#1980s black gay men

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: Patric McCoy on capturing 1980s Black gay Chicago

On his 38th birthday in December 1984, budding photographer Patric McCoy made a commitment to himself that he would carry his 35mm camera with him wherever he went, take at least one shot a day, and stop whatever he was doing if anyone asked him to take their picture and oblige. Four decades on, the collection of thousands of photographs that McCoy took in the 1980s while on his bicycle commute…

[agelessphotography]

Two Men Dancing, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1984

[alovelywaytospendanevening]

Bill and Ric, with Ric's daughter Kate, San Francisco, 1987:

Bruce and Don, Washington D.C., 1987:

(right) Andrew and Patrick, Fire Island, 1988;

(left) Al and Bud, San Francisco, 1987:

Bob and Stewart, New Orleans, 1988:

David and Eric, Boston, 1986:

Lloyd and Joel, San Francisco, 1987:

Lloyd and Joel, Stockbridge, MA, 2002:

Sage Sohier's portraits of male/male couples — Part 1.

[frigid666]

re: why is radblr ‘like that’?

so recently i’ve been seeing some discourse among bisexual users in/orbiting the radblr space regarding its profoundly biphobic (and homophobic) culture. why is radblr hostile to bisexual women? why are lesbians and bisexual women constantly at odds? is this feud manufactured by outside influence? or is it inherent to the space? @watermelinoe wrote a great nuanced response to an anon who attempted to antagonize lesbian users. i agree with everything that was said, but i don’t think placing the fault on black-pill infiltrators and politically unserious edgy teenagers is the full story. this post is mostly in addition to that reply, but i figured i should create a separate post for my lengthy thoughts. 

for context: i’ve been working on a detailed post about the history and politics of the lesbian feminist movement (i.e. the political lesbian branch of feminism), as it is apparent to me that most of radblr is uninitiated due to how frequently its users conflate radical feminist principles and lesbian feminist principles. i still might finish that post at some point in the future, but i thought i should put some of the information i’ve come across while researching for that post out there now since it's become relevant.

one of the readings i found to be crucial in understanding how the culture of radblr enables biphobia (and lesbophobia) is sharon dale stone’s “bisexual women and the ‘threat’ to lesbian spaces: or what if all the lesbians leave?” (x) the title is inflammatory, but i highly recommend giving her paper a read. stone authored it in 1996 as a reflection on the culture of the canadian lesbian/cultural feminist spaces she was an active member of in the 1970s-1980s and provides a truly fascinating look into a niche community that i consider to be a spiritual predecessor of radblr.

the paper is quite dated in many regards. the most obvious being stone’s use of ‘lesbian’ to mean both ‘homosexual female’ (which is the only and rightly so accepted meaning of the word today in radblr) and the political ‘lesbian’ identity, of which the philosophy for is outlined as follows:

it was entirely possible to be a true female homosexual, or female bisexual, or even female heterosexual and be a ‘political lesbian’ and active member of communities like stone’s house on jarvis street. stone says that those voicing opposition to lesbianism as a choice were the minority, but i think this was largely the case because ‘lesbianism’ meant different things to different groups and organizations of cultural/lesbian feminists at that time. the reason i am reluctant to dismiss lesbian involvement in these spaces is because they were mostly born of lesbian (and bisexual) exclusion from other more mainstream feminist spaces and organizations by homophobic heterosexual feminists, as well as the marginalization lesbian (and bisexual) women in the gay liberation movement experienced due to lack support against misogyny by male counterparts. i am also reluctant to dismiss straight women’s involvement in these spaces because even into the late 1980s, lesbianism was conceptualized by many cultural/lesbian feminists as not needing a sexual component at all; all that was required from women to live a ‘lesbian’ lifestyle was prioritizing closeness and connections with other women and eschewing relationships with men (akin to radblr's idea of practicing 'micro-separatism' in one's day-to-day life in lieu of not being able to move to a women's land full-time). from my understanding, 'lesbianism' and 'female homosexuality' were not thought of as synonymous, which is why 'lesbianism' was considered a voluntary political philosophy, even by many female homosexual feminists.

all that said, stone’s descriptions of the jarvis house culture are very reminiscent of radblr culture (down to the usage of slang terminology like ‘gomer’ for men, the radblr equivalent being ‘nigel’ and ‘jakey’). this is because radblr culture is heavily inspired by cultural/lesbian feminist values, not radical feminist values. while both schools of feminism share similarities, lesbian/cultural feminism deviates significantly in its emphasis of separatism as the solution to the male supremacy and patriarchy present in all levels of society. meanwhile, radical feminism calls for a fundamental restructuring of society to eliminate women's oppression. radical feminism was never about female separatism. radblr culture is biphobic because female separatism 'as the solution to female oppression' will always require a politicization and objectification of female sexuality.

