Homoerotic Archaeology: Heat (February 1992)

Friday, February 28, 2020

Heat (February 1992)

The career of Joey Stefano was a whirlwind of rapid success which culminated in an abrupt and bitter end. Born Nicholas Anthony Iacona, Jr. on January 1, 1968, in Chester, Pennsylvania, Stefano’s life broke apart at fifteen following his father’s death and a subsequent drug addiction. Goals to become a model drew Stefano into the realm of homoeroticism in 1989, where he skyrocketed to popularity: a favored performer of Chi Chi LaRue; appearances in over fifty pornographic films; a beloved model of Madonna, who included him in two music videos and her book Sex (1992); and the partner of closeted business magnate David Geffen. In November of 1994, Stefano’s escalating substance abuse resulted in his overdose in a Hollywood motel room; however, his legacy has continued through two biographies (Charles Isherwood’s Wonder Bread and Ecstasy (1996) and David Bret’s Joey Stefano (2016)) and a one-man play by Barry Lowe titled Homme Fatale (1999). This February 1992 issue of Heat features Stefano two years prior to his death along with three other models, the short story “Friends and Lovers” (where a regular connection between the narrator and a prostitute reveals a shocking detail about the narrator’s friend), artwork by Steven Blake, and an article about Hollywood’s negative portrayals of homosexual characters (for another article on the same topic, see Michael Llewellyn’s text in the October 1976 issue of Mandate). NOTE: THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS FOUND INCOMPLETE AMONG THE BOXES OF MAGAZINES; HENCE, ITS SPARSE PRESENTATION.

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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.