Michael Lucas (director)
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Michael Lucas | |
---|---|
Russian Federation)[1] | |
Other names | Ramzes Kairoff Michel Lucas Michael Lucas |
Spouse |
Richard Winger
(m. 2008; div. 2014) |
Website | michaellucas |
Michael Lucas (born Andrei Lvovich Treivas (Russian: Андрей Львович Трейвас), 1972)
The
In 2009, Lucas released what he called his most important film Men of Israel, which media called a "landmark" film as the first major porn video with an all-Israeli[5] and all-Jewish cast.[5][6][7]
Lucas is particularly well known for his activism and outspokenness.[1][3][4] Lucas is frequently also controversial; for example, during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Lucas' studio was the target of a boycott which he complained was antisemitic in nature, after he posted a picture of an Israeli missile signed, on his request, "From Michael Lucas to Gaza".[8]
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Michael_Lucas_Soviet_passport_age_20.jpg/220px-Michael_Lucas_Soviet_passport_age_20.jpg)
Lucas was born on March 10, 1972, in Moscow, Russia, to
In 1995, Lucas left for Munich, Germany, on a tourist visa. Without an official work permit,[12] he worked and starred in heterosexual porn.[13] He then worked as a nude model and in gay porn for French adult film producer Jean-Daniel Cadinot in Paris.[14][15] Lucas moved to New York City in 1997, where he worked at the
In 2001, Lucas brought his Russian family to the United States.
Career
Actor
Lucas began his career in a German heterosexual
Director
He directed his first project, Back in the Saddle, in 1998, and also performed in the film.
The Banana Guide called his productions the most polished, big-budget gay porn films ever made and cited Lucas' love for the subject and high technical aptitude.[27]
Since the founding of Lucas Entertainment, Lucas has gone on to direct over 400 adult films for his studio.[28]
Lucas Entertainment
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Michael_Lucas_in_bikini_at_Folsom_Street_Fair_2014.jpg/220px-Michael_Lucas_in_bikini_at_Folsom_Street_Fair_2014.jpg)
In 1998, Lucas founded his own production company,
In the summer of 2005 Lucas released
The company received 24 nominations for the 2009
Lucas was included in a 2009 New York magazine feature about people who made it to the top, despite arriving in the city with very little.[33]
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
In 2006, the studio released
In February 2007, International Media Films, Inc., which owns the rights to Fellini's La Dolce Vita, filed suit against Lucas (as Andrei Treivas Bregman), Lucas Entertainment, Inc., and Lucas Distribution, Inc. for trademark and copyright infringement.[35] The lawsuit seeks to collect unspecified damages and to stop sales of Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita Parts 1 & 2.[36]
Lucas won the lawsuit in April 2010 in a summary judgment by Judge John George Koeltl, who dismissed IMF's claims of copyright infringement, since many porn films have parodied mainstream films.[37]
Documentary filmmaker
Lucas has also worked as a documentarian.[38] In 2012, he released his first documentary film about the thriving Israeli LGBT community. Titled Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land,[39] the film includes footage of Tel Aviv's vibrant nightlife, a same-sex wedding, and candid interviews with a diverse range of local Israeli gays and lesbians, including a gay MP, an openly gay Army trainer, a drag queen, a transvestite, a young Arab-Israeli journalist, and same-sex parents raising their children and a number of artists and activists. In 2014, Lucas released his second documentary, Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda, which investigates the current anti-gay climate in Russian politics and society.[40]
Writer, speaker and activist
I couldn't talk about anything in Russia. I was growing up in a very strict regime. But I rebelled.