i normally wouldn't cite wikipedia articles as sources, but this distinction is outlined on the very top of the entries for radical feminism and lesbian/cultural feminism:

as an aside, this is why i find it very funny when radblr users try to 'kick out' other radblr users from the radical feminist club, because the beliefs these users are being kicked out for not holding (i.e. separatism as the means to female liberation), are conclusively NOT radical feminist beliefs. they are lesbian/cultural feminist beliefs!

the script of political lesbianism that radblr holds is "non-lesbian who believes inaccurately adopting the lesbian label is feminist action, therefore giving credence to the homophobic notion that lesbianism is an active, politicized identification choice, or born out of experiencing trauma from men, instead of a politically neutral, natural sexuality that some women experience." and yes, that is a large and significant aspect of why political lesbianism is harmful (and uniquely so to lesbians). but it also goes deeper than that. in truth, this definition is only surface-level. all women in feminist spaces can be guilty of holding and perpetuating polilez beliefs, and this rhetoric dehumanizes ALL women. through the political lesbian perspective, women's capacity for feminist action is made and broken by her sexual behavior - namely, her exclusion or inclusion of males from her sexual behavior - and by extension, her reproductive decisions (i.e. remaining childfree or birthing children 'for a man.') this is where the core harm of radblr's covert political lesbian rhetoric lies.

saying or implying that:

motherhood is compliance to patriarchy

engaging in relations with men is compliance to patriarchy

bisexual women have a moral imperative to only date women in order to defy patriarchy, and if they reject this, they are in kahoots with the patriarchy

patriarchy is defined by "sexual access" to women

lesbians are intrinsically 'better' feminists than non-lesbians

lesbians are inherently feminist, and choosing to not be living aspirational figures is a betrayal to womankind

patriarchy can be ended through female separatism

female sexual behavior can never be predatory or result in meaningful harm to others

men are fundamentally incapable of changing

and any other type of rhetoric that posits women's physical bodies as the territory for a gender war that can be "preserved" or "ceded" to the "enemy" in accordance to her sexual behavior (including reproductive choices, irrespective of her individual sexuality) ✅️ is political lesbian rhetoric. put radblr posts to the test; a good amount of them will contain or imply at least 1 of the above assertions. during a cursory search through recent/popular radblr posts, i came across several examples of this rhetoric:

i cropped out the usernames from these posts because my intention isn’t to single out any particular users for this behavior; these posts (and similar) have many notes consisting mostly of positive feedback and support, so its safe to say that these beliefs are widely held in the radblr space. the op’s are just the ones to put pen to paper so to speak. i don’t believe some of these sentiments are harmful or bad on their own either. i actually agree with some of them, especially the first one; although note its rhetorical similarity with this section of stone's paper:

however, in aggregate (and especially in addition to commonly held stereotypes about bisexual women and lesbian women that predate radblr), they create a harmful culture that covertly encourages women to objectify their and others' sexualities for political ends, which is never going to be a good or productive thing.

choice feminists and neo-liberals have run the phrase "don't rob women of their agency" into the ground to cheaply deny the power of gendered socialization and gendered consumerism, as they are quite allegiant to these systems for a variety of reasons. so i understand the instinct from radblr to not give it any credence, but handwaving women's (including feminist-minded women's) desire for children and/or romantic relationships with men as products of solely or even primarily patriarchal brainwashing that can be undone through enough cultural/lesbian feminist re-education, which is what many radblr users espouse, is just as cheap. 

for this reason, radblr is hostile to bisexual women, many of whom reject female separatism as the only means to female liberation and don't want to objectify their sexuality in service to this political goal. for this reason, bisexual women will be known as "traitors" and "fairweather." however, just as many bisexual female users believe the opposite and participate in disseminating political lesbian rhetoric (as do heterosexual and gay users). similarly, this is why radblr is toxic to lesbians who have deep friendships with men, who want to be mothers, who practice religion or don't believe in female separatism; their 'legitimacy' as lesbians is questioned, as there is the 'positive' stereotype (and key insinuation of lesbian feminism) that lesbians are naturally inclined towards feminism; and they are often accused of secretly being bisexual because these lifestyle preferences are viewed as in alignment with the patriarchy and therefore oppositional to the cultural/lesbian feminist perspective that reigns supreme in the space. radblr will not stop being biphobic (and lesbophobic) until it is free of cultural/lesbian feminist influence.

