TL;DR
- Milo Miles was banned from the US for 10 years after a painful customs interrogation.
- He faced derogatory comments about his sexuality during the ordeal.
- Miles was traveling to attend the GayVN Awards in Las Vegas.
- He advises queer travelers to avoid the US due to risks.
- The ban has severely impacted both his career and personal life.
In a shocking turn of events, gay adult film star Milo Miles has found himself on the wrong side of U.S. Customs, resulting in a decade-long ban from the United States. The Canadian model, who was en route to the GayVN Awards in Las Vegas, described the experience as “the worst and most painful day of my life.” Talk about a nightmare!
It all started innocently enough when Miles arrived at Pearson Airport in Toronto, ready to make his mark at the biggest night in gay adult entertainment. But what was supposed to be a routine customs screening quickly spiraled into a harrowing ordeal. “I was subjected to derogatory comments, with an unsettling focus on my sexual orientation and my sex life,” he recounted, clearly still shaken by the experience.
For over eight hours, Miles was detained, interrogated, and humiliated. His phone and luggage were searched, and he was bombarded with intrusive questions about his sexuality and profession. “I was treated like a criminal despite having done nothing wrong. I felt coerced, manipulated, and powerless. I am devastated,” he said, summing up the emotional toll of that day.
According to the Canadian sex worker justice organization Maggies, U.S. Customs has the right to deny entry to individuals they suspect of being sex workers, even without any prior convictions. They often resort to coercive tactics to elicit confessions, leaving many feeling violated and powerless. Miles was no exception.
After missing his flight due to the lengthy interrogation, he returned the next day only to face another round of questioning. This time, the customs officer was even more thorough, ultimately discovering evidence of Miles’s career in the porn industry on his personal phone. “After about two hours of intense interrogation, he found evidence that I do porn on my personal phone. Then, over the next two hours found evidence of escorting on my other phone,” he explained.
Despite the invasive searches, no evidence of prostitution was found. Miles clarified, “Escorting is an exchange of money for time spent with an individual. For example, most of my clients are looking for ‘the boyfriend’ experience. Or someone to go to dinner with. Prostitution is an exchange of money for sexual services. There was never any evidence of prostitution on my phone, only escorting.” Talk about a misunderstanding!
The fallout from this incident has been catastrophic for Miles. Not only has he lost the opportunity to work in a country where he shoots a significant portion of his adult film projects, but his personal life has also been severely impacted. “I was planning on building a life in the United States with my [future] husband, with my partner, who’s American,” he lamented.
When asked for advice for other queer travelers, Miles didn’t hold back: “Avoid the United States at all costs. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it to put your life at risk.” A stark warning for anyone in the LGBTQ community considering a trip south of the border.
As the story of Milo Miles unfolds, it serves as a painful reminder of the challenges and discrimination faced by LGBTQ individuals, especially when traveling. The fight for rights and recognition continues, and stories like Miles’s are crucial in shedding light on the injustices that still exist.