When Queer Life Was a 'Circus'

Warning: There's a spoiler of sorts ahead. Most people wouldn't even consider it one. But my fiance thinks knowing ANYTHING about a film in advance counts as a spoiler, so consider yourself warned.

Rachel Mason, who directed the film about her family, with porn legend Jeff Stryker

As I said last week when I watched "A Secret Love": Love him or hate him, we have Ryan Murphy's clout to thank for getting LGBTQ stories into living rooms around the world -- and this week it's the tale of West Hollywood's most legendary gay pornography peddlers. "Circus of Books" not only documents the bizarre dichotomy that a hardcore smut shop -- which in addition to selling magazines, videos and dildos later began producing Jeff Stryker-grade gay porn -- was run by an everyday middle-class couple with three children, but also that the matriarch was a bit of a nightmare. In addition to being an incredibly unpleasant woman who seems deeply bitter that life didn't hand her more, she's also an a la carte religious zealot, which made life incredibly difficult for her gay son, who quietly hides behind his “Best Little Boy in the World” facade. 

Here we have Josh Mason growing up in the gayest city in the country with two intellectual parents -- Mom started out as an investigative journalist who was drawn to First Amendment stories like that of Larry Flynt and Dad was a inventor who worked in movie special effects, among other things -- and two open-minded siblings, yet he might as well have been the son of preacher man in the Deep South. And I'm sure you know why. Sure, his mother very much a product of her time (not unlike Cher, she was incredibly supportive of gay people so long as they aren’t in her family). But the truth is before the later years of the Obama era -- and even now for many people -- life for LGBTQ people was extremely unpredictable and difficult, with families disowning and students bullying gay youth, and employers firing and landlords or neighbors harassing gay adults. (Next time you see me, be sure to ask me about my newsroom colleague who had to leave Ventura County because of death threats  ... in the late '90s.) 

Free Masons: Micah, Barry, Rachel, Karen and Joshua 

I truly hope young people will see this film so they can begin to understand that gay men and lesbians -- even white ones -- have been persecuted in the very recent past while also watching their friends die by the hundreds as the government did nothing. This lack of understanding has led me to coin the phrase "youth privilege," something I've started using on social media to combat the Gen Z activists who somehow can't quite seem to understand why Bill Clinton couldn't magically make his gays-in-the-military plan happen with the blink of an eye, don't get why a trans man wasn't cast as the lead in "Boys Don't Cry," 22 years ago, and who will probably not vote in November if Joe Biden doesn't pick a trans woman of color as his running mate.

Check out "Circus of Books." It'll really stir things up inside you, for better or worse.

Read my own Circus of Books story from 1990 HERE.

Read where all the family members are now HERE.

First Look at the 'Studio One Forever' Documentary

Here's a taste of the feature documentary in the works about West Hollywood through the lens of Studio One Disco (1974-1993) and its sister music venue, The Backlot. I loved GOING THERE in the late '80s (as a tourist) and early '90s (as a resident) -- it felt like L.A.'s answer to Studio 54 -- and cannot wait to see the club's complete story, beginning at the rise of disco and the gay civil-rights movement to the tragic days of the AIDS crisis that decimated our community. 

It's easy to understand why these guys didn't want to see the building torn down. 

Learn more / make a donation HERE.

Visit director Marc Saltarelli site HERE.

Bi-coastal Liza 

Save the Factory writes: The demolition has begun. The complete destruction of an LGBT National Register of Historic Places site (there are less than 15 in existence). What can be said? We fought. We fought hard. The vast majority of people wanted the building to be preserved. But another light snuffed, more darkness. Development, Politicians and Money -- the trifecta of these dark times. 

And the money still does not exist for the promised Robertson Lane complex -- that includes no money for the fake, recreation of a portion of the original Factory Building (no, there will no "preservation" as the article repeats the same developer talking points without facts).

James Duke Mason Announces Candidacy for West Hollywood City Council

Ran into James Duke Mason at the "Head Over Heels" on Broadway party last night and he tells me he is running for West Hollywood City Council. Have a look at what he hopes to accomplish if elected -- and consider making a donation below:

It's official- I've filed papers to run for West Hollywood City Council in the March 2019 election.

I'm running for a very simple reason: at a time when now, more than ever, people feel like they can’t count on Washington D.C. to look out for their interests, local government must step in and fill the void. In my time as a city official on the West Hollywood Lesbian & Gay Advisory Board (where I currently serve as Co-Chair), as well as during my tenure as a Board Member at the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation, I have stood up for the communities in our city who need it most- the LGBT community, women, seniors, people with disabilities, people in recovery and low income people.

Those are the people that have helped to make West Hollywood the unique, diverse, beautiful and creative city that we are, and I want to be their champion on the City Council. There are several key issues that I will be focusing on in this campaign: ending homelessness, expanding affordable housing, protecting rent control, supporting small businesses and assisting our seniors so they can age in place and live their lives with a sense of stability and security.