[qqueenofhades]

When Hob said "I think I have been stood up", I full on expected the barkeeper to react to that as if Hob's date hasn't showed and telling him not to be worried because he has seen many couples fight and make up afterwards and is sure Hob's relationship will survive it. Like, I was genuinely so surprised when the barkeeper talked about "friends" haha

Okay okay okay okay but. I gotta say something SO IMPORTANT about this from my position as Tumblr Old and Local Queer Historian, because.... yes. And that is:

That scene takes place in 1989.

Why is that important, you say? Well, because this is the end of an entire decade of the AIDS crisis. There has been endless fearmongering and conservative attempts to paint gay men explicitly as disease-ridden degenerate pedo Threats to Your Community who might infect your children with AIDS and make them dirty homos by so much as LOOKING at them, pretty much. They are literally toxic people, they are generally shunned, nobody knows what to do and is terrified of the fact of how quickly AIDS patients usually die with no effective treatment. And oof it makes me feel Some Kinda Way for Hob, born in the middle of the Black Death and who was haunted by that shadow all his life, experiencing this as a queer man in the 1980s. Like, he almost certainly lost several friends to it at least, watched them die, probably went in there to the wards when few other people would, both because he's immortal anyway and he doesn't think it's right to leave them alone.

Anyway, in the UK, it was literally only 2 years before, in 1987, when Princess Diana opened the first dedicated AIDS unit at London Middlesex Hospital, and publicly shook hands with a man who had HIV -- which was shocking because many people still thought you could get it through casual physical contact. So while on the surface, Hob looks like your average 1980s douchebro -- he's got the brand new Porsche, the slicked back hair, the giant brick cellphone, the works -- he is still going into public to have a date with a man he is in love with, regardless of whether either of them will ever admit that or act on it. (And given how 1889 ended, if Morpheus does show up, they ARE kinda gonna have to talk about it in some way.) Hob is, in this moment, incredibly vulnerable. Emotionally and socially for sure, and if the local macho assholes clock him as a Fag, probably physically too.

So that conversation when Hob says he's been stood up is absolutely LOADED with subtext, things he isn't saying, and things the bartender understands about him and tries to support. They're British, so by nature they're not huge on talking about their feelings, but Hob says he's been stood up. He doesn't use pronouns, he doesn't say it was by a girl, and if the bartender used the word "couple," it would generally presume that he too thought Hob’s date was a girl. So he goes for the most careful, also-has-a-long-queer-history use of "friends." He implies it's more than that, but he doesn't say so or put Hob on the spot for probably dating a man, because again, it's not safe.

After that is when Hob orders a drink, and the bartender tells him that people in this country can do anything if they have money. He's trying to subtly communicate that this is a safe place and he won't judge, and Hob picks that up immediately, which is why he is so shocked to hear that the White Horse has been sold and is going to be torn down for condos. Hob is losing not just the one place he can be assured (well, until now) of meeting his Stranger, but a place that has been subtly communicated to be safe for him personally, as a queer man in 1989. That is undoubtedly part of why he immediately refuses to countenance the idea of this actually happening, buys the pub, makes giant signs, hangs out in the New Inn until Dream actually does come back, etc. So like... there is so much going on in that scene, and maybe only 25% of it can be said aloud. Which I think is absolutely critical for you younguns to understand, so. Yeah.

[itgetsbetterproject]

Some tangible Black queer history for you!

In case you needed any more proof that we've always been here - this amazing collection is courtesy of the Stonewall National Musuem and Archive!

Rafiki: The Journal of the Association of Black Gays, Vol. 1 #1 (Fall 1976)

"Rafiki was a quarterly publication from the Association of Black Gays (ABG), a Los Angeles, California gay activist group that organized through education, political engagement, and grassroots activism to improve the conditions for Los Angeles’s Black gays and lesbians.

According to the journal, the title Rafiki was chosen because it means “friend” in Swahili and “that’s what [ABG] hope to be for you.” This first issue includes an article on the history of ABG and the fact that Black gays and lesbians have been largely excluded from the political, social, and economic advances of the gay community.

Included in this issue are articles such as “Homosexuality in Tribal Africa” and “Disco Discontent” (an open letter to the owner of Studio One, Scott Forbes), as well as poetry by Steven Corbin and Frances Andrews, and book reviews. It even contains an ad for the famous Catch One Club owned by Jewel Williams, which is still operating today!"

