“Being gay in an industry that is run by mostly gay men, you would think that being gay isn’t a problem,” model Barrett Pall says.
Well, think again!
“I learned the hard way that being gay actually makes working as a model much harder.”
Related: We can’t take our eyes off this Turkish male modeling competition. Maybe you can explain why.
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In a new video posted to his YouTube channel titled Why It’s Harder Being A Gay Model #MeToo, Pall explains how he thought coming out would help his career. Instead, it ended up being a handicap.
“It just works against you,” he says. “A lot of people who are in positions of power to make these big decisions about who gets cast and gets to do these amazing jobs are still afraid of Middle America’s opinions and largely their spending power.”
Pall also talks about the sexual misconduct accusations lodged against well-known fashion photographers Bruce Weber and Mario Testino.
Related: Condé Nast dumps famous gay photographers after male models share #MeToo stories
He says that often, when it comes to unwanted sexual advances, the attitude seems to be “you’re gay, and they’re gay, and you should be OK with this, and you should like this.”
He calls the whole thing a “sick revenge” and a “game” that powerful gay players in the modeling and fashion industry play.
“When you are going into this industry, there was and still is this underlying agreement that you will do what you have to to book campaigns and work with certain photographers,” he adds.
Watch.
ChrisK
Then have the courage to start naming them so we can avoid buying their shit.
Brian Lange
The problem is so many bottoms drop their pants and to their knees to the slightest hint to try for a special favor. I modeled 2 years and walked of a D&G shoot in Milan. Cost them$ 675,000. My mom was at Ford for 20 years and out. I never would do shit for those old queens & I became a target
ChrisK
Tired of these hypocritical Hollywood pedo’s.
Polaro
Pedos? Is this the same story I read?
SiamSam
Pffft. It’s harder being a MAN in the modelling industry, not just a gay man. The modeling industry’s dirty little secret…men get paid less than women for the same work, sometimes a LOT less. A man can make as little as 20c for every dollar a woman earns. Very problematic. And, as we all know, any differences in aggregate income between the genders must be due solely to sexism and nothing else. Spare us your woman-splaining and check your female privilege. #EndGenderPayGapForMaleModelsNow
tham
Oh please, that’s because women buy more than men when it comes to modeled retail items.
Retail is almost completely dominated by women…that’s why men’s clothes are always in the back.
Donston
SiamSam had pretty much exposed himself to be troll. No need to take him too seriously.
Juanjo
Siamsam is a troll and as such should be ignored. His ignorance is obvious.
tham
Yeah, Russian bots goal is to speed discontent.
Every time I get mad, I watch the Russian cadet Terwk video….I feel so much better….
SiamSam
Jesus. Your schtick is so old. So-and-so is a troll. You all sound like shills. Oh yes, it’s so obvious now. You’re all paid to post here. Looking at Queery’s declining internet traffic, I can see why.
JaredMacBride
This guy whines about everything.
Sam6969
Barrett Pall was very touching and felt sincere in this educational video. Every one of us (every LGBT) particularly should watch it to understand why the #Metoo movement is important (and why the legal way, as it is now, seems to find its limits).
This “artistic” or business system is so perverted that vulnerable young people are not only manipulated, silently threatened to lose their job, if they do not comply; but if they dare accusing openly those moguls, they risk losing everything, being accused themselves, as proof is not easy to collect by oneself and the case must be strongly backed up to face their abusers’ high-profile lawyers they themselves cannot afford. Then, there is this question: where will they work afterwards, since it is a small world?
So, the #Metoo movement is an attempt at regulating the system, by collecting various accounts on an industry that may be then more carefully scrutinized, particularly people in position of power.
projo
I just think anytime you enter a profession where you are based 100% on your looks and nothing else, this type of sexual harassment is inevitable. I would say concentrate on a more meaningful career where you are valued for your brain or soul and dont place all of your self-worth on your looks. It’s a losing battle
Sam6969
Projo, the use of the word “inevitable” is exactly what we should all fight against. I do not care the job people are doing, this SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. The fact you suggest there are serious jobs and less-than jobs is also problematic. Artistic jobs in general and particularly those in the fashion industry, have had some “serious” people frowned upon them through the generations.
Yet, it attracts so many (young) people often for (good) personal reasons and those workers should be treated with respect, whatever the difficulty of the job itself and the value YOU give to their job.
They may change in the course of their career for something else (and prepare for it), but they still should be respected before, during and after working as a model.
Nothing is “inevitable”.
Nowuvedoneit
I’m sorry I don’t believe models are artists when you can literally get a coat hanger or a mannequin to do the job. A nail hanging a painting on a wall is no more a piece of art than the art itself. While models are prettier than nails they don’t make art by walking down a catwalk.
