Buying Gay : How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement

Name: Buying Gay : How Physique Entrepreneurs Sparked a Movement
Brand: Columbia University Press

Columbia University Press

In 1951, a new type of publication appeared on\nnewsstands\u2014the physique magazine produced by and for gay men. For many men\ngrowing up in the 1950s and 1960s, these magazines and their images and\nillustrations of nearly naked men, as well as articles, letters from readers,\nand advertisements, served as an initiation into gay culture. The publishers\nbehind them were part of a wider world of \u201Cphysique entrepreneurs\u201D: men as well\nas women who ran photography studios, mail-order catalogues, pen-pal services,\nbook clubs, and niche advertising for gay audiences. Such businesses have often\nbeen seen as peripheral to the gay political movement. In this book, David K.\nJohnson shows how gay commerce was not a byproduct but rather an important catalyst\nfor the gay rights movement.\n\nOffering a vivid look into the lives of physique\nentrepreneurs and their customers, and presenting a wealth of illustrations,\nBuying Gay explores the connections\u2014and tensions\u2014betw.