My Pride: Will Clark’s New York

WILL CLARK has been entertaining for the past 15 years in ways most of us can only imagine: first as an actor in XXX films and then later as an MC for hundreds of fundraising events across the country that have brought in nearly $1 million for LGBT non-profits. He created the absurdly popular Bad Boys Pool Party in LA and Palm Springs and hosted West Hollywood’s happy hour porn star interview show “Cocktails with the Stars.” Today Will produces and MC’s the weekly fundraising sensation Porno Bingo, raising over $85,000 for New York based HIV/AIDS organizations, nonprofit theatre, queer sports and community groups. Porno Bingo is held each Wednesday night from 8 to 10pm at Pieces in the West Village. This Saturday, catch his sixth annual Bad Boys on the Hudson Sea Tea July 26th aboard the Queen of Hearts (to benefit the Poz Pedalers’ 300-mile bike ride for Braking the Cycle in September 2009).

GayCities New York editor JJ Keyes caught up with Clark for an early summer chat about New York, pride and more than a few of his favorite things.

JJK: When did you move to New York, Will?

WC: I first moved to New York in 1994 just in time for my 30th birthday and Stonewall 25. It was a pretty great time to be in New York and I stumbled into being a part of the Raise the Rainbow project. What an incredible experience.  I liked going to Splash for happy hour then, they had the hottest bartenders and a bouncer that I had a thing for whom I still run into occasionally and I get all weak-kneed. Kind of funny, huh? I started dancing at Limelight and the Tunnel, some pretty tripped out times there but my favorite was the Palladium, no longer there. It’s a PC Richards and Sons now. Sad. I left in 1998 to work in LA but came back in 2003. I never really felt as thought I’d left though as I took trips back and forth a couple times a year for Black Party and while on tour and to see friends.

JJK: How about these days?

WC: These days I dig Eastern Bloc and the divey Hose. I’m also kinda partial to Gusty Winds’ bingo night at Urge on Monday nights.

JJK: Where do you work out?

WC: I used to love going to the gym because it would be cruisey and the guys would work out without shirts but then the personality of the gyms just changed and it became more…bitchy (and not in the fun Julia Sugarbaker kind of way) But going to the gym started out as a health thing, then became a ‘have to look good to get laid’ thing and then became a ‘have to look good to get work’ thing and then it became a ‘how big can I get’ thing.. and finally, I’d had enough with all of it and let my membership expire. My big goal this year is to train hard this summer and ride the 100 miles from Babylon to Montauk. I’ve never done that far before…they call it The Century.  So far I’ve been inching my way around the perimeter of Manhattan and then will spread out to the boroughs.

JJK: If you won a shopping spree to any store in the city where would you go and what would you buy?

WC: 
Well, I’m the antithesis of a clothes horse (I’m happiest in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt) but Bergdorff’s is timeless.

JJK: What are a few of your recommendations for this year’s pride festival?

WC: I’m hitting the Jackie Beat show at the Gramercy Theatre (Fri and Sat June 26th and 27th) and my best friend is in from San Fran and he wants to check out the Spirit Cruise Men at Midnight dance party on Friday June 26th…those oughta be pretty fun. AVP is throwing a big party at Stonewall on Wednesday June 24th from 6 to 9 and I’ll be at that for a little bit before going to my own Pride extravaganza that night from 8 to 10 at Pieces which will benefit Heritage of Pride/Pride 40 and feature singer Bianca Leigh and porn star Nick Capra and Pride Grand Marshalls Cleve Jones (a friend of mine) and Dustin Lance Black are scheduled to come by and call some numbers for us! Later that night, I’m tempted to go to Trai La’s show at DTox down in the east village (it’s every Wednesday starting at 11pm)… and I’ll bet Gusty’s show at Urge on Monday June 22nd oughta be pretty great (10pm). Finally, I’m one of those people that likes to dance and lately have been pretty busy so I’ve got a couple chances over Pride to dance with my peeps – at the opening night of the Sea Tea on Sunday June 21st (in between Folsom East and the Broadway Bares midnight show – the midnight show is always a wee bit raunchier than the earlier show) from 7pm to 10pm and then post Pride celebration I’ll be shakin it at Love to the groovy sounds of Susan Morabito (from 10:30pm onwards on in to the night). That week leading up to Pride will be the last of a day job I’ve had for the past two and a half years (lay offs can be a bitch but a mixed blessing … hate to be on the dole but God that place had let go like nearly 150 people since I started there so I’m glad to get the hell out)… anyway all that means is that I’m going to be celebrating my ass off all week long (I mean really if I come in a morning or two hung over, what are they going to do, fire me?) culminating in the all night dance fest that is the Susan party – no where to go on Monday June 29th! LOL

JJK: Do you have a favorite “New York moment”?

WC: Lots to choose from…but probably the best one was recently during the Marriage Equality rally/march…I was holding hands with my boyfriend walking across 14th street and we saw a couple of guys in their 50s maybe unfurling a rainbow flag from their top floor apartment. We waved and smiled and they turned to each other and smooched. The whole crowd went apeshit. I love that stuff. Then, just a couple blocks later, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see a guy that I had directed in a play when I was in grad school. He’d since come out and has a boyfriend and asked, ’so what have you been doing since I last saw you?” (In 1992) and as I started to figure out how exactly to answer that, he just bust out laughing and said “oh I know EXXXXACTLY what you’ve been doing!” It was nice to see him. The play was all about coming out and being comfortable with who you are and I think we both needed that at that time in our lives. I knew he was gay when I saw him do a flawless Peter Cetera imitation one night before the show.

JJK:  Talk to us about Porno Bingo: when is it, where should we go, what should we bring, how should we dress?

WC: Dress casual to slutty. The guys that go to Pieces aren’t pretentious, they’re real and looking for a good time whether it’s hanging out with their buddies playing a few rounds with us or on a dick hunt (usually both goals are achieved.. or so I’m told!)

JJK: How did you come up with Porno Bingo?

WC: I had been traveling around the country doing a one man show about my life in the gay porn industry and found myself getting hired to go to P-Town for a few weeks to perform out there. I had it in my head that I’d take my one day off a week and ferry into Boston to do a one night a week show there and came up with the Bingo idea. I figured it was a fun game show thing that was pretty low maintenance and could attract a mid-week crowd. But the thing fell through and the idea sat on the shelf for a few months until circumstances presented themselves for me to do a show at the 9th Ave Bistro. It was a great little neighborhood dive bar which didn’t accommodate me doing a burlesque show, a talk show or the Porn Idol show I was doing around town then, so the Bingo idea came back around and the rest, as they say is history. When they closed last summer (it’s now a Dunkin Donuts) I was pretty bummed out but then we were picked up by Pieces. Their staff is fantastic (although I miss Manny who I hear is at Uncle Charlies these days).

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Photos courtesy of Will Clark & Muffin Taco