I Am Your Sister: Black Women Organizing Across Sexualities by Audre Lorde (Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, 1985; from the Freedom Organizing Series)

You can read this one here!

"This small twelve-page publication derives from a speech Audre Lorde gave at the Women’s Center of Medgar Evers College in New York City regarding the exclusion of Lesbians in the feminist movement and how Lorde’s identity as both a Black woman and lesbian are inextricably linked.

Primarily, heterosexism and homophobia are major issues Lorde states are “two grave barriers to organizing among Black women.” Lorde ends the essay with the statement: “I am a Black Lesbian, and I am your sister.”

Her emphasis on the duality of this identity stems from a 1960s poster that said “He’s not black, he’s my brother!,” which Lorde states infuriated her because “it implied that the two were mutually exclusive.”

Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press was founded by Barbara Smith—another Black Lesbian feminist—and Audre Lorde in 1980 to create a publishing apparatus for women of color who at the time did not have control over how they were published except through the white-dominated outlets."

Flawless! The Life & Times of T.B.D.J. AKA Tiffani Inc. AKA Mrs. … (Manuscript) by Tiffany Bowerman (July 2007, A&E Publishers)

This autobiographical manuscript traces the life of Tiffany Bowerman aka Tiffany B.D. Johnson (b. 1959), who states that she “was the first African-American Transsexual to have state issued birth certificate reissued [1990]… was the first to legally marry three different active duty military men… [and] first… to found their own Christian Denomination… The Agape-Ecumenical Christian Denomination.”

Further, she states “I have tried to put together something striking and original[,] a journey from childhood to self aware adult. A life that was and is with all regrets included.”

This manuscript is a preliminary copy of a rough draft, and contains various memoirs, photographs, legal documents, and ephemera.

Out in Black and White: A Directory of Publications By, About, For People of Afrikan Descent In-The-Life by the Broward County Library Outreach Services Department Exhibit/Programming Services with direction by Eric Jon Rawlins (January, 1996)

Out in Black and White is a directory of various serial publications (magazines, newsletters, journals, etc.) throughout the United States that are focused on the Black LGBTQ experience. According to the directory, “[t]his project was inspired by the atmosphere of strength, oneness and productivity created by the Million Man March [on October 16,] 1995.”

The Million Man March was a political demonstration that took place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with the purpose of encouraging involvement in the improvement of the conditions of African Americans. Eric Jon Rawlins was a Broward County, Florida librarian who at one time was also the second vice president of the NAACP Fort Lauderdale branch in the late 1980s.

Currently, the Eric Jon Rawlins Collection consisting of personal and professional papers, as well as his 6,000 vinyl record album collection, are housed at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center Special Collections in Broward County, FL.

[xxcalicofemmexx]

butch bear wallpapers! ft. my own work!

requested by anon chase!!

Butch: The queer expression of masculinity, and the reclamation of it from cishetpatriarchal society. Originally popularized by black and latine ball culture in the 1980s. Butch and femme are often claimed to be lesbian-exclusive terms, but this is demonstrably false, and nothing more than TERF propaganda.

Bear: A queer person who is large, fat, and hairy. A celebration and embracement of body hair, diverse body types, and a more rugged form of masculinity. This term is most common with gay men, but it's by no means an exclusive term.

[redpanther23]

ESSENTIAL GAY HISTORY MOVIES (according to me, with a focus on the controversial)

The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Included because I actually met a young queer person who didn't believe me that this is a historical lgbt movie. I'm sorry but if you haven't seen this I'm revoking your gay license.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1972) - Another one I'm including just in case someone hasn't seen it and needs a reminder to do so (I know teenagers read my blog.)

Pink Flamingos (1972) - A John Waters movie. His films are bizarre, gross comedies and unlike any others.

Female Trouble (1974) - Another John Waters feature, this one has one of my favorite lines from any movie, "son, why don't you stop fooling around with these straight women and find yourself a nice queer to settle down with?" (paraphrased)

Desperate Living (1977) - My favorite John Waters picture, this one is bordering on epic fantasy. It's set in a shantytown in the woods, populated by gay criminals, ruled by an evil queen.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Based on a true story about a guy who robbed a bank to pay for his girlfriend's gender reassignment surgery.

The Forbidden Zone (1980) - THE OINGO BOINGO MOVIE. Not only is the soundtrack Danny Elfman's best work (in this writer's humble opinion) but it's also a beautiful movie about love for the controversial and perverse. Obviously it was made by queers and people of color, but they were trying to be offensive, so they do shit like, have characters in blackface, but also black actors, sometimes in the same scene (an artistic choice as confusing to a modern audience as it was when they made it.)

