Oct 06, 2006   | COMMENTS     

 The decision to invite a former porn- star-turned-author to a Gay Pride event in Hampton Roads, Va., last month is generating controversy.
 
An opinion piece published in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper criticized the inclusion of Rich Merritt, keynote speaker at the Hampton Roads Pride event “Out in the Park,” held Sept. 24 in Chesapeake’s City Park. Staff editorial writer David Mastio complained that organizers of the festival should have put more thought into the “political impact” of their decision to invite Merritt, author of “Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star,” to speak at the event.
 
“‘Out in the Park’ was marketed as a family-friendly event, and indeed, when Merritt got up to speak, there were plenty of children in the crowd,” wrote Mastio. “That’s the last place anyone should express ambivalence about starring in porn flicks.”
 
In an e-mail exchange with the Blade, Mastio said he did not attend the event, but that he asked for and received a copy of Merritt’s speech.
 
“Since you are apparently about to write about the same speech, you’re surely aware that journalists regularly write about things they did not attend,” Mastio said.
 
Merritt told the Blade that Mastio quoted one line from his four-page speech to focus on in his editorial.
 
“There was nothing in my speech about porn, other than one line stating the obvious,” he said. “That I was in eight all-male adult films 11 years ago, and that while I wasn’t proud of it, neither was I ashamed of it.”
 
Tim Welborn, president of Hampton Roads Pride, said he was contacted by Mastio after the event.
 
“He said we geared [Hampton Roads Pride] toward a family-friendly crowd and we had a porn star come in,” said Welborn. “[Merritt’s] whole speech was about fighting intolerance and how we rebound from certain decisions in our lives.”

Warner’s PAC gives $25k to fight Va. amendment

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner’s Forward Together PAC announced this week that it is donating $25,000 to the Commonwealth Coalition’s campaign to defeat the Marshall-Newman amendment, which would institute a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in the state. The measure goes to voters in November.
 
Ellen Qualls, Warner’s spokesperson, said he hopes it will spur other organizations and individuals to make their own donations to the cause.
 
“Governor Warner has been supportive of the ‘Vote No’ effort and has lent the expertise of his fundraising staff,” said Qualls. “He was a featured guest at one of [the Commonwealth Coalition’s] fundraising parties. He is supportive of the campaign they are running and is writing a big check from his state PAC to show that.”
 
Warner opposes same-sex marriage rights, but he also opposed Virginia’s anti-gay Marriage Affirmation Act, which bars gay couples from entering into legal contracts for benefits approximating marriage rights.
 
Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, campaign manager of the Commonwealth Coalition, said Warner shares the organization’s belief that passage of the amendment would send “the wrong message” about Virginia to citizens and potential employers.
 
“We are very grateful to have former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner’s strong and active support of our campaign to defeat Ballot Question One,” said Gastanaga.
 
Qualls said Warner will be talking about the amendment in media interviews as the election draws closer.
 
“[The Commonwealth Coalition] needs to educate Virginia voters about how far-reaching the amendment is, and they need big checks to do that,” she said.
 

 
ELIZABETH PERRY