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William Shatner, Teen Idol
William Shatner will forever be remembered as Captain James T. Kirk, who taught alien babes how to kiss and got his shirt ripped off by alien demigods on the first incarnation of Star...
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10 Things They Don't Want You to Know About Turning 40 (or 50, or 60)
I often hear complaints that "Gay culture is too youth oriented! Older guys are shunned!"One of my dissertation respondents said "I hate being gay! It's ok now, but what about when I'm 50? I don't...
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Fall 1996: Tearoom Trade
The website cruisingforsex.com lists hundreds of places guys can go to cruise. The few bars, bath houses, and sex clubs are overwhelmed by the public places, dozens in every city: beaches, adult video...
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On the Road: The Gay Beat Generation
On June 21st, 1985, I drove cross-country 1860 miles from my parents' house in Rock Island, Illinois to West Hollywood, my 10-year old Dodge Dart packed with bedding, dishes, clothes, and mementos....
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March 1985: The Brady Bunch Dad Plays a Swishy Queen
You have to be careful watching tv. The producers, actors, and directors are not your friends; even when they are gay, they are often Uncle Toms. So it's impossible to avoid frequent statements that...
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The Hardy Boys
When I was a kid in the 1960s, I preferred science fiction and jungle adventures, but I didn't mind detectives, if they were Sherlock Holmes and Watson, or the Hardy Boys. Frank and Joe Hardy, high...
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Spring 2002: The Drag Queen on my Sausage List
You probably know my top 10 turn-offs: tall, thin, long faced, wearing jewelry, alcoholic, sports nut, and so on, until we reach #10: feminine traits.Politically, I'm a strong supporter of your right...
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10 Things I Hated About Summer (and Still Do)
I'm getting sick of summer: it's too hot, there's nothing to do all day but course prep for the fall, I'm gaining weight from sitting around, and there's nothing on tv at night but reruns. It was the...
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The 39 Dumbest Things You See on TV
I've watched a lot of tv, mostly sci-fi and sitcoms. The set was on all the time when I was a kid. In adulthood, it's like comfort food, warm, predictable, mildly amusing. But is it really necessary...
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Summer 2001: Hooking Up with the Pizza Boy
When I was growing up, the best pizza in town came from Harris Pizza on 14th Avenue, about a half mile from our house.The best in the world -- I've never found anything close. Ground sausage, with the...
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Pogo: The Gay Possum of Okefenokee Swamp
There have been three major comic strips devoted to the naivete, colorful traditions, and homespun wisdom of the hillbilly:Li'l Abner, about a backwoods Adonis allergic to hetero-romance.Snuffy Smith,...
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Dennis Cole
Most heterosexuals go about their daily lives as if they are alone in the universe. If asked, they will say "Sure, some men are gay, which means they're into men, not women," but in the next moment,...
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Spring 1997: The Barfly Who Pulled It Out
When I was living in San Francisco, my friend David and I walked down Castro Street every day on the way to and from work, even though it was strictly not necessary, to immerse ourselves in the heart...
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Easter Island: Phallic Statues and Penis Festivals
If you thought Mongolia was remote for Westerners, try Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui). From New York, you fly to Miami, then to Panama City, and finally to Santiago, Chile (about 24 hours). From there,...
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Spring 1979: Captain Ernie and His First Mate
Back before Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, Netflix, and DVDs, you got your dose of kids' tv in two places:1. On a sugar-rush five hours of cartoons every Saturday morning.2. Weekdays after school, on...
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Corn on the Cob, Fireworks, and Naked Men: 34 Reasons to Like Summer
Summer is my least favorite season, and we're right in the middle of it, with the heat, humidity, tv reruns, people forcing you to play outside, all of your friends away on vacation, long, boring days...
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The Golden Boy in His Underwear
I was a horny little kid. I wasn't thinking about sex yet, of course, but I loved looking at, talking to, hanging out with, and hugging cute boys and men. I had a steady boyfriend, plus I cruised at...
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The Four Cassidy Brothers and the Gay-Friendly 1970s
Speaking of show business dynasties, character actor Jack Cassidy (who starred with Paul Anka in Look in Any Window) married musical theater star Shirley Jones in 1956 (they divorced in 1974). They...
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My Date with Jack Kerouac and His Bratwurst
Ok, I didn't really have a date with Jack Kerouac -- he died when I was eight years old. But Jurgen came close.During my freshman year at Augustana, I often saw him sitting by himself in the Student...
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Summer 1997: Cruising for Straight Men at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
In the 1980s and 1990s, when you found a gay haven, you stayed there. You ventured into the straight world only when absolutely necessary, and then you stayed closeted, undercover, careful not to let...
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