A.J. Benson, a hall-of-fame catcher and current manager of the three-time world champion San Francisco Titans baseball team, has had enough. A.J.’s sexuality has been the subject of public speculation for years, but the tabloids have recently raised the rumors to a fever pitch. Encouraged by his close friend and batting coach Dave Decker, A.J. decides to come out and put the rumors to rest. The former Olympian is reluctant at first, but he soon realizes that his openness could help gay, lesbian, and transgender athletes everywhere. His revelation, broadcast live on national television with the help of his former-teammate-turned-sportscaster Jim Weaver, has immediate repercussions… not just for his colleagues and fans, but for A.J. himself.
“I’m so excited about an athlete coming out story!” says Jesse Jackman, who plays A.J. in the film. “When I was a college athlete (and still closeted), I watched a lot of porn. If I’d seen a movie in which one of the characters came out, I might have been inspired to do the same. Maybe I’m hoping for too much, but perhaps that’ll happen for someone who watches OUT! — some nervous, closeted collegiate athlete — and it’ll help him become a more complete, comfortable person. This film will push a lot of erotic buttons for people, but it can also be a great social statement.”
OUT! is the brainchild of Jackman and TitanMen Vice President Keith Webb. While the core of the film is presented as adult-oriented entertainment, OUT! also features a G-rated, emotionally charged, realistic interview segment that covers topics like the difficulties of growing up as a closeted gay athlete, the challenges of being gay in professional sports, and the ways that LGBT public figures can be encouraging to the fans who look up to them.
“We wanted to highlight and celebrate the growing acceptance of openly gay athletes in professional sports,” says Webb. “One of the biggest stigmas holding back gay athletes from coming out is the fear of losing corporate sponsorships. All that is now changing with companies like Nike and Adidas making very public statements in support of openly gay athletes. Jesse’s recent article in Huffington Post’s Queer Voices section sums up the fears and frustration of closeted gay athletes very well.”
The film’s companion website OutBaseball.com includes additional material such as behind-the-scenes photos and videos, the original production script, and links to resources where gay athletes at all levels can find community and support.
Production began in July of 2015 with TitanMen director Jasun Mark at the helm. The film’s cast features no less than five TitanMen exclusive performers (Jackman, Dallas Steele, Nick Prescott, Diesel Washington, and Eric Nero), joined by industry veteran Luke Adams and Jesse’s real-life husband Dirk Caber. OUT! Releases online at TitanMen.com on March 2, 2016 — during baseball’s spring training season, of course!
For additional information or interviews:
Contact Keith Webb
Keith@TitanMedia.com
ABOUT TITAN MEDIA:
Titan Media (www.TitanMen.com) is the premium content brand of Io Group, Inc., a privately-held California-based multimedia content producer. Founded in 1995 by renowned director and cinematographer Bruce Cam, the company quickly grew to become one of the largest producers of gay adult content in the world. The recipient of numerous industry awards, Titan Media is recognized as a pre-eminent producer of high-end gay adult content, a leader in innovative implementations of new technology and for eroticizing safer sex practices in all its productions. The Titan Media brands TitanMen, ROUGH, MSR Video and TitanMen Fresh are distributed globally via DVD, VOD, PPV, Cable, Mobile/Wireless, Print and the Internet.
