About book Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star (2005)
This book give us a view of being GAY and being from the Southern Bible Belt, bastion of Southern Baptists, Pentecostals and others of the severe Religious right. An eye opener for many., since many Southern Boys and I would venture to say, some Southern Women have lived their lives closely paralleling the life of the author RICH MERRITT. Maybe we didn't go to religious schools, but we were living in communities, where the church is the center of all social activity. I can remember being raised in the BAPTIST CHURCH....as I refer to it, the "DON'T CHURCH"...that is to say, Don't do play ball on Sunday, Don't work or fish on Sunday, Don't Drink Alcoholic drinks, Don't have sex with girls (after all they are all virgins) and don't do this or that,!!! But in my day as a teenager (the 1950's), homosexuality was such taboo the subject was never mentioned, so I assumed it must be OK...I thought it must be one of the only things boys could do and since all my friends were having sex with me, I was just as straight as they thought they were. However, after high school and college, I came to find out I was really different in my thinking than many of these other boys. I never considered myself feminine, but I certainly was never interested in women. I had long psychiatric therapy (many years) and came to know myself and that I really wasn't so bad, after all. But I also learned a lot about the hypocrisy of organized religion and I think Mr Merritt tell this like it really is for many. I recommend this book for any young man or woman who may have doubts about who they are and how they became GAY. Remember in the words of Dr. Theodore Seuss, "Say what you feel and be who you are, because those that matter, don't care and those that care, don't matter." Be yourself, enjoy life and use those things, you learned in the Christian Church to help you be a moderate in all that you do. BE CAREFUL of the Alcohol, and Drugs, they are against the law for a reason and that is not church law. I know what I am speaking about. when I say this. They can destroy you but as long as you are who you are and aware of your own thoughts and how to live to be best person you can be, You will always be fine. God loves you and you have many friends that do too...just ask sometimes. You are not alone.
Merritt's story is quite extraordinary. Brought up in a fundamentalist Christian, southern environment, he goes on to become a marine officer, discovers he is not the only gay marine and, forced by DODT, develops his secret life in parallel, regularly challenging fate to bring the whole construction down around his ears. The man is lucky as well as intelligent and obviously appreciated by his fellow marines though, and the scandal breaks with a sympathetic New York Times article just as he is about to retire from the marines anyway. Thanks to people like his commanding officer, the corps takes no action against him and he retires normally. Lucky! given that the Advocate, for all the wrong sensationalist reasons, 'outs' him a second time as the gay marine who did porn flicks.Merritt's book has had quite an impact on me. He has a distinctive and immediately sympathetic voice. The candour with which he talks about his experiences, motivations, fears and hopes sounds true from the start. It is never overdone and avoids the danger of slipping into a self-indulgent auto analysis. The very real affection that shows through for many of the people he has met, even some who you might find it difficult to like were you in his shoes, is another strong point. Beyond the gay marine thing, the most rewarding thing for me is the light he sheds on the fundamentalist Christian society in which he grew up, on institutions like Bob Jones University and on the functioning of small rural communities like his. The damage that is done to young people who don't fit in is very real and Merritt has lived through it and taken much of his life since then to come to terms with it. More than what he says it's the tone that indicates he has succeeded not just as a professional and lawyer but as a whole and strong human being. In a very real sense Merritt's way of writing expresses the best of Christian teaching: forgiveness and love. That's a lot more than the types at Bob Jones Uni can say for themselves.Oh, and I shouldn't forget that he was and is a pretty attractive guy and his story doesn't lack in sex appeal either. I'll re-read his novel 'Code of Conduct' with a new understanding.
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4.5 StarsI had to look up the NY Times article and his porn videos to actually believe this story was true. It's an amazing story not only for how much Rich Merritt changes/grows, but for the risks he takes. He takes an honest look at his history, his actions, and his relationships. Rich doesn't even flinch from providing details of his porn performances. This story is funny and touching by turns, especially as Rich Merritt seems to be stalked by his alma mater.I highly recommend this book to everyone. I'm sure there are many Christian fundamentalists or military veterans who find this book offensive, but for the rest of us it's a fascinating picture into hidden worlds.
—Margo - Back to Causing Trouble