— Michael Lucas[41]
In the 2000s, Lucas attracted attention for his views on politics and culture through a series of columns, speaking events and his increasing activism. He is a vocal opponent of drug use and an advocate for
Increasingly Lucas gained attention for his politics, and in particular his views on Israel and Muslims. In March 2008 he was profiled in The New Republic as "Gay porn's neocon kingpin". The article explored his background and a controversy over his writings on Islam that surrounded a lecture he gave at Stanford University.[3]
In an interview with
Lucas wrote about the need for LGBT people to reassess conservatives in August 2010, citing Ann Coulter as an example of a gay-friendly conservative leader.[43]
Columnist
On April 20, 2007,
Islam
His writings on
As a columnist for
University lectures
In April 2005, Lucas was invited to speak before a
The Speakers Bureau at
Lucas, who grew up in the Soviet Union and experienced its antisemitism and Homophobia, was on a panel at The New School on the state of gay rights and acceptability in Eastern Europe.[59]
Activism
Lucas' criticism of
Documentarian
2012 marked another turning point in Lucas' career—he released his first documentary film, "Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land." The official film synopsis explains Lucas' mission in creating the film: "When many people think of Israel, it is often in terms of modern war or ancient religion. But there is much more to the Jewish state than missiles and prayers. In his debut as a documentary filmmaker, adult-film entrepreneur and political columnist Michael Lucas examines a side of Israel that is too often overlooked: its thriving gay community. Undressing Israel features interviews with a diverse range of local men, including a gay member of Israel's parliament, a trainer who served openly in the army, a young Arab-Israeli journalist, and a pair of dads raising their kids. Lucas also visits Tel Aviv's vibrant nightlife scene—and even attends a same-sex wedding—in this guided tour of a country that has emerged as a pioneer for gay integration and equality."[61] Lucas released his second documentary, "Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda," in 2014 with co-director and co-producer Scott Stern.
PrEP
In 2013 Lucas wrote an op-ed column at Out.com where he discussed his use of Truvada (which he began using in June of that year), the medication used as a
Lucas continues to advocate the use and understanding of PrEP in an effort to end the AIDS epidemic. In September 2015 he created his first public-service announcement where he explains the importance of PrEP.[63] In September 2015 he followed up with his original Out.com writing by saying that PrEP works, and the backlash against the medication's use needs to stop. Lucas wrote the following in his column: "Despite all the attempted distractions, the focus must remain on the simple message in the new study: If you take PrEP, you will not get HIV. Period. It is time to wake up, stop the endless debating, and take action. The war against HIV rages on, and when scientists actually win a battle, we must avail ourselves of the powerful weapon they have developed."[64] On February 24, 2016, PrEP was formally approved in Israel.[65][66]
Israel
The core of Lucas'
Lucas followed the film with a gay tour of Israel.[72]
The next summer in a New York Blade column Lucas brought up his disapproval of Haredi Judaism in Israel once again. In "Trouble With Ultra-Orthodox," Lucas referred to the Ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem as "religious goons" and parasites for his belief that they take advantage of state welfare programs.[73]
New York LGBT Community Center
In February 2011, Lucas created a controversy over a pro-Palestinian group that planned to hold a meeting at New York's
The controversy arose again in May 2011 after the center agreed to let the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid meet in their building, triggering Lucas to again call for a boycott and an end to the center's funding.[78][79] In a statement defending the move, the center said that it "provides space for a variety of LGBT voices in our community to engage in conversations on a range of topics."[79] In a press release, Lucas responded that the center had become an accomplice of an "anti-Semitic hate group whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel".[78] In the beginning of June 2011, the center decided to place a "moratorium" on renting space to "groups that organize around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."[80]
Controversy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/Michael_Lucas_X_reply_2023-12-17.jpg)
On December 16, 2023, former UFC/MMA fighter Jake Shields tweeted a photo of Israeli rockets on which IDF soldiers had written his name and those of others speaking out against alleged IDF war crimes in Gaza.[81] Lucas, who was in Israel at the time, responded to the tweet, attaching a photo of an Israeli rocket signed "From Michael Lucas to Gaza" and writing:
Hahaha I actually asked to write my name. Got a pic before and after. Did you get them too? Amazing difference!
