Just last month, we reported that gay porn actor Arpad Miklos had died of an apparent suicide — the latest in a string of deaths to hit the adult film community. Then last week, we learned that another porn legend had killed himself.
Wilfred Knight, known for his videos for Lucas Entertainment and Colt Studio, took his own life just two weeks after the suicide of his partner. He had just turned 35. What makes Knight’s death especially poignant were the reasons behind it.
See, Knight — a French citizen — had moved with his partner to Canada once his U.S. student visa expired, because even though the two were legally married in Canada in 2011, the U.S. government refused to acknowledge it, due to the Defense of Marriage Act. That meant they had to leave for the Great White North, where Knight’s partner accepted a job that included same-sex partner benefits.
Knight’s husband, however, lost his job about six months ago, and last month, took his own life. Knight found the body. The adult film actor then took his own life, angered by the unfair treatment of gay couples by the federal government.
How do we know all this? Because Knight said so. In a screed published on his blog, Knight railed against American immigration laws, blaming his partner’s death on the lack of same-sex rights. It was practically a suicide note.
Because Knight was most famous for his involvement in the porn industry, it’s unlikely the story will have much resonance outside the gay press. But isn’t this exactly what should be pointed out the U.S. Supreme Court when deciding DOMA’s constitutionality? How many couples like this much meet the tragic consequences of homophobic immigration policies?
