Homoerotic Archaeology: Honcho (April 1981), Part Two

Friday, April 28, 2023

Honcho (April 1981), Part Two

Steven Zeeland, who has written several books on the gay community’s idolization of military men (Barrack Buddies and Solider Lovers, The Masculine Marine, Military Trade, and Sailors and Sexual Identity), claims this attraction spawns from the fact that gay men, much like most of society, perceive sailors and soldiers as symbols of the masculine ideal. Yet, as Zeeland attests, certain branches and rankings are often seen as more masculine and desirable than others: Marines rest at the apex of the hierarchy, since their training is the most rigorous, and lower-ranking soldiers outshine their superiors because they are closely related to work-class men. In this April 1981 issue of Honcho (which has been broken into two parts), the idolization discussed by Zeeland can be seen in the short stories “The Big Gun” (about the narrator’s sexual escapades on a Florida military base) and “Guinea Pigs Don’t Cry” (about a mercenary’s sexual adventures in the jungles of South American). The former appears in this second half (see the first half here), along with the short stories “The Rule” (about sex in a fraternity house) and “The Telephone Rings” (where a business executive is verbally abused by his master), an Alex cartoon, and spreads of models Mike Betts and Clay Russel.

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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.