College Guy Turned Male Model: John Gechter – Photos and Interviews

John Gechter, the guy who we blogged about earlier, tells his side of the story in this Blog Talk Radio interview. Click at the player below.

He sounds like a very sensible guy, doesn’t he? Go, John! We’re with you in spirit and hope you’re allowed to graduate.

Here are some modeling photos from Midwest Model Inc.

And here’s some interview with Unzipped.net

Hi, John, how are you holding up?
I’m good. It’s been…crazy.

Grove City College released a statement this afternoon, and they changed their story a bit. They say that you withdrew from school, and that your bisexuality had nothing to do with your expulsion. What exactly went down between you and GCC?
I went in and had a sit-down meeting with the provost, the registrar, the director of student life—basically all the people who run Grove City College. And it basically came down to this: They do not want a gay porn star walking across the graduation stage to get his degree. I…just want my degree—I don’t care about walking. Normally, a student’s last 30 credits must be taken at GCC to get a Grove City College degree. So I didn’t want to withdraw and forfeit all my classes for this semester. I only needed two to graduate.

So we compromised. They are letting me take my last two classes elsewhere, and I will still get a GCC degree—they’re gonna mail it to me.

Wow! That may be a “compromise,” but it sounds like a victory for you.
Well, I say I don’t care, but I would like to be walking across the stage with all my family and friends watching. But the college wouldn’t budge.

It sounds like GCC is extremely homo-sexophobic.
Yep. Normally when you are charged with sexual misconduct, you get a week suspension. They gave me a 16-month suspension—which I consider cruel and unusual punishment. And so I told them it was bullshit—but in a professional way, of course. [Laughs]

Did you negotiate this compromise alone?
No. I had help from my lawyer, Eric Davis, who is based [in] Pittsburgh.

What’s been the hardest part of this ordeal?
Trying to patch things up with my family. When the college initially confronted me, they said, “You must either withdraw or we’re calling your parents.” I said, “I’m 22, and I’m paying for school myself. How dare you.” I really didn’t want my parents finding out from some random person. So I called and told them myself. It was a big, big shock for them. They were really quiet and withdrawn. My father said, “I’ll always love you, I just can’t believe this is happening.”

The saddest part of the story I read in the Sharon Herald feature on the brouhaha said that you received little to no support from your classmates.
That’s true. Kids were throwing food at me in the cafeteria. I got 150 hate e-mails. And the thing is, it’s a Christian school… Where’s the love and humility? I’m very cynical about Christian institutions now.

What’s next for you?
Move as close to New York City as possible. Pursue modeling and acting more than ever.

What about graduate school? You were going to become a medical professional.
Grad school is now on hold, unfortunately. I had to withdraw from the masters program I had just gotten accepted into.

Are you regretful?
No. I’m thankful for the simple fact that this opened my eyes to the hypocrisy of things.

Some people might ask: Why would this guy pay his own way at a college that so blatantly opposed his lifestyle?
You have to understand that I was raised very conservatively. When I was accepted at GCC, it was a big deal—my parents really pushed me to enroll. Because—and people outside the area might not know this—GCC has a very high academic reputation. I thought it would make me a well-rounded young man.

So I was seduced by their academic sophistication, though I never agreed with their moral code. Despite that, the education was top-notch for the price.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’d like to have my doctorate and help people in a huge way with physical therapy. I’m fascinated with the human body, from micro to macro level. I’d like to work with stroke and accident victims to help them live independently.

Do you have a boyfriend?
I’m single.

Oh, no. So you have been alone through all this?
I’m holding my own hand. [Laughs] I would love to have shoulder to cry on, but I don’t. So I’m just moving ahead.

Have you received a lot of media inquiries?
Let me put it this way: My phone usually lasts two days on a single charge. It was fully charged this morning but still died twice. I haven’t checked my e-mail this afternoon, but yesterday there were over 100 new messages. This morning there were well over 1,000.

Will you be continuing in adult?
Uh, actually, yes. I’m flying to L.A. next week!

What are you doing while you are in Los Angeles?
I’m shooting my first DVD.

So no retreat from your sexually liberated and exhibitionistic Internet persona?
People have asked me, knowing that hindsight is 20/20, if I regret doing adult. I don’t. It’s given me opportunities, just like college did. It’s not a mob-run, grimy industry like people think it is. Randy Blue is so great. My porn experience has been simply tremendous.

Photo source: Midwest Model Management

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