t part of the curriculum there :O)
ositorican
@Al Lucard: I’m assuming Equal made the invitation, it slipped by administration and they got egg on their face once they realized who the speaker’s background.
Now had it been Newt Gingrich (who cheated on his first wife that was battling cancer, blindsided her with a divorce then married his girlfriend; then cheated on his 2nd wife with a House staffer, divorced and married his girlfriend to be his 3rd wife and was also found guilty of ethics violations in the House and has legislated “morality” since day one) to speak at a Morals for America gathering at the school it would’ve been alright. He’s more suited to stand up at the podium and enlighten students on the virtues of being an upstanding citizen and moral beacon.
Kind of soapboxish I know but the school admin’s ignorance really gets under my skin.