Lucas later claimed that a female friend of his, an IDF soldier, had written his name on the bomb.[49]
According to Lucas, several gay porn performers (many of whom have careers he helped launch) were "pressured" to denounce him and stop promoting his films, rather than as straightforward humanitarian reactions to his signature on a missile destined to explode in Gaza. This boycott was led by
Lucas told Israeli channel Ynet that he believed that the boycott was due to antisemitism, rather than as many critics stated, that the missle was likely to kill Palestinian civilians: "I'm the only Jewish owner of an adult company in the gay side of the industry. So is it a coincidence that I'm being boycotted?"[8]
In an article for the American Jewish magazine Tablet, Ross Anderson questions if pro-Palestine adult film performers are using the Israel–Hamas conflict as a means of gaining popularity and earning new followers. Meanwhile, Anderson points out that Lucas is the only Jewish owner of a traditional gay adult studio, has directed and produced hundreds of films, and is an industry veteran with a place in the GayVN Hall of Fame. Anderson goes on to note that Lucas operates his company, Lucas Entertainment, in the "pre-influencer model of the porn economy," writing the following: "[Lucas makes] films that require actors and a crew to produce. His comments have made his name better known—unintentionally, of course—but only insofar as he is becoming a notorious pariah in the porn industry for his stance on Israel."[83]
On December 24, 2023, porn star Sean Xavier, who had previously worked with Lucas Entertainment, wrote on X:[84]
I find [the post] both saddening and reprehensible. For those that are inquiring, I will no longer be promoting my work with that studio, nor accepting future offers to work with them.
In popular culture
Lucas appeared in Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' 2004 book XXX: 30 Porn Star Photographs[85] and the accompanying HBO documentary Thinking XXX.[86] Greenfield-Sanders asked Lucas for a list of his ten favorite films; the ten films he listed are all films from his own production company. In May 2007,
Awards
- 2000 Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards("Grabbys") Best Newcomer—Director
- 2001 GayVN Awards Best Solo Performance, Fire Island Cruising
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Actor, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Threesome, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
- 2007 GayVN Awards Best Director, Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita (Tony DiMarco, co-director)
- 2008 XBIZ Award GLBT Director of the Year (with Tony DiMarco)[89]
- 2008 XBIZ Award Publicity Stunt of the Year, Michael Lucas Found Dead[89]
- 2009 GayVN Awards GayVN Hall of Fame
Filmography
Adult films
A complete list of film performance and model credits can be found at Lucas Entertainment.com, including those directed, written or produced by Lucas.[90]
Documentaries
- 2012: Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land (written, produced, directed) – co-directed by Yariv Mozer
- 2014: Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda – co-directed and produced with Scott Stern
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Adult Erotic Gay Video Awards
- GayVN Awards
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of male performers in gay porn films
- List of pornographic movie studios
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- New Yorkers in journalism
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Van Meter, William (October 19, 2006). "The Lion of Chelsea". New York. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Forward, The (May 17, 2011). "Can gay porn save Israel's image?". Haaretz. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Gay Porn's Neocon Kingpin, James Kirchick, The New Republic via CBSNews.com, March 20, 2006.
- ^ a b GAYVN Announces 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees, Harker Jones, AVN, March 12, 2009.
- ^ a b Great Exxxpectations, Wayne Hoffman, Tablet Magazine, July 21, 2009.
- ^ Gay-Porn Mogul Hopes to Arouse Interest in Israel, David Graham, Newsweek, September 23, 2009.
- ^ First-Ever All-Israeli Gay Porn Movie Archived May 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, DNA magazine, May 9, 2009.
- ^ a b Lukash, Alexandra; Cohen, Nir (Shoko) (January 24, 2024). "Jewish porn producer claims boycotted for supporting Israel". Ynetnews. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Gay Porn's Neocon Kingpin". CBS. September 22, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c Model profile at www.lucasentertainment.com, retrieved from www.lucasentertainment.com on September 5, 2006
- ^ "Michael Lucas: The Gay Porn Blog Interview". gaypornblog. June 19, 2005. Archived from the original on March 9, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ Michael Lucas: The Polarizing Prince of Porn edgemedianetwork.com, October 28, 2014
- ^ a b 22 Russians Who We Won't Let Vladimir Putin Forget Were LGBT advocate.com, August 6, 2013
- ^ What's Adult about Michael Lucas? Porn, Politics & Profits depesha.com, August 7, 2013
- Butt Magazine
- ^ Act I, Scene I: Michael Lucas Arrives in New York queerty.com, April 17, 2009
- ^ a b c d Oswoski, Kevin (April 22, 2005), "Adult film producer fleshes out his 'fantasy' at tea". Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2007., Yale Daily News, retrieved from www.yaledailynews.com on August 31, 2006.
