Homoerotic Archaeology: Playguy (March 1982)

Friday, March 5, 2021

Playguy (March 1982)

In his article, “Phone Sex: The Most Misunderstood Business in America” (published in the August 1996 issue of Savage Male), Brady Morgan asserts that, although phone sex was promoted mainly as a means to dampen the spread of HIV within the gay community, it also served as a lifeline for men living in isolated and rural locations. In the Letter to the Editor section of this March 1982 issue of Playguy, in turn, a reader arrives at a similar conclusion about homoerotic publications, championing these magazines as a way for men removed from the metropolitan hubs of gay society to stay informed. Also included in this issue are reader-submitted fantasies and the short stories “The Catch” (about a fishing trip between two best friends which leads to a mutual confession of love) and “Unspoken Words” (about phone sex between two long-distance partners). Interestingly, the scenario presented in “Unspoken Words” parallels that in “The Long Wait” (published in the July 1992 issue of Torso); however, the monogamy of the former stands in strong contrast to the adultery of the latter.

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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.