Homoerotic Archaeology: Freshmen (June 1998), Part Two

Friday, June 13, 2025

Freshmen (June 1998), Part Two

In 1975, David Kopay, the former running back for the San Francisco 49ers, became the first professional football player to come out as gay. Although Kopay made headlines and faced major discrimination, it would not be until 1992 that another professional football player, Roy Franklin Simmons, announced his sexuality. As Kopay explains in his 1977 autobiography The David Kopay Story, football – like all professions – has gay members; but the masculine nature of the sport prevents most from acknowledging their sexuality, causing many to believe gay athletes do not exist: “If [Mike] McCormack did not know about the homosexuality or bisexuality of some of the outstanding players he has coached in Washington and in Philadelphia, he was the only man in the National Football League still ignorant of their names.” Such is the case in Lawrence Atkinson’s short story “Vintage Hardball” contained in this June 1998 issues of Freshmen (which has been broken into two parts). Contained in this second half (see the first half here) is an interview with adult performer Corky Adams, the short story “The Stand-In” (about an affair between and actor and his look-alike), and photospreads of models Marco Antonio and Roland Martinus.

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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.