Homoerotic Archaeology: In Touch (July 1987), Part One

Friday, July 2, 2021

In Touch (July 1987), Part One

On October 11, 1987, activists marched on Washington demanding rights for homosexuals and better government assistance with the AIDS epidemic, criticizing President Ronald Reagan for his excessive military budget and nearly nonexistent funds for HIV research and prevention. Although not the first gay-rights protest at the nation’s capital (the first occurred in 1979), the event in 1987 was among the largest in the history of the Gay Liberation Movement and found ample news coverage, including an article in the March 1988 issue of Mandate. In this July 1987 issue of In Touch (which has been broken into two parts), the publication pushes for readers to attend the event, not allowing apathy or laziness to silence their voices. Also included in this first half are two poems by Michael Mallett and photo spreads of models Mitch Beck, Rick Himmel, and Culver Jacobsen.

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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.