Grooby Interview Pt 3
Meghan Chavalier did an interview with Steve Gallon from Grooby productions. Grooby is without a doubt THE name in transgender M2F porn. This final installment shows a bit more about Mr. Gallon, what he is doing for the “greater good” , some advice for trans women, and a peek into his personal life and personality.
If you are offended by porn-terms for trans women, then you should not read below the fold. I am also not really going to discuss any of his thoughts on running his business or how he started in the business, which is a good portion of the interview
Grooby Productions is also very charitable towards the gay and transgender community. Can you tell us some of the charities that you take a personal interest in? –M C
I think we could be more charitable towards specific transgender charities but I don’t see as many as I’d like, doing the right work (willing to be enlightened!) so we tend to give to various charities that possibly help ie; sex trafficking and child pornography, as well as Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty. We’ve also offered individuals that we’ve worked with help, when they are in dire straits.
Although The Matthew Shepard Act looks as though it may finally become law, therefore giving us a federal hate crime law, so many young transgender women and men, and gay and lesbian people are the victims of hate crimes often leading to death. What do you think we can do to help end these horrible crimes? – M C
I think having the hate crime law is extremely important and I hope it’s recognized when law enforcement officers also discriminate against people based on their personal prejudices but I’m going to go out on a limb here with some advice, specifically on how young transgender women can stop themselves from being a target of a hate crime. They need to stop meeting and going home with guys without telling them that they are transgender. I appreciate the validation and kick that they can get from it but it’s dangerous and they’re putting themselves in harms way. In no way am I condoning, violence against transgenders who do participate in this dangerous activity but people need to take responsibility for their own actions, and the transsexual who is up front and honest with a guy she meets, is probably going to meet a better type of man … and not put herself in a dangerous position.
Can you tell our readers something about yourself that would surprise them?
I’m married and have a 9 month old son.
If you could sum your life up in one sentence what would it be?
No need for a sentence. Two words. “Be good”.
What advice can you give our readers that they may carry with them throughout their life?
Your word and your integrity are everything. Be a good person and do what you think is right while always trying to empathize with others.
Okay, so they donate to Anti- Trafficking groups – this is pretty much a standard in the porn world, and these charities rarely actually get involved specifically with trans sex-workers’ issues from what I have seen. many of the Anti-Trafficking Feminists are particularly bad when it comes to trans women, or the organizations erase trans women, trans men, and gay men completely. The other organizations are with out a doubt worthwhile, but again, aren’t centering trans women, have mixed relationships with trans women’s communities, or erase us within their work.
I am seriously glad that Steven is willing to be enlightened. At least he knows there are better/ more effective ways to reach trans-specific populations, he just doesn’t know about them. Fair enough, and completely valid given that I think many trans-rights groups would not be particularly welcome to a donation from a porn company (I could be wrong). I do have a couple suggestions though:
- SWING (Service Workers IN Group) – A trans-run support group in Thailand doing HIV education, skill training, and social activities
- SISTERS – Also Thai, working with trans women, particularly bar girls, providing a weekly medical clinic as well as HIV education, condoms, and social functions
- Astitva – An Indian NGO run by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi
- Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust – Another NGO from India
I will say that finding NGOs that focus on trans-issues is hard. Finding them in developing nations is much harder than finding models from those same countries.
This needs quoted again:
They need to stop meeting and going home with guys without telling them that they are transgender. I appreciate the validation and kick that they can get from it but it’s dangerous and they’re putting themselves in harms way. In no way am I condoning, violence against transgenders who do participate in this dangerous activity but people need to take responsibility for their own actions, and the transsexual who is up front and honest with a guy she meets, is probably going to meet a better type of man … and not put herself in a dangerous position.
This makes my eyes bleed. You may not be condoning violence against trans women, but you sure are giving cis people such a yummy excuse to beat the shit out of us. I men Grooby even says that Trannys are lying liars who lie to men and lie and really who wouldn’t believe HIM cuz he actually knows a few of them!!! Here is a clue – Short of self-preservation, Intimate Partner Violence is NEVER justified. Notice the lack of a qualifying “but…”? You are honestly saying that while you don’t want it to happen, you can completely understand that being a trans woman is so weird/strange/freaky/icky/wrong/bad/threatening that beating and killing us could be justified (if the perp claims he didn’t know). You know that guys who murder are probably not above making up an easily believable story about “not knowing” right? Even guys who have been part of “the scene” for YEARS don’t get convicted of murder when it’s a trans woman. So enough of the victim blaming and back-door validation of of the “Trans Panic” defense – M’kay?
