Whether you’re in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach, downtown at Petco Park or at one of the many 24 Hour Fitness health clubs all over San Diego, it’s hard not to take notice of all the hot straight men running amok in Southern California. It’s no wonder that a huge niche market has developed in the gay porn industry dedicated to straight men, and, specifically, how far these men are willing to go when it comes to pushing their sexual limits. Web sites like seancody.com, corbinfisher.com, straightcollegemen.com, amateurstraightguys.com and more seem to be staking their claim online to do one thing: broadening straight guys’ “horizons” for gay guys’ entertainment.

Often labeled “gay for pay,” these men are a fantasy to some, a curiosity to others – while many other gay men aren’t quite sure what to make of these guys and the sexual labels placed upon them.

From the Ryan Idols and Jeff Strykers of the ’80s to the current straight heartthrob of the moment like Jason Adonis, straight men have become a staple in gay porn. It’s not surprising that, in setting out to do a story like this, there were a lot of unreturned phone calls and e-mails, and more than a few “we don’t do interviews” on the topic. Ironically, there is a strange fascination with straight men who have gay sex, yet there is skepticism over how “straight” these guys really are, and – to a certain degree – a grudging resentment toward them.

I was able to talk with three industry insiders who have great perspectives on straight guys who play gay. The first is directing diva Chi Chi LaRue, who has filmed just about every kind of adult video imaginable and is respected by models, fellow directors and people in both the gay and straight porn industries. The second is Ricky Martinez, a relative newcomer to the industry who got his start in the Big City Video Mr. Anaconda, but broke into the industry with his appearances in Channel 1 Releasing’s Huge Deposits and the GayVN award-winning Buckshot Production video BuckleRoos. The third is up-and-coming gay model Matt Cole, who has made quite a splash in his first few months in the business and talks candidly about the ups and downs of working with a straight co-star. So sit back and get ready for some straight talk about gay sex.

“The whole thing about gay for pay is that it’s not really that prevalent anymore in the gay business,” says Chi Chi LaRue. “That’s my feeling on it. Back when I got into the business – I mean, I got into the business in 1987, so back in those days – that’s when it was all the rage.”

Over the course of her career, LaRue has directed just about every kind of porn imaginable, from gay and straight videos to bisexual and transsexual porn. She has arguably conquered the adult industry, and has seen the rise and fall of many trends in the business.

“I think the gay consumer got a little sick of watching trade,” LaRue says. “They got sick of watching straight men standing there getting serviced. It was kind of exciting for a little while to see someone as gorgeous as Ryan Idol have gay sex, but I think that the gay consumer wised up and wanted to see gay men having sex with other gay men.”

When it comes time to film, though, it’s not all fun and games on the set, and not all gay performers enjoy doing scenes with a guy who may not be into gay sex. In the competitive industry where models are always trying to prove they are capable of performing on camera with whomever they are paired up with, it can be an unpleasant experience.

“I mean, can you imagine how hard it would be to have a guy’s wife sitting there while you try to do a scene with her husband, and he’s going off to the side and letting her get him hard, and then he’s coming back and then sticking it in your mouth?” LaRue explains. “You know, some guys would be turned on to that … but on a porn set, I think it would be kind of hard.”

LaRue adds that that’s not always the case for all models, but there are still issues for some guys working with straight performers. “Some guys are turned on to it,” she says. “Eddie Stone, for instance, he likes it. There are certain models that get off on it, but there are certain models that don’t like it at all and actually feel a little violated because they are doing all of the work.

“Sometimes these straight performers get paid a little bit more money than the gay performers, and that’s kind of shitty and I don’t believe in that,” LaRue continues. “You know the gay guy is doing all of the work – he’s doing all of the licking, all of the sucking, he’s getting rammed, and then this guy is walking away with a bigger paycheck? I don’t think that’s fair.”

