NEW YORK — “Some directors think that it is better to have straight men in gay porn,” said Jeffrey Escoffier, who writes about gay culture, politics and history. “They have less trouble getting erections.”

Last night at 19 University Place, Escoffier discussed gender and sexuality in porn while specifically focusing on his work studying the “gay for pay” phenomenon in which straight men perform in gay porn films. From his interviews with people in the industry, Escoffier has found that 25 to 40 percent of porn actors are “gay for pay.”

“To become a porn star and to be a top, you have to be able to get an erection, and you have to be able to fuck,” Escoffier said. “In gay porn, erections are very important, real penetration is very important and having a real orgasm is very important, and in ways it is not in straight porn. Every porn set is filled with stories of the hours spent waiting for an orgasm or for an erection.”

In addition to physically sexual problems that may arise, openly straight men performing in gay films also results in a different kind of film, filled with specific sexual symbolism and greater meaning, Escoffier said.

“The ass is commonly emphasized because it is symbolic of the newest figures and those most in need of sexual redefinition,” Escoffier said. Additionally, boundaries of sexuality and decency are continually pushed because “in porn, there is the demand to produce ever more perverse sexual fantasies to keep people engaged and watching.”