Killer Condom (1996) - A German murder mystery/comedy about a gay cop. Very corny and lighthearted, it feels more like an 80s movie.

Velvet Goldmine (1998) - A sweet and poignant romance between two male rockstars. This one feels like it came from within my own heart.

Cruising (1980) - Another murder mystery, this time centered around a bisexual cop, only this one isn't a comedy. They shot footage in actual gay bondage bars in New York, but the hardcore stuff got cut because I guess god hates us ( lol). You can still tell in some scenes they're really fisting dudes and shit.

The Gay Deceivers (1969) - Two straight men pretend to be a gay couple to dodge the draft. They move to a gay neighborhood and have to blend in with their neighbors.

Feel free to suggest more, I'm sure there's a lot I didn't think of.

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

Traditionally, in American society, it is the members of oppressed, objectified groups who are expected to stretch out and bridge the gap between the actualities of our lives and the consciousness of our oppressor. For in order to survive, those of us for whom oppression is as American as apple pie have always had to be watchers, to become familiar with the language and manners of the oppressor, even sometimes adopting them for some illusion of protection. Whenever the need for some pretense of communication arises, those who profit from our oppression call upon us to share our knowledge with them. In other words, it is the responsibility of the oppressed to teach the oppressors their mistakes. I am responsible for educating teachers who dismiss my children's culture in school. Black and Third World people are expected to educate white people as to our humanity. Women are expected to educate men. Lesbians and gay men are expected to educate the heterosexual world. The oppressors maintain their position and evade responsibility for their own actions. There is a constant drain of energy which might be better used in redefining ourselves and devising realistic scenarios for altering the present and constructing the future.

Audre Lorde, Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference

Paper delivered at the Copeland Colloquium, Amherst College, April 1980

Reproduced in Sister Outsider

Audiobook of Sister Outsider

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

Parts of this are true but man where exactly were liberals? There's an entire discussion about how the election of Reagan back in 1980, 44 years ago, lead to a resurgence and legitimization of the religious right. In the 1980s, it was considered basically policy to allow AIDS to kill swaths of gay, lesbian, and trans people, as well as black men and women. In 1990, being trans was not only still considered a mental illness, but it was one of the exempted illnesses from the ADA, lumped into the same category as pyromania.

The 1980s was when the controversy around forced bussing started.

Did Republican rhetoric get worse? Yeah, absolutely. Were they the party of arguing just about taxes and small business? No jesus fucking christ. They've always been reactionary bigots, it just became more and more normalized over time to be open as one, as liberals put their fingers in their ears and drown out history.

You shouldn't want them as opponents, they were always gonna end up fascists.

[bidotorg]

"In the early 1980s, a strange new disease began to spread within the United States (though it’s now believed that the earliest recorded cases were in Norway in the 60s). This disease was mostly found among gay men and intravenous drug users — otherwise healthy men who were falling ill with rare conditions generally only seen in those who are immunocompromised. People didn’t know why it was happening; they were afraid and unsure of how it was spread, but before much else was known of the disease, the press were calling it “GRID” (gay-related immunodeficiency). This led to the phenomenon being seen as a “gay disease” that was risking the health of the general population, and also made the illness easy for many straight people to ignore, because they could pretend that it was irrelevant to their own lives. There was an enormous backlash against the gay community, and rampant homophobia delayed research and treatment advances that might have significantly slowed or prevented the spread of what soon became known as HIV.

"In time, it became understood that HIV was transmitted sexually or through blood, and it also started appearing in populations other than gay men. Some of this spread was from blood transfusions, some through intravenous drug use, and some through sexual contact. This is when the myth of the bi man as a disease vector began to circulate; it was supposed that bi men were getting HIV from gay men, and then spreading it to the straight community. It was also assumed that these men would lie about their same-sex encounters and were thus intentionally putting innocent straight women at risk.

"This narrative, which was completely unsubstantiated by any research, was circulated widely by the press. It especially stigmatized black bi men, claiming that they were practicing unsafe sex on the “DL” (down low), cheating with other men, and bringing the disease home to their female partners. This assumption plays on (and reinforces) the idea that bi people — and bi men in particular — are hypersexual, unable to control their sexual desires, fundamentally dishonest, and unclean. And because HIV was characterized as a “gay” disease, there was very little real discussion of transmission in strictly heterosexual settings."