While filming with straight guys can create a new dynamic on the set and make for some interesting chemistry on camera, it does have its ups and downs. LaRue says she has seen and heard all kinds of stories, from having girls on the set to a guy who actually had to have phone sex with his girlfriend for 45 minutes and then toss the cell phone out of the frame at the last minute to get his money shot.

“I’ve had many a guy have to have the pussy magazine right in their hand, and have to toss it right before they cum,” LaRue says. “I’ve also had guys toss it and it landed right in the set – and as they’re cumming. Someone has had to dive in, grab the magazine and roll. But, you know, you do what you have to do to get it done.”

LaRue admits that when it comes to making gay porn, she would rather work with gay models who want to be have gay sex.

“I wish it was everyone’s philosophy that there wasn’t a straight or gay label, and that everybody could just be sexual and do what they want with who they want and not have it be labeled,” LaRue says. “That would make the world a whole lot easier. I don’t know. If some guy really gets into sucking dick and licking ass and getting fucked, is he really that straight? I don’t know the answer to that. Maybe he’s a straight guy who likes to have a dick up his butt. I’m never going to be one to say, ‘No they aren’t straight.’ If someone says they’re straight, they can say whatever they want…. I am going to respect that … [even] as he’s getting gang-banged.”

One look at Ricky Martinez naked and it’s no wonder this tall, lean, hung Dominican has made a huge splash in the gay porn industry. He was discovered in a strip show at a gay bar in Manhattan, where a friend of his had invited him to come down (and hopefully win some money). After showcasing his signature talent – being able to perform oral sex on himself – he won and was recruited by the bar’s owner to do a video for a local company called Big City Video.

“His pitch was, ‘I’m going to make you a superstar in magazines, videos and all,’” Martinez says. “I was psyched, but when I found out that it was gay porn I turned it down.”

Three months later, when Martinez was in a crunch for money, that changed. “I picked up the phone, called Big City Video, and told them what I would do and not do on or off camera. They agreed,” he says. “Two hours later, I made my first film, Anaconda, and I saw the cash flow reward for such little time. I decided to keep pursuing the easy money road, and before I knew it, I was on magazine covers. And then so many other film companies like Channel 1 Releasing, Hot House and COLT Studios started calling and offering more money for my work.”

Martinez was an instant hit, and appeared on the cover of the July 2004 issue of Latin Inches magazine. From there, his career took off and the money started to roll in.

“Money was definitely what got me involved in gay porn, and I truly believe that if I never saw from the very beginning the amount of money that there is to be made for such little work, I would never have even been interested in this industry,” Martinez says. “I’m sorry to say [it], but it is the truth. However, I am glad that I took the leap, as I am grateful for all the nice people and studios from around the world that I have met.”

When setting out to find a straight porn star working in the gay industry, the first name I heard was Ricky Martinez, and after talking with him it became very clear why: He’s honest, upfront, well spoken and not afraid to tell it like it is – and he has that same attitude when it comes to dealing with his fans and being upfront about the fact that he is straight.

“I am always honest with my fans. They do know that I am 100-percent straight, and I’m only gay, with limitations, for pay,” Martinez says. “Now, if my fans think that I’m gay, I am not insulted, as I am not a shallow person and do not discriminate. However, I will not mislead anyone who asks me. I am and will always be truthful to every Ricky Martinez fan.”

That extends to his family and friends, who he is also open with about his career in gay porn. “Everyone in my family knows what I decided to do in my life,” he says. “And in the beginning, they were a little stricken and in disbelief. And they are all fine with it, I guess, because they know that it’s just a job, and I’m in it for the money. Plus, they love the Christmas and birthday presents they receive from me.”

When I asked Martinez about people questioning his orientation, I figured it wasn’t the first time he’d had to deal with that question. But it’s always interesting to see how different people handle the pressure.

