Mandate (May 1981), Part One

The use of alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms for familial and social rejection and the pairing of recreational drugs with sexual activities at bathhouses made substance abuse a major issue in the gay community at the start of the 1970s. By the end of the decade, the Clean and Sober Movement amongst lesbians and the founding of the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Alcoholism Professionals worked to rectify this problem; however, despite these efforts, it continues into the present, with thirty percent of queer people suffering from some form of addiction compared to nine percent of the general populace. This May 1981 issue of Mandate (which has been broken into two parts) features an article on the topic, offering information on the differences between social drinking an alcoholism. Also included in this first half are articles about the benefits of establishing a fitness routine and advice on how to overcome jealously in open relationships.

Blueboy (May 1982), Part Three

There were twenty-three contestants in the fourth annual Blueboy Man of the Year Contest held in December of 1981. Sponsored by a hometown bar, contenders began the competition with a six-question interview, including what they would do with the prize money. A tie pushed six contestants into the final round, where Ralph Bassler emerged as the winner. A bartender at the Lost and Found in Washington, D.C., Ralph was shocked to win, confessing that he assumed the contestant from New York would take the prize. This May 1982 issue of Blueboy (which has been broken into thirds) is predominately focused on the competition itself, featuring everything from behind-the-scenes photographs of the contestants to their interviews during round one, where Ralph stated he would use the money to attend college and learn a trade. In this final third (see the second third here) are the remaining images of contestants and photos of the winners.

Blueboy (May 1982), Part Two

There were twenty-three contestants in the fourth annual Blueboy Man of the Year Contest held in December of 1981. Sponsored by a hometown bar, contenders began the competition with a six-question interview, including what they would do with the prize money. A tie pushed six contestants into the final round, where Ralph Bassler emerged as the winner. A bartender at the Lost and Found in Washington, D.C., Ralph was shocked to win, confessing that he assumed the contestant from New York would take the prize. This May 1982 issue of Blueboy (which has been broken into thirds) is predominately focused on the competition itself, featuring everything from behind-the-scenes photographs of the contestants to their interviews during round one, where Ralph stated he would use the money to attend college and learn a trade. This second third (see the first third here) offers images of additional contestants, with the final contenders offered in next week's post.