Brian Lange
If it wasn’t for my Mm being at Ford for 20 years it would have been very very challenging. She paved the way for me and it was still unbearable
Amalgamate
Quit bittching and get a real job-male modeling is silly
Donston
Unless you’re willing to frequently put out, be a powerful desinger or agent’s sugar-baby or you garner a certain level of fame and stature quickly being a male model is pretty much a road to no where. Women’s fashion, make-up products, skin care products, etc dominate that industry. It survives mostly off of female coin. So, being a male expecting huge or even middling success as a model is a lil naive nowadays.
I imagine it is a bit more difficult to be an openly gay model. Not only will more men in the industry feel they can be more sexually aggressive with you, but you might not get as many job offers because you’re not going to appeal to as many women and especially to many hetero worshiping desingers and agents.
He BGB
Weird how they want tall women 6 feet for modeling but short average height men 5’10 (it’s all about fitting the clothes for the men). Just tells you how male models are not in great demand. The ones I’ve seen aren’t that great looking but photograph well when the light hits their bones under their facial skin a certain way.
IWantAFullBeard
Actually, female models are preferred to be around 5’9 to 5’11 and male models 6′ to 6’2.
ryantbo
Hasnt seemed to hurt Colton Haynes at all
Donston
Colton Haynes hasn’t been a legit model in 10 years. And the gigs that he’s getting now is based off the fame he acquired from his Teen Wolf role and subsequent coming out.
chris33133
I’ve known quite a few heterosexual male models; and almost all of them got out of it by the time they had hit 25. My sense is that it’s a stepping stone onto something else — acting, paying your way through school, or even a way of earning extra $$$ while doing something else. ….. I haven’t met too gay men who were/are also male models; though I know that, of course, there are lots of gay male models. I wonder if the gay male models enter modeling for other purposes.
draven
I’m a black male fashion model. Since I was 8 years old. I’m 56 years young now. My mom was a model. Very pretty. I’m my late teen years I would go to the agency’s in nyc but none would sign me. Always leave a picture. I’m also openly gay. Very masculine and extremely good looking I’ve been told. I found find my own fashion work. I got work too. I never got the big jobs but I got work through networking. I even got to meet and hang out with jean Paul Gaultier. I did lots of fragrance promotions in department stores which paid very well. I met Bruce Weber and his wife at their apartment. They just cordially stared at me and gave me the door. I could never be taken advantage of because I’m 6’3 185 pounds black guy but I had a few times I had to tell people no. I even met a black agent who told me to go home and stay out of fashion because blacks weren’t wanted. Go figure a black person telling anotbacl person that. That person could have helped me with my career but they didn’t. Go figure. I’m 56 years old now and I don’t look a day over 25. I been a fitness instructor for 35 years. I also maintain a full time job for 36 years that I retired from two years ago. Age and Father Time have been good to me. I still model sometimes. I would love to get signed with an agency and show these new fashion folks the real deal. I’m also a actor and hope to pursue acting now. The key to the fashion world and acting is being smart and make wise choices. Be selective. Don’t settle for anything just because. Let good energy be your guide. Maybe if Bruce Weber would have helped me he wouldn’t be getting the door like he gave me years ago. I never forgot that. All said I have had a wonderful fashion career. In some circles I’m known as a real super model and that’s awesome. I have wonderful memories and stories I can tell. Very blessed. See I was told very young I was born to be a model. I went with that. I knew and know my worth. The people that rejected me or told me this and that were not worth it. A waste of time anyway. I have no regrets all happiness and I’m ready for the next 50 years of a mature male fashion models life! Thank you.
SiamSam
Sorry, your comment and perspective will not be welcomed here. You see, you’re not feeding into the victimhood narrative and persecution complex so popular here. You’ll be accused of wearing black face or being a Russian troll bot in no time.
alanballs
Draven, I hope you and your story are true, because it’s an awesome story. I’ve been involved in the fashion world my entire professional life (not as a model). It’s been, and still is, an amazing journey. Even though I live in a far away place, I hope, through serendipity, I run into you someday….would love to listen to your stories over a cappuccino and croissants. Take care.
Brian Lange
You can not make it working a full time job. I call bullshit. I was always bouncing from NYC to Europe I could not even been a waiter my mom paid for my condo in Tribecca so I never starved. I quit she sold it made $2.5 million I got $500K
draven
Excuse typos
draven
Alanballs
Would love to talk. Cappuccino and croissants Would be nice. I travel also. [email protected]
amigay
You’re paid unconscionable amounts of money to stand there and just look pretty.
Try your pity party with someone who cares.
draven
I wasn’t complaining. I’ve had a wonderful life as a model. I don’t think you got what I wrote. I was just sharing life in the fashion world. No pity party at all Sorry. As Justin Bieber would say….lol
Brian Lange
Pk modeling is very very long days and hard work jack ass. They aren’t taking Polaroids for post cards dipshit. If you know nothing SAY nothing remember that queen
Nowuvedoneit
Being pretty and trying to make a living is hard, can’t you all just leave this model alone? He’s just using his looks to make money why does it have to be so hard for him? Why can’t the pretty be respected for being pretty and find work that lets them be pretty? Damn ugos of the world.
JB
This guy? A model? Seriously?