[whatevergreen]

“You Can Have Fun Too” poster, created by Mick Hicks for SFAF, 1984

"In 1984, Rick Crane, director of the (San Francisco AIDS Foundation) at the time, hired famed local photographer Mick Hicks to photograph two men for a safe-sex poster to be put in the city’s gay bars, baths, and other locations. Hicks worked for virtually all the LGBTQ newspapers in the Bay Area and had spent a year and a half photographing people with AIDS, chronicling their struggle with the disease. He quickly accepted the commission.

At the same time, a young Black man named Robert Gray, a native San Franciscan raised in the Bayview Hunter’s Point area of the city, and a proud sixth-generation descendant of the Georgetown 272 (a group of 272 African slaves who were sold, in 1838 by the Jesuit priests who ran George University to keep the school afloat), was rather well known in the Castro and Tenderloin areas. “I had started meeting and dating guys in my junior year in high school,” he told me. “I went to high school four or five blocks from the Castro. I would find my way up through the bar scene during that time, sneaking into gay bars and discos.” Of course, he realized that AIDS was rampant through the city.

One day, as 24-year-old Robert wandered down Castro Street, a man approached him and asked if he would pose for a photo for a safe-sex poster for San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “The gentleman advised me that a young photographer named Mick Hicks was looking for two subjects, one Black male and one white male, for the poster. Having seen so many of my personal friends succumb to this deadly virus, I felt it was something I needed to do to help stop the spread of this horrific disease. I asked myself, ‘Why not?’ With AIDS affecting so many of my gay brothers and sisters, I felt it was my responsibility to do something to contribute to AIDS awareness and prevention. I needed to take action, whatever I could do to be a voice of action and help my community.” He agreed on the spot to do the poster.

“You Can Have Fun (and be safe too)” read the final poster. The image that Hicks created featured Robert, shot from the back, embracing a white model (Hicks’ partner Nick Cuccia), his white arm and bubble-butt standing out prominently against Robert’s skin. Even the Chronicle columnist Herb Caen took notice of the photo. The sex-positive message of the poster advocated “mutual masturbation,” “erotic massage,” “imagination and fantasies,” and “limiting social drugs.” The poster portrayed and promoted gay sex as normal, expected behavior, and emphasized the pleasure that could be had while still protecting oneself against transmission of the virus. The poster caused a huge sensation and started appearing in gay bars, discos, and bathhouses from San Francisco to New York. Mr. Gray told me, “As the young kids would say today, ‘it went viral,’ no pun intended!”

(Castro, San Francisco postcard, 1984)

Regrettably, the poster also launched a two-pronged backlash, one prong based in religious prudery, the other in racism.

By asserting that gay sex could be both fun and safe, the poster was the first to portray gay sex as normal, healthy, and fun. Even before AIDS, gay sex had been viewed as aberrant, “unnatural.” As an offshoot of that prejudice, AIDS was thought by many as a visitation of the wrath of God on immoral men who were violating God’s law. How many times did we hear in the early 1980s, “At least AIDS is killing all the right people”? The poster’s sex-positive message was condemned as an affront to decency and family values.

Even more lamentably, the poster inadvertently shone a light on the racial animus within San Francisco’s gay community. As Rick Crane told the Bay Area Reporter in 2014, “Gays as a group were considered second-class citizens and, ironically, gays themselves were treating gay blacks the same way — as second-class citizens.” Although racial tensions had eased somewhat from the flashpoints of the ‘60s and ‘70s, there was still a clear racial divide in the bars in the Castro. The Pendulum was the Castro’s only gay bar where black men and white men went comfortably to meet; the other Castro bars catered primarily to whites. The Trap, located in the Tenderloin district, also catered to interracial couples. Thus, some of the bars and other establishments refused to display the poster, deeming it “unacceptable.” Regarding the response to the poster, Gray said, “I would go into bars, and I would hear the chatter amongst people about the poster. I heard some really positive things, but also some really negative, racially motivated things.

(Below: "Thyrell And Chris Outside The Pendulum Bar SF", 1986 by Jim James aka Photojimsf)

“At the time that I did the poster,” he continued, “I had no idea that it would be so controversial. Honestly, had I known this upfront, I might not have done it. But looking back on it now, I would do it again because it was the right thing to do.” But still, he laments, “Who would have thought that a photo would open my eyes to the racism within the gay community? We are so much more alike as a people than different. One would think we could get along better and come together for a cause greater than us individually. Being a proud Black gay man, I must fight harder than most for myself and for those who come after me.”

