Profile 8 of 30
Mike Stabile is a storyteller of the underground.
Since the early 2000s, he’s been documenting sex, politics, and culture—using journalism and film to bring shadowed stories into the light.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Mike cut his teeth in alternative media, writing for local weeklies before launching Gay Porn Blog, one of the pioneering platforms dedicated to covering the gay adult film industry. Mixing industry gossip with cultural critique, it quickly became the go-to commentary hub of the 2000s and cemented his reputation as a chronicler and critic of adult entertainment.
Around the same time, he produced The Tim and Roma Show, a cult-favorite talk show that gave performers a sense of personality and connection beyond the screen.
By 2004, he was co-creating Wet Palms, the first-ever gay adult soap opera. Campy, serialized, and character-driven, it broke from the formulaic mold and won a GayVN Award for Best Screenplay, proving that porn could carry narrative weight as well as erotic charge.
As the internet reshaped the industry, Mike pivoted to documenting its history and politics. His documentary Seed Money explored the complicated legacy of philanthropist Chuck Holmes and Falcon Studios, as well as the politics of respectability within the LGBTQ movement. Premiering at queer film festivals worldwide, it showcased Mike’s skill in turning a niche industry story into compelling cultural history.
Meanwhile, his bylines started showing up everywhere from The New York Times to BuzzFeed to Playboy, always pushing audiences to think differently about the intersections of sexuality, culture, and power.
Today, he’s the Director of Public Affairs at the Free Speech Coalition, where he’s fighting on the frontlines for performers’ rights and the future of free expression. He also founded Polari Media, inspired by polari—the 19th-century slang once used by actors, sailors, showmen, courtesans, and the queer underground to communicate without detection.
If you know or follow Mike today, then you know why we go hard for him. In a world full of noise, Mike consistently brings truth and clarity. Unshakable. Unfiltered. And always on the side of the people who need it most.
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xo, FlyDuo
