[UPDATED] Nick Fitt Departs Falcon Studios After “No Gay For Pay” Debacle
This story has multiple updates below, with a response from Falcon and news of Nick Fitt’s departure as the studio’s head of production.
Gay porn star Nick Fitt used to be disgraced director Chi Chi LaRue’s assistant, and then he transitioned to working in production at Icon/Noir Male after LaRue was fired for drunkenly sexually harassing a performer. Earlier this year, Fitt left Icon/Noir and was hired by Falcon Studios as their new head of production, following the departure of long term (and quite beloved) head of production Adam Robinson. One of Nick Fitt’s first official acts as the head of production for Falcon? Banning straight men from performing in Falcon movies:
In a tweet posted earlier today, Nick Fitt announced, “I am in a role that can make a difference: No longer will I hire “Gay for Pay” entertainers to play the role of gay/bi models. […] Gay models should be in gay roles.”
It’s unknown who Fitt “heard loud and clear this weekend” (was he holding a forum on gay for pay at WeHo Pride? I didn’t see anything like this being advertised at the event), and it’s not clear what Fitt meant by “play the role of gay/bi models” (are models who self-identify as gay “playing the role” of gay models in Falcon movies? isn’t everyone in a gay porn movie doing some form of acting and “playing a role”?), straight men are apparently no longer wanted at Falcon Studios (and by extension, presumably, at sister studios Raging Stallion/Hot House/NakedSword).
Str8Up replied to Nick Fitt and Falcon Studios asking how in the world the “no gay for pay” rule would be enforced (would models have to self-identify on an application as gay or bi before being hired, and if so, wouldn’t that be discrimination?), but there’s been no comment as of post time.
While some gay for pay models have been problematic both on and off set, Falcon Studios (not to mention roughly half of all gay porn produced over the last 45 years) would obviously never have existed without them. Most straight models today, of course, don’t identify as “gay for pay,” but will instead just say they’re straight. There are also models who are pansexual or sexually fluid and don’t identify as straight, gay, or bi, but Fitt didn’t specify if there would be a ban on pan models like he says there is on the straights. However the details play out in the casting and filming process, it sounds like Fitt just made the jobs of production employees (not to mention Falcon’s legal department) a lot more complicated as they begin to hire people based on their sexual orientation.
UPDATE 1:
Spoke too soon? Or, perhaps shouldn’t have been speaking at all?
Earlier today, Nick Fitt deleted his tweet:
Then, Falcon’s President Tim Valenti issued a response to the “no gay for pay” debacle, clearly indicating that the studio did not authorize or endorse Fitt’s tweet. With regard to banning straight men from their gay porn movies, the studio wrote, “Company policy strictly prohibits discriminatory casting based on sexual orientation.” And Valenti’s statement read, “We’ve never been concerned how our models identify in their personal lives as long as they deliver on set.”
An employee using their personal Twitter account to announce a discriminatory workplace policy that they’re fantasizing about implementing at their job is insane and would get most people fired instantly. Other than telling him to delete the false tweet, it’s not known if Falcon has taken additional steps to reprimand Fitt, but this story will be updated as more information becomes available.
UPDATE 2:
Str8Up has received multiple conflicting reports as to the manner of the departure, but I can confirm that Nick Fitt is no longer working as the head of production for Falcon Studios. Yesterday, one source told Str8Up that Fitt was likely going to be fired today, while this afternoon, a different source told Str8Up that Fitt actually resigned this morning. Perhaps Fitt learned he was going to be let go, so he quit in advance. Or, perhaps he just realized he wasn’t qualified to hold the position. Either way, after a brief few months (and reportedly multiple disciplinary write-ups—the incident with the “no gay for pay” wasn’t the first problem) Nick Fitt’s time with Falcon is over. If anyone out there is looking to work in porn production (which includes booking travel, organizing sets, casting, etc.), Falcon is hiring.
