Porn Star Owen Hawk On Condom-Free Sex, HIV and Gay vs. Straight Films

The news that a straight adult film production company shut down after a performer tested HIV-positive came as no surprise to gay adult film star Owen Hawk, who tested positive in 2005 and has been making bareback films ever since, first as an actor and then as a producer and director.

In 2005, he founded Dark Alley Media (NSFW) with fellow adult film actor Matthias von Fistenberg. The company focuses on the “grittier underground of gay sexuality” and has produced more than 100 adult films. Later, Hawk launched an NSFW site. He is one of the first major gay porn stars to be completely open about his status.

Critics have long contended bareback porn sets bad example for men struggling to adhere to safe sex practices, but the outspoken and extraordinarily articulate Hawk strongly disagrees.

In an email exchange with Queerty, Hawk, who resides just outside of New York City with his partner of four years and their two dogs, shared with us some of his thoughts on the matter.

Another “straight” porn performer tested HIV-positive, resulting in the fourth production stoppage at some adult companies in Los Angeles. The question over whether or not condoms should be required on set has once again been raised.

While I am not much of an expert in straight porn, I am aware that every once in a while a straight performer tests positive and this leads to a production shut down and quarantine. I have not been following the latest development, but I do understand that all of the previous three cases involved performers who contracted HIV in their private lives and that there was no on-set transmission.

Now, as you may or may not know, gay porn is entirely different as there is no standardized testing and quarantine program. Gay companies that film with condoms — with a few exceptions — do not test models or even ask about their HIV status at all during the casting and hiring process.