- ^ The Immigrant Who Conquered Porn and Became One of the Most Powerful Gay Men in New York Vice (magazine), June 3, 2014
- ^ Russian Gays Talk 'Homosexual Propaganda' and Life in New York New York, August 15, 2013
- ^ Gawker.com. October 15, 2008.
- ^ Sunderland, Mitchell (June 3, 2014). "The Immigrant Who Conquered Porn and Became One of the Most Powerful Gay Men in New York". Vice. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Dunn, Rick (April 27, 2005), "Down and Dirty With Michael Lucas", retrieved from www.edgeboston.com on January 16, 2007
- ^ List of videos at the "Falcon Studio". Retrieved September 10, 2016. online store with Michel Lucas in the cast. Adult images. Retrieved from www.falconstudios.com on September 3, 2006
- ^ "Michael Lucas". Lucas Entertainment - Official Website. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ Lawrence, Doug, ed. (1998). Adam Gay Video 1999 Directory. Los Angeles, California: Knight Publishing Corp.
- ^ "X Biz Award Winners". Xbizawards.com. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ Review of Lucas Entertainment, The Banana Guide, June 2009.
- ^ "LucasEntertainment.com (All Lucas Movies)". Lucas Entertainment. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ Mao, Tien (June 21, 2006),Michael Lucas, CEO Lucas Entertainment Archived March 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 18, 2006, from www.gothamist.com
- ^ a b Israel, Robert (February 26, 2007). "Michael Lucas' 'La Dolce Vita' Sets GAYVN Record". Edgeboston.com. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ "The Making of Michael Lucas' 'Dangerous Liaisons' (Video 2006)". IMDb.
- ^ "Sensitive Gay Porn Technology Smuggled to Israel Archived June 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine". Ryan Tate, Gawker. May 8, 2009.
- New York Magazine, April 10, 2009.
- ^ List of credits at the tlavideo online video store, retrieved from www.tlavideo.com January 9, 2007
- ^ "Copy of Complaint" (PDF). Online.WSJ.com/Public/Resources/Documents. February 15, 2007.
- ^ "Transcript of judge's ruling" (PDF). Online.WSJ.com/Public/Resources/Documents. April 27, 2007.
- ^ Rubinkam, Michael (April 19, 2010). "Edge Boston April 2010 article about lawsuit". Edgeboston.com. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ "WATCH: Porn Star To Release Documentary About How Hard It Is To Be Gay In Russia". HuffPost. February 20, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
- ^ Brian Schaefer (February 11, 2013). "Culture Fop / Don't worry, Israel, the king of gay porn is behind you". Haaretz (in English). Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Breaking Glass Pictures | Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda | http://bgpics.com/index.php/template-styles/new-releases/item/235-campaign-of-hate Archived June 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b The Naked Truth about Michael Lucas Archived May 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Michael Musto, The Village Voice, April 21, 2009
- ^ ISSN 0001-8996.
- ^ It Takes a Coulter Archived July 16, 2012, at archive.today, Michael Lucas, The Advocate, August 24, 2010. Retrieved July 18, 2011
- New York Blade. Archived from the originalon October 26, 2007.
- ^ Queers for Palestine?, Michael Lucas, The Advocate, October 5, 2009.
- ^ Europe's Trouble with Israel Archived October 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Michael Lucas, The Advocate
- ^ Lucas, Michael (May 30, 2010). "Russia's Struggle to Demonstrate Pride". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ The Monument to Muslim Terrorism Archived October 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "I am a Jew who owns a gay porn company, and I want you to come to Israel". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. January 25, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- New York Blade. Archived from the originalon June 4, 2007.
- New York Blade. Archived from the originalon May 4, 2008.
- ^ Michael Lucas (August 3, 2007). "Religion, Sexuality, and Art". World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007.
- ^ Should We Be Defending Islam, Despite Its Homophobia?, Joseph Erbentraut, Edge Boston, October 5, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2011
- ^ The Monument to Muslim Terrorism Archived October 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Michael Lucas, The Advocate, August 9, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2011
- ^ Democracy in Egypt a Myth? Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Michael Lucas, The Advocate, January 31, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011
- ^ "GAYalies". February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on December 9, 2000. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ Lucas, Michael (Spring 2006). "On Gay Porn". Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. 18 (299).