“Really, I don’t respond, because people by nature will always believe what they think regardless of the hard facts in front of them – such as the fact that I do not suck dick, other than my own, I do not bottom on or off camera, and you will never find a movie where I’m on the receiving end,” Martinez says candidly. “If that’s not proof, then I don’t know what could be. If I was gay, I would let my true colors come out and have a meat fest! In the end, as long as they appreciate my work, they can believe whatever helps them sleep better at night.

Matt Cole has made quite a splash this year starring in movies for almost all of the major studios. Of the three videos with him in them that have been released, he appears on the box cover of two of them, and he found himself on the cover of last month’s Men magazine.

Getting into the industry can be tough, and when you’re trying to make a name for yourself, you don’t get to pick and choose your co-stars. That means you work with who you’re told to work with. If you’re gay, you have to be able to perform no matter who you’re paired with if you want to succeed. And for Cole, working with a straight co-star can make that difficult.

“I generally do like to know my partner’s sexual tastes beforehand,” Cole says. “I find that getting to know one’s likes and dislikes leads to a more realistic scene.”

He adds that that is inherently problematic for him when it comes to working with a straight partner. “I find it more difficult to get the right sexual chemistry required for a memorable scene with straight guys,” he says.

In an industry where all that matters is how hot the final product is, and the heat of the scene includes not only how the models look, but also the chemistry and the intensity of the sex that you see on camera, everyone needs to be mentally and physically into the scene.

“Working with straight models can be frustrating sometimes, because they can oftentimes have issues maintaining an erection,” Cole explains. “The solution to this is to incorporate some form of straight pornography into the set, including magazines and DVDs.

“I understand that sometimes we all need a little assistance after a long day on the set,” he continues. “My personal struggle comes from knowing that my scene partner is not attracted to me physically. I find that I work best when I know I’m arousing my partner … even in real life I find more pleasure in pleasing my partner. When there is no connection sexually on a set, it usually makes the scene have less energy and passion, and I think that transfers to film easily.”

So do straight guys do it for the money? Gay porn actors may not think they make much money, but gay porn usually pays better than straight porn for male actors. In straight porn, the majority of the budget, and the focus of the film, is usually on the girls. Men acting in gay porn can easily make double or triple the rate they would doing straight porn.

But even with the increased income, it’s not enough to make a living off of. It certainly doesn’t offer the physical rewards of sleeping with a hot starlet, and it still leaves open the question of why straight guys are so willing to play gay.

“That is a question I ponder frequently,” Cole says. “It can’t be the money – the money is not that great. And it certainly isn’t for the notoriety or fame.”

Much like people outside the industry, the gay for pay phenomenon causes gay porn actors to question the sexual orientation of the guys they work with.

“I try to turn the tables on myself and see if I could imagine myself doing straight porn for whatever reason,” Cole says. “And every time I come to the same conclusion: No.”

In a career where your onscreen image is everything, a lot of models are concerned about who they work with and what they do on camera, because sex sells and proving yourself as a performer is the key to success. Now that he’s achieved a new level of popularity in gay videos, Cole is starting to pick and choose his parts, including who he works with.

“As a new model to this industry, I was less vocal about requests,” Cole says. “I was more focused on getting to work with the best studios and directors out there. Now, with a bit more experience under my belt – no pun intended – I’m pretty adamant about my preferences to work strictly with gay men.”

He adds: “I think the hottest scenes I have done have been with gay males with whom I shared a mutual attraction. There is just no substitute for natural sexual chemistry.”

So in the big-money business of gay porn, it’s still a hot topic to talk about straight guys performing gay sex on camera. While the industry is changing and models have varied opinions on working with straight co-stars, there will probably always be a place for straight men in the adult gay industry.

In the end, porn is really about fantasy for a lot of people, and as the gay market matures, there has been a shift toward watching hot gay men have hot gay sex. That will probably continue to dominate the mainstream industry, but Web sites and videos that specialize in the fascination with straight men doing very gay things on camera will remain a popular niche market.