Homoerotic Archaeology: June 2026

Friday, June 5, 2026

Advocate Men (June 1990), Part One

World War II was a watershed in the development of a contemporary queer identity. With the United States’ entrance into the conflict following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, countless young men from rural backgrounds were shipped overseas. In Europe, several of them – particularly those stationed in Italy – were exposed to a relaxed environment where same-sex intimacy was not stigmatized. As a result, they were allowed the freedom to explore their sexuality away from the judgment of family. Likewise, the same-sex settings formed on the homefront as well as in military hospitals gave women a similar liberty. In this June 1990 issue of Advocate Men (which has been broken into two parts) a veteran from the war writes to the periodical’s sexpert about his own experiences and belated coming-out. Also included in the first half of this issue is the short story “Tattoo” (about a tattooed youth and an aging older man who find bodily acceptance in each other) and photos of models Jake and Dusty Sands.

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.