These days, Robert Gray is still that proud Black gay man who changed the face of safe-sex advocacy. Sixty-two years old now, nearly forty years since he posed for the SFAF poster, he is semi-retired and lives in Vallejo, California. He is now a widower, having lost his partner of 42 years (his husband since 2013). He remains quite proud of the poster to this day, even if that pride is somewhat tempered by what he considers a lack of recognition for his work. “I thought over time I would see the poster in the gay pride parades or that I would be given some special honor from major players in the movement, like GLAAD. There is still a lot of racism in the gay community.”

Adapted from a February 18, 2022 article by Hank Trout:

https://www.sfaf.org/collections/status/why-did-a-safe-sex-poster-spark-controversy-in-1984/

[gamerpup1]

twink alert

[{Character(“Herbert West”)

Alias(“Herbert”)

Gender(“Transgender male”)

Age(“28")

Sexuality(“Gay" + “Attracted to men” + “Only attracted to men” + “Asexual”)

Height(“5’7”)

Language(“English" + “German”)

Status(“Single” + “Interested in {{user}}”)

Occupation(“College student at Miskatonic University" + “Studying medical science” + “Unemployed”)

Personality(“Mad scientist" + “Obsessive” + “Socially inept” + “Determined” + “Stubborn” + “Intelligent” + “Pessimistic” + “Realistic” + “Focused” + “Capable” + “Autistic” + “On the autism spectrum” + “Confident” + “Narcissist” + “Quiet” + “Odd” + “Weird” + “Curious” + “Daring” + “Educated” + “Grumpy” + “Firm” + “Hardworking” + “Independent” + “Touch starved” + “Knowledgeable” + “Meticulous” + “Logical” + “Observant” + “Impatient” + “Perfectionist” + “Rational” + “Scholarly” + “Sarcastic” + “Ambitious” + “Outspoken” + “Reserved” + “Stern” + “Strict” + “Tsundere” + “Blunt” + “Calculating” + “Charmless” + “Devious” + “Arrogant” + “Snarky”)

Skills(“Intelligent” + “Knowledgable” + “Scientific expertise” + “Attempting to raise the dead with his reagent” + “Knows a lot about medicine” + “Knows a lot about chemistry” + “Knows a lot about science” + “Knows a lot about death”)

Appearance("Skinny" + “Short” + “Geometric glasses” + “Can't see well without his glasses” + “Oversized black coat” + “Black tie” + “White dress shirt” + “Black jeans” + “Black dress shoes” + “White socks” + “Soft, pink lips” + “Soft hands” + “Thin fingers” + “Mole above lip to the left” + “Short, messy, black hair” + “Smile lines” + “Sleeves are often rolled up” + “Transgender scars” + “Top surgery scars” + “Small amounts of body hair”)

Habit(“Interrupts people if they're wrong about something” + “Studying death” + “Messing with his reagent” + “Attempting to raise the dead” + “Rolling his eyes” + “Glancing at watch” + “Tapping his foot when impatient” + “Glaring at people” + “Furrowing his brows” + “Making snarky comments” + “Being sarcastic” + “Messing with his pencil” + “Staying inside” + “Never leaving the house”)

Race(“Human”)

Likes("Being smarter than everyone else” + “Studying” + “{{user}}” + “His reagent” + “The color green” + “The color neon green” + “Science” + “Being right” + “Staying inside” + “Quiet spaces” + “Non-fiction books” + “Books” + “Learning” + “Studying death” + “Autumn” + “Cold weather” + “Sweets” + “Fast food” + “Silence” + “Tea” + “Coffee” + “Being by himself” + “Alone time” + “Recognition” + “Dark rooms” + “Brief affection from {{user}}” + “{{user}}’s pecs”)

Dislikes("Stupid teachers" + “Loud areas” + “Bright lights” + “Going outside” + “The sun” + “Cats” + “Not receiving attention from {{user}}” + “Fiction” + “Large groups” + “Group projects” + “Rejection” + “Heights” + “Being wrong” + “Criticism” + “Bigots” + “Politics” + “Being sick”)

Relationships("Dead parents” + “Alive grandma” + “Dead grandpa” + “Interested in {{user}}” + “Strangers with {{user}}”)

Ethnicity("White”)

Residence(“Homeless” + “Wants to set up a lab in {{user}}’s basement”)

Setting(“Set during the 1980s")

Attributes(“Autistic" + “On the autism spectrum” + “Intelligent” + “Observant” + “Love language is acts of service” + “Pretends to not like physical affection” + “Interrupts people if they're wrong about something” + “Finds {{user}} attractive and interesting” + “Practices his reagent on dead bodies” + “Seems to only care about his reagent” + “Not scared of {{user}}” + “Only tolerates {{user}}” + “Bad at socializing”)

Backstory("After the death of Herbert's parents, he began to study his reagent and test it on various dead animals in the neighborhood while he lived with his grandmother. Noted as a strange kid, Herbert spent most of his childhood alone with his reagent, something that he believes could prevent death. 

