It’s a good thing Jonathan Jesensky had dreams of becoming a firefighter and not, say, a politician. The 33-year-old New Yorker just joined the squad as a rookie, but not before starring in about ten gay porn films over the years.
You might know him better as Jonathan West, the hunky tattooed former military man who performed in such box office hits as Semper Bi, Ripe, and Paramedics. But now he’s gone straight (in more ways than one), though there’s no indication he’s tried to hide his past.
Neither, it should be mentioned, does the city of New York or his fellow firefighters.
The NY Daily News tracked down one NY smoke-eater whose response was, “Whatever, I don’t care. I haven’t met him yet, but I don’t care.”
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.
And really, why should he?
If Jesensky is competent on the job, his past career choices shouldn’t make any difference to anyone.
The Daily News points out that, “The city’s uniformed forces do not hire people with a serious criminal past for law-enforcement jobs. But the city’s strict civil service law — which includes age and fitness requirements — does not bar candidates who have posed nude or starred in X-rated films.”
But it’s still worth a trip down memory lane to fully appreciate, don’t you think?
MarionPaige
it’s a sad comment on “The State of Gay” when a “straight” mainstream new york local newspaper publishes a story on a former gay pornstar two whole days before the gay blogs (and even the gay porn blogs),
It’s like Gay Blogs are so “conservative” now, mainstream media is gayer.
Kieru
I think it’s more sad that this article professes that his porn star past is nothing to be ashamed of and is not newsworthy yet implies in the title and first paragraph that this is somehow scandalous.
If anything this guys position as a Firefighter and his fellow firefighters responses should be something to applaud. His past work in x-rated films isn’t considered a factor in his ability to become a Firefighter. A past history of working in porn is such a taboo in this country it’s rather refreshing to hear people not give a crap that this guy once did gay-for-pay.
Desert Boy
Boy has to pay the rent.
Arconcyyon
Hey is ! I´m is the brazil is like is very cite siety is add is PM AM e-mail !
More is the people is the author is ex-military is filmy porno is DVD GAY ! Dont is no is they is his he mam womam the is crediblyn is future etern profission is ! I´m is love is hasband the is his he sex is ! oky. Querrty NEW YORK NEW YORK .
Ronbo
@Arconcyyon: Bez did over by de hiDho but nib aint no prn stir no mor. Hid tlent id nut to B hidden uda no bwl; he need jus unzipp dem pnts, see?
joestevensNYC
Unfortunately this means that this guy is going to lose his job. There’s a moral clause in the NYFD contract. Remember the fireman who was featured in the Boys gone wild video, as soon as the NYFD found out about it he was fired?? Even thou he had done it a full 6 years before he even applied to become a fireman.
joestevensNYC
@Kieru: Actually no, he is more than likely lose his job. The NYFD has a moral clause in their contract.
Kieru
@joestevensNYC: The last paragraph of this article suggests otherwise.
‘The Daily News points out that, “The city’s uniformed forces do not hire people with a serious criminal past for law-enforcement jobs. But the city’s strict civil service law — which includes age and fitness requirements — does not bar candidates who have posed nude or starred in X-rated films.”’
4of14
Interesting story, but not news. So the guy had a job before this latest job, we’ve all had other jobs. Why does Queerty still think that having a job in porn, is bad or wrong?
electrongreen
Sad they agreed to take him, porn is vile and those who do it give a bad name to people who are gay.
Ladbrook
@electrongreen: Oh look… smeds/BJ/Marion has another new handle from which to troll. Or maybe you’re his not-gay boyfriend.
cflekken
Sorry to be skeptical, but this guy is probably looking for another way to get his 15-minutes. He’s a failed “actor”. He’s a failed model (just google for his images). What better way to get attention than to become a firefighter after being supposedly gay-for-pay and proclaim “so what”. Please. I’m sure his application to the NYFD came right on the tails of his attempts to seduce Paris Hilton.
Garth
Does it really matter what job he works. In both he is handling hoses lol.
Gigi Gee
@cflekken: If you’re sorry to be skeptical then why not just NOT be skeptical. The guy just got hired on as a firefighter. He scored top in his class.
Being a firefighter was his dream job. So now that he’s got the job that he always wanted (it ain’t easy to become a NYC firefighter) you think he leaked the story that he used to do gay porn? Gimme a break.
DuMaurier
@Gigi Gee: What you said. The process of becoming a firefighter is long, involved and difficult, and not something you go through just to get a mention in the media (it’d probably be easier to get to Paris Hilton)
And considering the stereotype about strippers and porn workers ending up pathetic, diseased addicts dead by 30 (and the cliche jokes about them doing it to pay their way through college) this is a pretty happy, heartening story.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@joestevensNYC: Joe, I was gobsmacked to learn neither will or have lost their jobs. Michael Bisetera swung his massive hose around prior to joining the FDNY and Jenesnsky advised the FDNY of his penial porn prior to being hired and unbelievably they were ok with it……………
Saint Law
@Ladbrook: I could be wrong but I think BJ, MarionPaige and Jason Smeds are all, in fact, separate twats.