- ^ a b c "Adult film star's remarks spark debate". Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2009., Kelly Fong, February 14, 2008, The Stanford Daily.
- ^ Coming Out in the Developing World: Exploring Eastern Europe's Hidden Closets, New School press release, April 19, 2011.
- ^ "Porn Actor Michael Lucas To Speak at Oxford University". Daily Express. May 27, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ Undressing Israel (Official Website) http://www.undressingisrael-themovie.com/
- ^ "Op-Ed: Why Are We Not Talking About PrEP?" (Out.com) http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2013/07/24/michael-lucas-comes-out-hiv-negative-sexually-active-man-prep
- ^ "Michael Lucas Supports the Use of PrEP" (Youtube.com) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O08sbPW8v8
- ^ Op-Ed: PrEP Works, So Stop The Backlash (Out.com) http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2015/9/12/op-ed-prep-works-so-drop-backlash
- ^ "Israel Approves PrEP, Prime Minister Addresses LGBT Rights At Knesset". logotv.com.
- ^ "ISRAEL APPROVES PREP TO FIGHT HIV - Q News". qnews.com.au. February 24, 2016.
- ^ 'Men of Israel': The new box-office stud?, Los Angeles Times blog, July 27, 2009.
- ^ Bunder, Leslie (August 18, 2006), "Entertaining gay Israeli troops" Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved from www.somethingjewish.co.uk on September 3, 2006.
- ^ Bunder, Leslie (August 19, 2006), "Entertaining gay Israeli troops": "Talkbacks", retrieved from www.ynetnews.com on September 5, 2006.
- ^ Bunder, Leslie (August 24, 2006), "Lucas responds" Archived December 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved from www.somethingjewish.co.uk on September 3, 2006.
- ^ Lucas, Michael (August 23, 2006), "Dear friends and fellow Jews". Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved September 27, 2009., retrieved from www.lucasblog.com on September 5, 2006
- ^ Burns, Steven (March 9, 2010). "Michael Lucas Wants to Take You To Israel". Advocate.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- New York Blade. Archived from the originalon October 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Michael Lucas Says LGBT Center Pressed Jewish Group to Move Meeting Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Duncan Osbourne, Gay.com news, February 2011
- ^ The Advocate, February 22, 2011.
- ^ a b NY gay center pulls plug on Israel-Apartheid event NY gay center pulls plug on Israel-Apartheid event, Gil Shefler and Benjamine Weinthal, The Jerusalem Post, February 24, 2004.
- The Jewish Daily Forward, February 23, 2011.
- ^ a b New York LGBT Center Takes Side of Anti-Semites[permanent dead link], Michael Lucas press release, PR Newswire via The Sacramento Bee, March 26, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2011
- ^ a b N.Y. gay center rapped for renting space to anti-Israel group Archived May 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2011
- ^ Weinthal, Benjamin (December 7, 2011). "New York LGBT center ejects Queers Against Israel Apartheid". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
- ^ "The IDF is writing my name and others who are speaking out against their evils on missiles. This is a clear threat to our lives and on missile I'm being forced to pay for with my tax dollars". @jakeshieldsajj on X (formerly Twitter). December 16, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "Zionism and Cancel Culture in the Adult Entertainment Industry". Quillette. February 4, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Ross (February 21, 2024). "Porn for Palestine". Tablet magazine.
- ^ Adamczeski, Ryan (January 3, 2024). "Gay adult film producer Michael Lucas faces boycott after signing bomb 'to Gaza'". The Advocate. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-8212-7754-6.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Greenfield-Sanders, Timothy, director (2004). Thinking XXX (TV Documentary). HBO.
- ISBN 978-0-7582-1750-9.
- ^ Lucas, Michael (May 2007), "About That Book". Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007. retrieved from www.lucasblog.com on May 2007
- ^ a b XBIZ Award Winners, XBIZ, February 2011
- ^ "Lucas Entertainment". Lucas Entertainment. Retrieved March 1, 2014.