With close to 115,000 individuals listed on the Internet Adult Film Database as adult film stars, there has got to be a moment for each and every one of them where they've had to "come out" to their friends and family as porn stars.
Vox (see link below) is spotlighting a handful of these individuals in a new piece that documents the moment when they announced to the people closest to them that they were making a living having sex. They interview some big time stars like Michael Lucas and Buck Angel.
It's worth your time to read the entire article, but we've included some of the choicest excerpts below.
Michael Lucas: "My second boyfriend's family never knew what I do. They knew that I was doing business, but not exactly what kind of business. They were older people and there was no point in telling them. I told my mother, 'You know I always wanted to do something in front of the camera, but Hollywood never called. But I did manage to get into the erotica business.' And my mother said, 'Even porn?' And I said, 'Yeah, I make porn,' and that was it."
Buck Angel: "Obviously my wife knew about it, because she helped me. I did not tell my immediate family at first because of the stigma and I wasn't sure how they'd react. My older sister is an LAPD officer and extremely conservative and judgmental in a lot of aspects, but she was also really supportive. Since I came from such a bad place with them about my transsexuality, and my drug addiction, they're just happy to see me be successful."
Via Vox