Shelf Space - Judicial briefs

Rich Merritt's life is nothing if not paradoxical. He is a gay ex-Marine and former fundamentalist Christian who was expelled from über-conservative Bob Jones University for dancing with girls. After the New York Times made him the spit-polished poster boy for gay men in the military, the Advocate outed the lawyer's porn star past. Merritt's sexuality was a non issue with his employers, the Atlanta law firm of Powell Goldstein LLP, until he informed them of the impending release of his autobiography, Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star, which includes graphic descriptions of the gay porn industry. He was promptly fired. (Powell Goldstein did not return a call for comment.)</
How did you first get involved in porn?</
After coming out, I came back to the States ... I thought this is a great time to be coming out because Clinton was just coming into office [promising to end the ban on gays in the military]. And that didn't happen and I was angry about that. It was kind of a way of acting out ... Also it's exciting being a gay man having sex with other hot gay men and getting paid for it too.</
What reason did Powell Goldstein give for firing you?</
Some of the things I revealed in my book might diminish my ability to service my clients.</
Could Powell Goldstein have made it work for you to continue as a lawyer?</
I think there was a way to make it work. That's why I told them when I did. I could have waited ... I think as a society we generally want people to be recovering and healing from their past, and that's what I did. They didn't fire me because of what I did in my past; they fired me because I wrote a book about it, which helped people heal.</
Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star by Rich Merritt. Kensington. $15. 468 pages.