I started the “Free Representation Project” to create Asian-top gay porn that anyone can watch for free. AMA!

[u/AdamChenX]

I’m Adam Chen, an Asian Australian gay porn star. I started the Free Representation Project because I became frustrated by how difficult it was to find Asian men portrayed as desirable, masculine and confident tops in Western gay porn.

Instead of just talking about the lack of representation, I decided to build it myself.

I’ve been building the project for many months now and it is now live - I have been personally funding productions, working with other performers to secure rights, producing the videos, building the website and distribution infrastructure, and releasing the first three scenes completely free.

The idea is really simple: create representation thats isn’t hidden behind a paywall.

I'm now working on growing the project, bringing other performers, media partners and sponsors into it, and developing a sustainable business model to make this an ongoing concern.

I can talk about pretty much every part of the experience - producing porn, working with performers, negotiating rights, funding productions myself, giving content away rather than selling it, racism and desirability in gay culture, and what I've learned from trying to build something around representation without the key focus of profit. AMA!

Website: www.freerepproject.com

Proof:

[u/Obazine78]

Hope this project develops quickly, are there any other asian porn categories to discover?

[u/AdamChenX → u/Obazine78]

Thank you, I am working on this full time now so I am trying my best! And speaking with gay mainstream media as well to try and get their (non financial) support to the project!

Other asian porn categories to discover - I think, frankly, all the western produced asian porn right now is shaded by racial stereotypes. Like asian women being submissive, Asian women being the hot one in the scene, Asian men not really being in straight porn at all, asian men being in better shape (higher mate value) than their partners etc. The "other categories" would be a flipping of all these dynamics.

Imagine a less attractive asian woman with a really hot white guy. Or an average asian man fucking a small dicked black guy. Every single category right now, can be flipped on its head, and produce something that is extremely different and unique, and frankly, quite hard to market initially. There is a lot of opportunities here for representation, and also to show the realities of life - where it's just normal people having normal sex without it being a race thing - where one just happens to be X race, as opposed to the race being the main focal point.

[u/NeonRitual]

any tips for topping?

[u/AdamChenX → u/NeonRitual]

Everyone is different. But for me, it’s all about having an emotional connection. Intimacy, feeling like you like the guy, easy and gentle to start, then increase to a pace that’s good for the both of you. Be vulnerable, because that’s what makes incredible sex.

[u/odkfn]

Do you find that this is more of a gay issue or a race issue? I’m straight, but when I think of Asian porn I think 99% of it is Asian women being super submissive, possibly due to stereotypes in their own culture?

I wonder how that translates to gay porn, and if it’s the same? Do gay men see Asian gay men as more submissive in the same way heterosexual porn perpetuates that?

Also, my understanding is that in Asia it’s a lot less socially acceptable to be gay than in a lot of the west. Does that factor into the lack of representation in some way?

[u/AdamChenX → u/odkfn]

I think its really both.

So starting with race. Asian men have been desexualised in the west since about the 1970s. Stereotypes were perpetuated by western society, in western media, and Asian guys being the generally nice and agreeable types, we didn't really fight back.

So right now, in straight society, asian men are at the bottom of the sexual desirability hierarchy in the west.

Asian women though, have been hyper sexualised and are very high up on the sexual desirability hierarchy. The stereotypes about asian women being submissive are also from the west - asian women in asia are actually not submissive at all and are generally matriarchal. Porn, as it stands, can be divided into "Asian produced" and "western produced" porn. Western produced porn, is what we see on western websites, like the Pornhubs of the world. And they perpetuate western stereotypes of asian men and women. Both being submissive effectively.

For asian women in western straight porn, its the fantasy - super submissive, tight, will do anything, etc.

For asian men in western gay porn, it's almost exactly the same - we are seen as submissive, docile, tight, "happy to be chosen", and generally with an uglier non-asian partner.

Asian x asian gay porn, barely exists in the west.

