Homoerotic Archaeology: Bear (May/June 1991)

Friday, May 31, 2019

Bear (May/June 1991)

The 1990s witnessed a blossoming of magazines directed toward many of the ethnicities and physiques often overlooked in publications of the past. Bear, in turn, was one of them. Like its small collection of counterparts (100 Percent Beef, American Bear, American Grizzly, and Daddy), Bear specialized in heavier-set men who tended to be older and hairier than the young, muscular, and smooth models regularly adorning the pages of major publications like Blueboy, Honcho, Mandate, and Playguy. In addition to featuring photo spreads of models Curtis James, Teddy Jordan, and Mike Snofield, the May/June 1991 issue of Bear also offers the short story "Land Fill" (about a brief encounter between a construction worker and a burly land-fill operator) and Joe Banks' "Beards, Balls, and Big Business," where the author blends memoir, personal interviews, and history into a unique examination of the beard in ancient and modern society.

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What is Homoerotic Archaeology?

In 2016, I discovered several discarded boxes at an estate sale. Under their flimsy flaps were hundreds of well-worn issues of homoerotic magazines from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I purchased them out of mild intrigue and, as I perused their pages, I was startled to realize that something commonly disregarded as pornographic smut earnestly chronicled the evolution of gay culture: the social and sexual liberation of the 1970s, the crushing devastation from AIDS during the 1980s, and the gradual strengthening of the community in the 1990s. As a gay man, I was touched by the subtle narrative these publications told. As a historian, I was motivated to digitally preserve their content. And, as an educator, I was driven to create a platform to share that information freely with others interested in the progression of gay society. Homoerotic Archaeology is that venue. Here you will find the advertisements, articles, short stories, and (of course) pictures found in these magazines lovingly preserved and presented for future generations of gay men to enjoy and study.

Why Preserve Homoerotica?

As early as the 1970s, scholars such as June Rook have stressed the need to preserve homosexual history in an effort to combat repression and establish a cultural background for future generations. Much of the preservation process admirably focuses on the substantial works of homosexual artists and thinkers; however, it sadly ignores other elements quintessential to the community’s history, particularly homoerotica. Although frequently labeled obscene filth, homoerotica has, just like the significant creations of artists and thinkers, been a prevalent part of the group’s culture and has played an integral role in shaping identities and perceptions (consider how influential Tom of Finland’s hypermasculinity has been in molding the body ideals of modern gay men). Due to this factor, the conservation of homoerotica is just as essential as the preservation of major artistic and theoretical homosexual works.