Yesterday, I went to see Gay Sex in the '70s. It was eye-opening. Watching the documentary, I got the impression that living in 1970's gay New York was basically a nonstop hedonistic orgy of sex, drugs, and even more sex.
It was sex as protest, sex as celebration, sex as fraternity. It didn't seem to have the plethora of no fats, femmes, racism, and other discrimination that has afflicted the gay community now. Unfortunately, the downside of this openness and nonstop sex was the spread of HIV/AIDS, but there is something to be learned and applied from the 1970's ethos to today.
Feel Free and Unashamed. Love all of us. We're all special.
One question that I had after seeing the film. Several times the interviewees mentioned "the trucks" which I gather were in the Meatpacking District (ha ha). The way this seemed to work is that men would get into these trucks and in pitch black darkness proceed to have sex. I can't quite follow this. Sex is such a sensory experience that I think you miss something by not being able to at least see what's going on. Hell, it's pretty hard to know what you're doing in total darkness. Even the backrooms I've been in have had at least some dim lighting.
A final comment, go see this film if you can. Anything that makes me actually like Tom Bianchi for over an hour, is pretty remarkable.
2 comments:
I saw this at OutFest this summer. It was good, wasn't it? I just wish they'd investigated more cities. I'd love to hear stories about L.A. and San Francisco, etc. And more conservative places too.... They should do a TimeLife series!
with all the wild sex parties I hear about in cities like ATL, I can see something like the wild sex in the 70s happen again in the near future although I wouldn't be a participant...don't get me wrong, I'm still a freak. LOL
Post a Comment