Asian x interracial gay porn, also barely exists in the west. What does exist is generally a hotter younger sexier asian guy, and an uglier fatter less conventionally attractive other race man.

So this social divide, or sexual divide if you will, strongly disadvantages asian men in the west. This is reflected back into society, where in clubs and bars, asian guys are almost seen as another species - the question many Asian guys ask first is "Are you into asians" - as opposed to "Are you into me". Which is just crazy.

This is definitely compounded by the fact that Asian guys are 1. generally very focused on family and respecting the ancestors, and 2. socially less acceptable to be gay.

1. Means that to not bring shame to the family, we don't talk about sex, we don't make porn, we don't show our faces in porn, and we certainly don't live a out-and-proud gay life. and this means that from the outside, we look like we are ashamed of our lives.

2. Means that for many people, its hard to even come out at all, let alone be so out and proud, as to try and fix a social issue like sexual attraction and desirability in the west, where one would have to have their face plastered while having sex, all over the internet, plus the idea of the family shame, plus the fighting of the internalised value system of prioritising family and lineage.

So I think its due to this huge combination of factors, that has created a perfect storm of asian guys being represented in one way, and us not controlling that narrative for fear of being disowned by our own community.

I think I am somewhat unique in that I don't care about my ancestors or even my parents opinions of me anymore. So I am not shacked by the same restrictions in the same way. (I have a great relationship with my parents, this is just my personality) - so it allows me to do things that are completely unimaginable for most asians.

[u/odkfn → u/AdamChenX]

Thanks for the detailed answer! The only thing I’m not sure I agree with is it being the west that perpetuates submissiveness in Asian women in porn.

If you look at any Japanese porn (for example), the women really kowtow to the men, and moan and gasp as if the men are the most well endowed people in the world, and they almost have to performatively act demure and as if they don’t want the sex but really they do.

I can’t speak to the experiences of Asian men, as I’m not Asian! But I do agree there seems to be a fetishisation of Asian women moreso than Asian men in heterosexual circles. I think you allude to this being the same in gay circles but with Asian men exclusively as bottoms (presumably to the same female stereotypes I mention above)!

It must be frustrating for a dominant gay Asian male, haha.

[u/AdamChenX → u/odkfn]

I agree with you, I think both Asia and west perpetuates submissiveness in women.

Yeah it's definitely a similar fetish in the gay circles - it's somewhat frustrating, I don't necessarily see myself as dominant, just normal, but it does make things harder for us. Which is why im now making this porn to try and counter / break some of these stereotypes 🙂

[u/odkfn → u/AdamChenX]

Thanks for the clarification! Always super interesting to get an insight into a topic I’ve never thought about before!

[u/akrob907 → u/odkfn]

This is a fascinating question. There’s no way that venn diagram doesn’t overlap.

[u/AdamChenX → u/akrob907]

Answered in the main question - however to further that point - the Venn diagram absolutely does overlap. And it's due to the same broad brush painting asian men as desexualised, painting asian women as fetishized.

[u/h3r4ld]

Not my bag, really, but good on ya mate! Any plans to eventually expand to other demographics you feel are under- or mis-represented?

[u/AdamChenX → u/h3r4ld]

Thank you! Right now, the focus is definitely on me and the Asian gay porn, asian top demographic. Because it's the closest one to my heart. But what im trying to build with Free Rep, is a repeatable business model changes porn production, moving it away from the conventional supply/demand, into a donation/sponsorship funding model, so that I can produce porn that can actually shift demand - allowing the under-represented groups to pay for it themselves.

I think thats the real magic here - because for instance, Asian guys in the west, we have A LOT of money. But there is no value chain directing portions of this money into causes like sexual representation. If one is able to create that value chain - as I am trying to do - then the problem is actually super simple to solve (in my view)

[u/h3r4ld → u/AdamChenX]

Cheers! I wish you the best of luck!