Homoerotic Archaeology: Savage Male (August 1996), Part Two

Friday, August 14, 2020

Savage Male (August 1996), Part Two

In an effort to combat the AIDS epidemic, the homosexual community launched aggressive safe-sex campaigns throughout the 1980s and 1990s that ranged from LA Cares’ use of Zelda Rubinstein as an informational figure to overt condom use in pornography. Phone sex was also one of these practices and homoerotic publications regularly touted its effectiveness at satiating an individual’s sexual needs while maintaining their health. In the article by Brady Morgan, found in this August 1996 issue of Savage Male (which has been broken into two parts), the author argues that phone sex does more than just dampen the spread of HIV. For men questioning their sexuality, it provides a safe space for anonymous exploration and, for men living in isolated and rural locations, it serves as a lifeline to the gay community. In the second half (see the first half here), Morgan’s text is complemented by Thom Proco’s Savage Tails cartoon championing the delights of phone sex and spreads of models Chance Caldwell, Steve Cannon, and Paul Carrigan.

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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.