Andrew Gurza's Porn Debut Is a How-To for Sex With Hot Disabled People

Andrew Gurza has positioned himself as a prominent face when it comes to conversations about sex and accesibility. He's spoken on panels, written for a variety of publications (including Out), and started online campaigns to underscore the fact that people living with disabilities are just as sexy and sexual as anyone else. It seems like a natural next step for Gurza to star in his own adult film, which debuted this week for Himeros.tv.

"I've had the pleasure of working with Andrew on numerous Himeros.tv YouTube videos about disability and sex," Davey Wavey, founder of Himeros.tv, tells Out. "He also worked as a consultant on [Kenneth Connin's debut film for us]. Asking Andrew to be a part of this project seemed like a natural extension of our working relationship and I'm thrilled that he said yes."

Himeros bills itself as erotica but also a tool for sex education. It prizes depicting sex on an expansive spectrum while also providing relatable, pragmatic tools for viewers to better understand their sexual selves and future partners. Case in point: Connin's debut was a revelation. By featuring the performer, who is parapalegic, having sex, the demystified the bodies and sexual lives of people with disabilities in a sensual way.

"[That scene] was a celebration of connection and intimacy between men," Wavey says. "And yet, because disability representation in porn is almost nonexistent, the response was immense -- and overwhelmingly positive. For people with a visible disability, it's important to see a reflection of themselves in erotic content. Sexual ecstasy is available to all of us, not just the typical, able-bodied, chiseled guys we're used to seeing in porn."

Gurza's film, which stars Jon Shield, is a part of the ongoing series Himeros.tv Amateurs, in which amateur performers fim a "real experience from their own sex lives" on their phones. There aren't multiple cameramen and expensive lighting; it's just two men, having sex in the way that fits both of their bodies. For Gurza, that means utilizing a lift to move from his chair to his bed, which is shown in an unedited and completely honest way.

We talk to Gurza about what it was like to make the film, what was important to him to show, and what's next. View the scene at Himeros.

Sex and sexuality have always been a part of your public platform. Was it always a goal of yours to eventually shoot a porn film?

I always had wanted to film a porn, yes, but I struggled with the idea that my disabled body wasn't desirable or on par with other porn stars in the industry. So I never actually thought that it would happen, but it was always something that I had wanted to do.

How did this opportunity in particular come about?

Davey Wavey and I had worked together before on other projects, and he contacted me saying that for the two-year anniversary of Himeros.tv he wanted notable people to re-create scenes from his site on their iPhones [in the Amateurs series]. He knew that I wanted to do something like this for a long time, and he knew just how important this type of representation -- to have a wheelchair-using man -- in porn meant to me. I jumped at the chance to do it.

What was important for you to show in this project in particular?

It was important for me to show first and foremost a disabled person, who was a wheelchair user, actively enjoying themselves having sex. We never get to see thatever on film, so that was an absolute necessity. Secondly, I wanted people to see my wheelchair, and all of the preparation that it took to get me from my chair to the bed. These are aspects of disabled sex that we never see, let alone discuss, so I thought they were vitally important parts of this project.

What was something that you experienced that you didn't realize about filming a porn while doing this?

I loved finding ways to incorporate my disability into every part of this creation, and that is something that I never thought about when watching able-bodied porn.

Himeros has a reputation for being as much an educational tool as it is porn. Did that play in your decision to do this?

The educational angle that Himeros has created certainly influenced my decision to do this, 100 percent. I knew that this would give viewers the opportunity to look at the disabled body in a way they hadn't considered before. I have jokingly stated that this video serves a "How To" guide when hooking up with hot disabled people. If my porn can start to change someone's views on disability and sex, wouldn't that be the best thing ever?

How was meeting your co-star Jon Shield?

Jon is such an attentive performer. We took a lot of time prior to shooting figuring out how to include my wheelchair in the shoot, and he was instrumental in making that happen. He really made sure that I was comfortable and happy, and that all my needs were met. He's also really, really cute.

Do you have plans to do more projects like this?

I would love to do more projects like this with other studios and other performers, disabled and non-disabled alike. I think porn is such an important medium, and it is about time disability was celebrated in it. So, any other adult performers, let's put some disability into your porn.

Are there any notable names when you think about visible disabilities in gay porn that come to mind that you feel get overlooked?

Unfortunately, none that I can think of, and that's sadly due to the fact that there aren't many disabled gay porn stars, but I want to change that.

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