He ended up qualifying for an apprenticeship with Doctor Gruber, a well-known doctor in Germany. After the death of Doctor Gruber, Herbert was sent to Miskatonic University to continue his studies in the medical field.")}]

[queerism1969]

History of violence against LGBT people in the United States

From ~1980-1996, it's estimated that around 600k people have died, and 1.2M are living with HIV due to the US’s mismanagement of the AIDS epidemic. It disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men, black ppl, and Latinos.

In 1969, LGBT activists began the Stonewall riots in response to a police raid in Greenwich Village, which highlighted a pattern of discrimination against gay people in the legal system. The Stonewall Inn catered to an assortment of patrons. It was known to be popular among the poorest and most marginalized people in the gay community: drag queens, transgender people, effeminate young men, butch lesbians, male prostitutes, and homeless youth. Police raids on gay bars were routine in the 1960s. The riot began an extended confrontation with the New York City police. Within weeks, Village residents quickly organized into activist groups to concentrate efforts on establishing places for gays and lesbians to be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being arrested.

In the 2nd Red and Lavender Scare of 1947-56, Joseph McCarthy framed homosexuality as a dangerous, contagious social disease potentially threatening state security. Hundreds of suspected homosexuals were imprisoned or fired.

[gnusnoteunuchs]

watched legally blonde last night. I'm inclined to give it something like 3/5 stars because it's a genuinely funny movie that's full of character and great drama and is as effective a period piece for the 2000s as the lost boys was for the 1980s

but. man is it flawed

mostly in two ways:

first, it's a movie about law school and lawyers. you would think they'd get the legal procedures of the LITERAL MURDER TRIAL right

second, it's so bigoted. the one voiced latino character is a gay man who gets treated as a turbochad ladies' man right up until he gets outed at which point he's a catty faggot

there's like. multiple sassy gay men who exist purely to say one faggy line and then leave. the only black characters show up for the diegetic dance number with like one line each and then immediately depart the film. the only silver lining is that the lesbian character is in fact incredibly hot

[thoughtlessarse]

It has been over 50 years since the first cases of mpox, the disease formerly known as monkeypox, were discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mpox is related to smallpox, and causes symptoms similar to but milder than its once-feared relative, which was eradicated in 1980. For decades, mpox outbreaks were self-limiting, resulting in a few hundred, perhaps a few thousand cases in regions that are endemic for the disease in West and Central Africa. However, in 2022, a global outbreak led to close to 100,000 cases worldwide, transmitted primarily among men who have sex with men, and through sexual contact. This was a departure for the virus, which until then was known to be largely transmitted from small mammals to humans in forested locales, with limited human-to-human spread by close physical contact. A disease ignored by much of the world until then shot up the charts in the attention of public health officials everywhere, gaining notoriety among politicians and the general public, particularly the LGBTQ community. A vaccine for smallpox made by a small company in Denmark, Bavarian Nordic, was deployed rapidly in the United States and in other rich countries affected by the outbreak. Within a few months, shifts in behavior by gay men, and perhaps a little help from the vaccine, brought the outbreak under control, though cases erupt from time to time still in the United States and elsewhere. But in September 2023, less than six months after the World Health Organization called the acute phase of that outbreak over, a new outbreak was starting in DRC. And it continued throughout the rest of the year into 2024, with now close to 20,000 cases reported and close to 1,000 deaths—all likely to be grossly underreported due to the weak health infrastructure in DRC and surrounding countries. The global outbreak in 2022–23, by contrast, caused only about 200 deaths, with the clade—or strain of virus—responsible for this new outbreak historically being thought of as more lethal than the 2022 variant. As of mid-August, two cases of this new strain have been reported globally, one in Sweden and another in Thailand. The relative rapidity with which the international community responded to the 2022–23 outbreak stands in stark contrast to what has happened now with a severe outbreak roiling through Africa. It’s hard not to think that this has everything to do with who has been hit hardest; white people in high-income countries in 2022, black people in low-income countries in 2024. But in addition to the continuing colonial and racist forces at work in global health, it’s also important to realize that whether it’s Covid, H5N1, or mpox, there isn’t a lot of appetite for confronting public health problems until they are impossible to ignore—whether at home or abroad.

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