Homoerotic Archaeology: Playguy (December 1978), Part Two

Friday, December 29, 2023

Playguy (December 1978), Part Two

Common misconceptions maintain that bisexuals, gays, and lesbians develop their sexual identities later in life; however, the psychological research of Eric Dube, Joyce Hunter, Margaret Rosario, Eric Schrimshaw, and Ritch Savin-Williams reveals there is no delayed development in sexual identity among bisexual, gay, and lesbian individuals when compared to their straight peers. In fact, they reach the same milestones, including awareness of sexual attraction, during similar ages. What causes this perceived delay, in turn, is their unwillingness to openly share this identity due to the harmful backlashes of homophobia. Indeed, Kenneth Cohen and Ritch Savin-Williams claim negative stigma is a primary force which deters homosexuals from expressing their true identities and the increased prevalence of homophobia within certain minority groups makes it more difficult for bisexuals, gays, and lesbians of color to reveal their authentic selves. This December 1978 issue of Playguy (which has been broken into two parts) has three stories which deal with sexual awakening. The first, a short story titled “Texas Twosome,” is about two lifetime friends who finally succumb to the passion that has kindled between them for decades. The second and third are reader-submitted fantasies: one, titled “Coach,” is about a man’s reminisces of the desires he felt at thirteen after seeing his coach naked and the second, titled “Initiation,” is about the narrator’s sexual induction into his high-school football team. Contained in this second half (see the first half here) are photospreads titled “Going Native,” “Mucho Macho,” “Stay Cool,” and “Tommy.”

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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.