Homoerotic Archaeology: Uncut (May 1987), Part One

Friday, May 6, 2022

Uncut (May 1987), Part One

In 1968, Shan Sayles purchased the rights to the homoerotic novel Song of the Loon with the endeavor to launch a series of softcore films and hired Scott Hanson as director and Joe Tiffenbach as cinematographer. Hanson and Tiffenbach, who had worked together on the short film The Closet, found the sensationalized romanticism of Song of the Loon excessive and aimed to masculinize the production; however, filming was wrought with problems and it shut down after only three weeks, with a haphazardly edited version released in 1970 to surprisingly rave reviews. Despite the fiasco, Tiffenbach remained an influential force in the gay community, founding the anti-circumcision group the Uncut Society of America with Bud Berkeley, publishing Foreskin with Berkeley in 1984, and contributing photos to homoerotic magazines like Drummer and Uncut. This May 1987 issue of Uncut (which has been broken into two parts) features one of Tiffenbach’s models, Terry Long. Also in the first half are spreads of Michael Alvise, Bobby Bare, Klaus Boller, Paul Knight, Tab Sands, and Dave Turner.

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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.