Page 44 - AVN April 2016

by JaredRUTTER
STAR power
World-class talent fuels
evolution of transgender genre
FEATURE
“Transsexual movies
are our most
profitable product we
sell. But—they are the
most difficult movies
to produce.
The producer-director
must be into the
performers. Arousal
cannot be faked like
with female actors.
That is why Joey’s
and Jay Sin’s
transsexual movies
sell so well—they are
both really into
making them.”
—John Stagliano,
founder, Evil Angel
i n
44 | AVN.com | 4.16
1998 Evil Angel released Joey Silvera’s Rogue Adventures: The Big-Ass She-Male Adventure and a bright new revenue stream opened
for porn. Thanks to its surprising (to many) success, what had been a somewhat furtive fetish niche, filled by producers like
pioneer Kim Christy, began to evolve into a thriving genre.
Jay Sin, Rodney Moore, Steve Volponi, Nica Noelle and Josh Stone are a few of the producers who followed Silvera’s lead. They
have seen the TS talent pool widen and deepen, fed by the internet and social media and a much-changed public perception of
transgender people. The vibrant TS stars who’ve emerged have enriched their work.
Silvera’s early Rogue Adventures were cast with Brazilian talent. According to Evil owner John Stagliano, “When Joey started in
the late ’90s in Brazil, being transsexual was accepted more there than in other countries. You could find better performers there
because it was more out in the open than any other society I know of. The U.S. has now caught up to a large extent.
“I think there is a higher standard [of talent] now since it is easier to be transsexual today than 18 years ago. Most important
is that there is social media now and the Internet that Joey and other producers use to connect with talent. This has had a huge
effect in making it easier and safer to cast throughout the world.