BTW: Thanks for supporting Hate Crimes Laws FWIW
I’m going to own my own messed up shit here. I’m really bothered by the “Married with kid” part. It’s stupid and petty and none of my business. But, it honestly plays up into my own shit. That trans women are not really seen women by chasers, are not worthy of actual relationships, are less-than cis women. That the best I’ll ever be is a momentary diversion on some guy’s road to “married with a kid”. It doesn’t help that my ex- left me to make babies… so it’s a sore spot and one I own totally. No shame on Steven for finding a wife.
I want to leave this on a positive note. I don’t think that Grooby is bad stuff. I think that they have done some good for the trans community generally, and particularly for the women who work with them. I think they can do better, but it is a business after all. If nothing else we have a single cis-man involved in the trans community who isn’t afraid to have his face shown (funny how every single other trans pornographer hides behind a cartoon, logo, or sunglasses and hat). There may be some presumptions and cis-centered opinions, but I really think Mr Gallon is trying to make a buck off trans bodies, but also make the world a bit better for those same bodies.
Laugh RioT 
You have raised many points with this post; too many to address in one reply so I would first like to address your comments in your second last paragraph.
There are many of us guys out here, in the world, that see transwomen as real women and only as women. A lot of us want a real actual relationship with a transwoman. A lot of us would marry and settle down with a transwoman. So do I want a real relationship with a transwoman? Yes. Do I want to marry and settle down with a transwoman? Yes, yes, and yes again!!!
For a long time I knew that something was missing in my life. I didn’t know what I was missing and I spent a long time searching for something that I didn’t know what I wanted or needed to feel complete. I didn’t discover transwomen overnight. It was a process of awakening, of coming to a realization, and then admitting to myself that what I was missing was a transwomen.; a woman that I could have a real relationship with, one that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I knew after a lot of soul searching and introspection that I wanted to be with a transwoman. I know for sure that I want to meet that special transwoman with whom I’ll have a deep connection and with whom I’ll spend my life.
Jim,
I know there are cis men and women who are serious about dating trans women and men. Cis folks who “get it” as much as they can (or make an honest effort to do so). My comments on Mr Gallon’s relationship, are an expression of my own internalized trans misogyny. That he has found a relationship with a cis woman is only a messed up justification for my own messed up feelings. Something I fully own and something I’ll likely be exploring.
Part of the issue with Dating While Trans is having to sift through genuine people who genuinely want to be with you, people who genuinely think they want to be with you, and people who pretend to genuinely want to be with you. I guarantee you that this is not evenly distributed among the three (and I’m intentionally leaving out fetishists and “curious” folks). So while you may be genuine, there are many many more who either intentionally or not, cannot/will not.
It’s never easy sorting out who is genuinely interested in you. I realize that transwomen have a greater challenge in this regard. There is no easy way to tell right off who falls into which category. Sometimes though one just has to take a chance, for those of us that are genuinely interested are out here.
I’d like to comment on the part of your post about violence against transwomen.
I agree that Intimate Partner Violence is never justified. And not just Intimate Partner Violence, but any violence against transwomen. The “Trans Panic” defence is abhorrent. Only cowards would ever try to use that. It should never be allowed to be used and it’s even worse that some believe that it is valid.
Fortunately in the case of Angie Zapata her murderer was convicted despite trying to use the “Trans Panic” defence. There may yet be hope that the justice system will defend transwomen. It may only be a start (time will tell), but at least it’s a start.
Angie’s recent case was the first murder of a pre-op trans woman to get a conviction for murder that I have been able to find.
As long as society in general views that being trans = being deceptive this defense will have traction. As long as chasers fail to take any action to actually help change things nothing will change. Since it is, in fact, chasers doing the majority of the killing, I think that all suspicions regarding the motivations of chasers is justified. If Mr Gallon can tell a trans woman that in some way murdered trans women somehow bring it on themselves – I have no reason to believe most of the cis-guys who say “I’d never hurt you”.
It amazes me that this sack of wind called steve gallon plays the lancelot of the TS world. Mr Gallon is a notorious blackmailer and backstabber. This blog should be ashamed of doing a poor research. I keep warning people on the net. He still wants to get his hands on me. A funny bloke. Steve the big man. Or the fat a….hole
Its alot of things in my life that im not to happy about, But living your life the way you want and being happy everyday building your life is all that matters