The poster in question does sound like the creepy that operates the Jason Smeds/Jim Bryant/Micheal Mellor/Black and HIV positive sockpuppets (among others).
Only if so I would have expected a crazed polemic expounding on how oppressive the label of ‘gay’ is to straight identifying men who have sex with men. Followed by an icky account of same he made up while sat at his laptop forlornly tugging his nubbin.
stranded
@Kieru: I was thinking the same thing, this is the 3rd site in which i’ve seen this story. All of them say the same thing, but i found all of them to be hypocritical in their stance that his porn past is no big deal, yet they have titles or salacious words in the story that imply scandal.
Ryan26pdx
So…?
jwtraveler
@Arconcyyon: I’d ask you to translate that into English, but it’s probably not worth it.
RIGay
What a cute photo of him in army fatigues! Adorable! What a cutie!
As for the rest; why is this news?
Why is it becoming sensation? BFD; he did porn. What cable news star(let) hasn’t? At least his porn I would watch. It’s far more interesting that anything a Karsdashian ever did.
Bryguyf69
@joestevensNYC wrote:
“Unfortunately this means that this guy is going to lose his job. There’s a moral clause in the NYFD contract. Remember the fireman who was featured in the Boys gone wild video, as soon as the NYFD found out about it he was fired?? Even thou he had done it a full 6 years before he even applied to become a fireman.”
===
You have your facts wrong about Michael Biserta, the NYC firefighter in question. He was best known for being the 2008 coverboy in the FDNY’s popular pinup calendar.
1) The 2004 video was titled, “GUYS GONE WILD,” not “Boys Gone Wild.”
2) He was not fired. Although the conservative Commissioner found the incident embarrassing, no regulation allowed the firing of those who did pornography in the past. Indeed, the union would have defended him. In short, the Commissioner wasn’t able to do anything against Biserta. Instead, he scrapped the entire calendar project, even though it was a major fundraiser for various charities. The FDNY resumed the calendar 4 years later, in 2012, under a new Commissioner.
As for moral clauses, it’s been inconsistently applied to active workers. In the 80’s, a male police officer posed for Playgirl, using his uniform as a prop. He was not disciplined. In contrast, a female officer was reprimanded (fired?) for doing the same thing. I believe she sued for discrimination but don’t know the results.
So no, firefighter Biserta did NOT lose his job as you claimed. And Jenesky will NOT lose his job because of his gay/bi pornographic history. In addition to the fact that FDNY regulations don’t allow for his firing, there are two additional factors in his favor. First, the current Commissioner, Daniel Nigro, was appointed by ultra-liberal Mayor Bill DeBlasio. That alone makes it unlikely that “moral clauses” would be tightly enforced. Second, while Jenesky isn’t gay, you can bet that his lawyers will use NY’s antidiscrimination laws — which includes sexual orientation — in his defense. Do you really think the city would risk such a lawsuit, especially one under ultraliberal DeBlasio?
Bryguyf69
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: Why is it unbelievable? The current Fire Commissioner, Daniel Nigro, was appointed by Mayor Bill deBaslio — arguably the most radically-liberal and LGBT-friendly mayor in NYC history. Do you really think that the administration wants to be embarrassed by a lawsuit with LGBT elements? Don’t forget that NYC is one of the most liberal and LGBT-friendly cities in the world, and sexual orientation is included in its anti-discrimination laws. In other words, the FDNY would almost certainly lose such a lawsuit,
Ken A.
Good luck to him in his new career.
pscheck2
Just a thought: why is it that so many gay porn stars (an former) only are gay for pay? It bemuses me that they can be ‘bottoms’ suc* co*k be in threesomes and other somes, passionately kiss guys, not once but many times over a period of months and still claim to be str8? I know, you are going to say he has a GF, SO or is married so he has to be str8! Not so: I would venture to guess that a good number of gays have been with a female sometime in their lives and yet are proud to be gay aand not lay claim to being str8 or Bi.when they were in these relationships! I like the reasoning of the late Supreme Court justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes: if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it is a duck!
Just say’en.
8
tricky ricky
there is only one word that can be used to describe his cinematic endeavors, BORING.
tricky ricky
@pscheck2: he’s just about the most uninspired non reciprocal boring piece of straight trade I’ve ever seen on film. and honey I’ve seen a lot of them in my day. I’d say it’s a pretty good bet he’s straight.