TIMELINE
Hard Journey of the Heart
Spartacus Gay Guide
Traveling abroad while gay was dangerous. This popular guide listed homophobic countries to avoid and the hottest bars and cruising spots.
Buddy Booths
In early 90s peep shows, a coin-operated window would rise, allowing you to interact with a hot guy, separated by plexiglass.
Disco Fan Dancers
In the 70s and 80s, these mainstays on the dance floor dazzled us with their magical, kinetic performances.
Answering Machines
Before iPhones and voicemail, your social life hinged on whether people called your home machine and left recorded messages.
VHS TAPES
This was once the only game in town. Only cool guys had VCRs to play the expensive porn videos they bought through mail order.
Calvin Klein Underwear
Before 2xist and Andrew Christian enhanced gay male baskets, these briefs by the gay designer were the gold standard.
Cruising Areas
Not everyone likes bars. Some prefer exciting, risky al fresco sex in parks, beach dunes, alleys and the woods.
Gay Skin Magazines
Once illegal, they were on public newsstands by the mid-80s. Blueboy, In Touch and Mandate offered sexinesss and education.
Poppers
Amyl nitrate enhanced orgasms and was a crucial part of the active gay men’s artillery. Popular brands were Rush, Bolt and Locker Room.
Tearoom
Before gay bars, the main place for quickie sexual encounters were public bathrooms, saucily called tearooms.
About the Author
Mark Zullo is a West Coast-based author, professional photographer, and musician. A Los Angeles native, Zullo shares a casa and life with his husband, four cats, three dogs, and seventeen koi fish. The couple loves to travel to Mexico. There, Zullo plants himself on a hotel balcony, working on the next volume in a fiction series about romance, love, broken hearts, world travel, and lots of sex.
