A Field Guide To Papi Coxxx

Since Dylan Ryan declared today Queer Day, we decided that our weekly Field Guide ought to focus on a queer performer. You know who we've always wanted to know more about? Papi Coxxx. We've admired their work on many an occasion, and their scene with Jiz Lee in "Fuckstyles of the Queer and Famous" often comes to mind in our quiet, masturbatory moments, so today we salute everything Papi.

Papi Coxxx (a.k.a. Ignacio Rivera) was born in Brooklyn, New York long enough ago that they are legally able to perform in pornos. One website claims that Papi was born in 1972 (and in Los Angeles), but we always thought they were much younger and East Coast-ier, and so we will avoid making a faux pas here by pretending like we know. If Papi is indeed forty, then damn that's a fine forty year-old. If Papi is not forty, then damn, whatever, they're still super fine like sugar.

Anyway, what does age matter? Papi's youth and beauty are eternal.

When Papi thinks about the ways in which porn has enhanced their life, they start with the first time they ever encountered it: in magazines hidden under their father's mattress. As they mention in a 2010 interview with QueerPorn.TV, they were brought up with traditional parents and gender roles, expected to be a stay-at-home woman who cooked, cleaned, met a man, got married, and had kids. This first taste of smut--which was, for the record, "not man-on-top-of-woman fucking; it was some other shit"--validated the curious and sexually-charged parts of Papi's mind. Not only did those images stay in their spank bank for years, but they opened up new avenues of thought, allowing Papi to assess their hopes, desires, and identity. "How can I get to do those things I see in porn?" Papi asked.

We don't know exactly when Papi first identified as genderqueer, but given that their vision of gender identity and sexuality is fluid, there may be no specific point in time! All we know is that Papi Coxxx is adamant that they be described as a genderqueer person of color, because they want to give face to the fact that queerness has been associated with whiteness and a privileged socio-economic status, when in reality, it is for/of/about/by everyone. As Papi mentions in that QueerPorn.TV interview:

When I think about the word "queer," a definition would be "weird" or different," and that's something that I own. I am different, I am weird, and I think talking about queerness is not just about sexual orientation but also gender identity, and I think I straddle many lines or circles when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity. [...]

I'm female, but I'm not a woman.

Their first foray into pornography came in 2006 when they did a masturbation scene for Betty Dodson. Then they did "In Search of the Wild Kingdom" with Pink & White Productions and "Trans Entities: The Nasty Love Story of Papi and Will" by Morty Diamond, a movie that switched between interviews and sex scenes, allowing the viewer to get a real sense for this young, queer, trans, New York couple. Many, many scenes later, Papi is a well-respected porn performer and we're quite excited to see them in Chery Dunye's "Mommy Is Coming," a sex-filled comedy starring people like Jiz Lee, Judy Minx, Lil Harlow, and many others.

Of course, Papi is doing way more than sexing and acting on film. They are the owner and founder of Poly Patao Productions, an organization that's dedicated to "producing sex-positive workshops, performance pieces, play parties, panel discussions, teach-ins, social/political groups and educational opportunities that are specially geared toward queer women, transgender, multi-gender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming and gender variant folx of color." Papi also uses the website to review sex toys and adult products, give advice, show short films, and collect their essays, erotica, poetry, and other thoughts. We highly encourage you to check out the What "They" Said section where you can find a direct link to Papi's brain, including this powerful poem titled, "Hole." And hey, did we mention that P3's emblem is a fist stretching a black latex glove over another fist?

Papi also helped found Queers for Economic Justice, a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation, "informed by the lived experiences and expressed needs of queer people in poverty."

Are you crushing on Papi yet? If so, they've mentioned that some of their turn-ons include: somebody who "has a brain and can talk politics," people who know how to communicate, people who can talk dirty and maneuver just right, tattoos, very nasty creative people, brains, gender fuckery, confidence, dorks, and silliness.

What more can we say about Papi Coxxx? They're sexy, brilliant, soulful, a "Trans-Former" who is working to transform the world into a more positive and friendly place, and we cannot wait to see what they do next.

Be sure to check out:
· Papi Coxxx's Twitter (twitter.com)
· Their personal Tumblr (papi-coxxx.tumblr.com)
· This incredibly insightful interview with QueerPorn.TV (youtube.com)
· Poly Patao Productions (polypataoproductions.com)
· And their bios/sex scenes on Crash Pad Series, QueerPorn.TV, and Juicy Pink Box

[At top: photo by Jovan Wolfe (jovanwolfe.com)]