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Monday, April 5, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.
This undated photo provided by OC Modeling of Chatsworth, Calif., shows "Markus," Nevada's first male prostitute. The college dropout who abandoned a brief stint as a porn actor in Los Angeles has become the only legal gigolo in the United States.
The Shady Lady Ranch brothel is pictured Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, in Beatty.
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Markus never liked the "P word." Nevada's first legal male prostitute would have preferred "surrogate lover." It didn't catch on. Instead, Markus left the Shady Lady Ranch brothel in Nye County after two months' work, fewer than 10 clients and, he said, a "maelstrom of media."
"Now I just need to lie low for a while. It was too much press, too many people coming in pretending to be clients and then turning out to be reporters. I got portrayed as strange and a little bit off-kilter. The whole story was sensationalized."
Still, Markus says, he should have known it would happen — "The first person to do anything is going to get the brunt of the criticism."
In January, one day before he opened for business, Markus compared himself to Rosa Parks in an interview with Details magazine. The comment generated so much controversy that Shady Lady owners forbade Markus, 25, from giving future interviews.
Markus says he still stands by the comparison. "Discrimination is discrimination," he said. "It exists on all levels, whether it's gender, racial or religious discrimination."
The next surrogate lover, Markus figures, will have it easier.
"This was about changing social norms, and showing that [prostitution] is acceptable in a safe environment. Hopefully I can help set a precedent, because within the economy, and the way things are going now, we need every industry we can to create some kind of revenue."
Markus is now in California, returning to his prior career in porn. The Shady Lady, meanwhile, has reportedly hired a man named "Y. Not" to take Markus' place, though no one has been able to interview him. (Y. Not is on hiatus until May or June while the Shady Lady repairs an electrical problem in his brothel bungalow, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.)
Even Markus may only be on hiatus — he hasn't ruled out returning to brothel work some day. "If you look at the key issues, [prostitution] is a pretty serious thing. It could be a very successful industry, but because of our society's Puritan roots, it's frowned upon."
This is why Markus doesn't like the word prostitution, he says — people are programmed to associate it "with seedy, underhanded dealings, and that is not what I am about.
"In reality," he said, "I'm just a performer, filling a void."
— Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly
okkkayyyyyy
There are many male prostitutes making a great living in Nevada but they do outcalls at hotels.
this guy we would NOT offer employment to.... not because of what he has done... experience tells us something...lol
"I'm just a performer, filling a void."
I can't help laughing every time I read that line.
IMO, what a piece of trash
The guy looks like a dork anyway. They couldn't find a better looking dude than that??
I hear Gibbons. Tiger, and Jesse James were is best customers.
i think a shemale could have done better than some homeless guy.
Good one, VegasJ
I can't believe women pay men to have sex. We can get it for free!
An idea, though not new, that had to be tried out legally, officially and publicly, Unfortunately for this concept, Women don't suffer from a shortage of men who are ready, willing and free. This man looks like a child, A college dropout, Ex porn actor ? did they find him off Craigslist personals ? I think Shady Lady could have chosen better. I think they would have had more success if they chose someone who resembled the "Old Spice" commercial guy. Not the badboy neighborhood kid down the block.
Was he swinging both ways at this brothel?
wolf..he looks kinda poofy to me
this guy is ugly - if they had a nice looking one they might have made it
This is the time for Nevada to step up to the plate and live up to its tourist reputation as sin city. Let 'em come here and sin. They leave their money and go home. What is so bad about that? After all, it was gambling that brought Nevada out of the great depression.
Prostitution in general should be made legal in 2010 everywhere in nevada. End the back room high priced prostitution that ALREADY GOES ON in vegas.
Its a joke to make prostition illegal when its rampant. This is another religious-based fantasy like outlawing alcohol thru prohibition. Its just stupid, and 2010 is the time to get rid of it. Why waste money trying to enforce these religious-based laws trying to control people in the privacy of a room.
Same thing with marijuana. People smoke it everywhere. Why not make it legal like its going to be in California soon. Make it cheap, and available at Walmart, for god's sake.
And save the money spent on arresting people and putting them in jail. Let people grow the damn thing in their backyards if they want to. What IS the big deal anyway. Its a natural growing plant.
God who cares?! And besides that, DUH! Women aren't exactly the target customer of brothels. And besides THAT, that guy wasn't even that good looking for crying out loud. No wonder.
Romans Chapter 1 The whole chapter
Please don't tell anybody I read this crap.
The comment about Rosa Parks was uncalled for.How he compares himself to her I'll never know.He needs to go back and "repeat" history in H.S. again...obviously he didn't get it the first time. I give him a "A" for effort in trying to make it work and a "D" for looks. Sorry Dude !!!
You guys call him ugly, poofy, etc. but I imagine he was hired for his appearance down where the sun don't usually shine... and for his endurance.... and his age... and no, he did not only entertain women... just as the women "workers" do not only entertain men. What you don't read about is the prices... they wanted $2000 for 1 hour with him, same rate as the females... eek... don't they know that most gay guys give it away for free and don't make you take an HIV test on the spot as well? lol