Homoerotic Archaeology: Advocate Men (June 1989), Part Two

Friday, June 27, 2025

Advocate Men (June 1989), Part Two

In this June 1989 issue of Advocate Men (which has been broken into two parts), a reader named Mark responds to a fellow reader’s letter about the dating difficulties he encounters being HIV positive, with many people rejecting him due to his status. In his response, Mark claims that gay men already face numerous setbacks in the dating world and adding HIV status into the mix only makes things worse. Likewise, he claims someone’s status should not be a barrier to love: “We gays have enough hang-ups without being separated from our life because of AIDS. Life is too short for anyone to be deprived of a chance to feel and share love, to have someone there to hold him and share all that life has to offer.” Included in this second half (see the first half here) are the short stories “Bronc Buster” (where a rodeo cowboy is taught how to tame a wild horse) and “Pit Bull Love” (about an affair between a wrestler and his manager) and photos of models Brian Adams, Lance Anderson, and Sergio Calucci.

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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.