Yes, It All Really Happened Just Like This...
Here's the story of Rich Merritt-the good son, teacher's
pet, Southern gentleman, model Christian student at Bob
Jones University, Marine officer, and the
not-so-anonymous poster boy for a New York Times
Magazine article on gays in the military-whose
complicated sexual past caused an international scandal
when The Advocate "outed" him as "The Marine Who Did Gay
Porn," putting his life in a tailspin. It's the
compelling, poignant story of how a boy who never
listened to pop music, never cursed, and didn't have his
first drink until he was eighteen exploded into a life
of drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, prostitution, and
pornography. And above all, it's a triumphant story of
self-forgiveness and identity, of a man who refused to
allow himself to be defined by the standards of anyone
else-gay or straight. Along the way, Rich Merritt writes
with humor, compassion, insight and naked truth about:
What it's really like growing up behind the "Fortress of
Fundamentalism" and how he ultimately came to despise
their views The harsh realities of military life under
the "Don't ask, don't tell" Clinton policy A real
insider's experience of working in the male porn
industry-the good, the bad, and the extremely hot Why he
chose not to reveal his porn past to the New York Times
journalist What it felt like to be the most notorious
marine in the world and what it took to come through the
fire By turns harrowing and heartbreaking, angry and
affirming, Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star is that
rarest of memoirs-a fascinating slice of life that reads
like the most absorbing fiction, but is all true. Rich
Merritt has written an Op-Ed column for the Navy Times.
He has been profiled for The New York Times Magazine,
The Los Angeles Times, and The Advocate. Stories about
him have appeared in the London Times, The Washington
Post and many other publications. He is now an attorney
living in Atlanta. Readers can contact Rich via his Web
site: www.richmerritt.com.
|
|