Obviously there are a lot of other important issues that also require attention as well, including public safety and transportation. Once we have the full fledged campaign launch in January, I will be laying out a clear and detailed agenda about how exactly we will tackle each of these individual challenges. But in the meantime, I wanted to at least make my intentions clear before the end of the year so we can start 2018 with momentum!

I hope you'll consider being one of the founding supporters of my campaign by visiting the link below and making a contribution. The maximum amount per individual is $500, but whatever amount you can give would make a huge difference:

https://www.efundraisingconnections.com/c/DukeMason/

The journey ahead will not be an easy one. I know that it'll be tough to take on the status quo and bring a new generation of leadership to City Hall. But it's worth the fight, and together, I believe we will win- not just win this campaign, but win better future for all of us.

Thanks for your support, and have a great holiday season!

-Duke.

Learn more via Facebook HERE.

Circus of Life

Bummed to read about the closing of yet another chapter in L.A. gay history -- Circus of Books in West Hollywood, which will call it a day in December after 57 years in busines. (A Different Light has been gone for years. The Studio One building is at risk of being demolished and my beloved French Quarter Market Place is histoire.) I can remember spending many afternoons and nights perusing the shelves looking for the latest Johnny Davenport spreads back in the day -- my friend Danny remembers it as a place you'd go after an "unsuccessful bar night" -- and how the sleazy store on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Jolla Avenue provided the exclamation point for my first romance in the City of Angels. 

I moved to Southern California on Cinco de Mayo 1990, having packed up my broken heart and what worldly possessions could fit in a 1983 VW Rabbit convertible. My best friend from Madison Heights (Mark) lived in Huntington Beach with his roommate Doug and kindly agreed to let me crash with them until I found a job and an apartment of my own. Everyone had taken to chatting with guys on those free party lines, so on my second night in town I decided to give it a whirl -- and instantly "fell" for a guy with a sexy deep voice and a willingness to listen. For about the next two weeks, "John" and I would talk for hours on the phone -- often falling asleep together -- discussing (what else?) our impending erotic sex life and planning when and where we were finally going to bring our budding relationship to life. While we'd exchanged nothing but verbal descriptions of ourselves, we just knew we were meant to be. 

Besides sex, one of the big topics on our minds was the impending release of Madonna's "I'm Breathless," for which the entire gay community was on tenterhooks waiting since hearing "Vogue" in March. On the night of May 22, John called me to say he'd gotten his copy on CD -- he must have been rich! -- and he played little snippets of all the songs for me as we spent another love struck evening "together." (We both agreed "Sooner or Later," Something to Remember" and "Now I'm Following You" were the winners.) Although it had only been a couple of weeks, I was getting antsy and was ready to move forward with things. (How do those people on "Catfish" talk for eight years without meeting?) I'd left Phoenix to start "fresh" without saying goodbye to hardly a soul, but something about my exciting new life consisting of nothing but talking on the phone with a total stranger already wasn't cutting it for me. John assured me he was eager to take things to the next level, too -- promising me it would all be worth the wait because he had developed "real" feelings for me -- then finally suggested we meet in the parking lot of Circus of Books that Friday night. (He's be on the black Harley.) Although I may have been a tad desperate -- having had my heart broken yet again by my college boyfriend -- I could not be serious about having this whirlwind romance finally come together behind an adult bookstore, and I never spoke to him again. (My decision was later bolstered when I learned the area was known as Vaseline Alley.) I wonder if Nev and Max could finally make this happen!

Hollywood & Pine

Seen HERE.

Legendary Gay Club Studio One Facing Demolition

Wow. The West Hollywood building that housed Studio One -- the gay disco in which my friends and I spent our early 20s dancing the night away when not hanging out in the Backlot -- has been declared "endangered." I know it became AXIS after I moved east and is apparently still in business as its original name, The Factory. Would be a shame to see what was truly the closest thing the West Coast had to Studio 54 go.

LAist reports:

A building that once was home to a pioneering gay disco has been declared "endangered" in the hopes to save it from—yep—development in West Hollywood. The Factory, located at 652 North La Peer Drive, was designated one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Wednesday. The building was first built in 1929, and has been host to the changing history of Los Angeles through its life. At first it served as a factory for the Mitchell Camera Corporation, whose cameras have been recognized by the Academy for their contributions for the movie industry. The company moved out after the War and from 1967 to 1972 it was simply "The Factory," a popular nightclub for celebrities. It wasn't until Scott Forbes took over the space in 1974 that it became the disco Studio One, an epicenter for gay nightlife and activism. Studio One "offered no shortage of mirrored balls (seven to be exact), strobe lights, lasers, a gleaming red neon Pegasus and a fish tank in the men's room that spouted water for hand washing," WeHoville says in their history of the space. "Studio One was planned, designed and conceived for gay people, gay male people," Forbes told the L.A. Times. Patti LaBelle, Joan Rivers and Liza Minnelli all performed at the club, and in the early-80s it also hosted one of the first major fundraisers in response to the AIDS epidemic.

Christian Ornelas, my WeHo doppelganger  (another look HERE)

Have so many fond memories of Studio One, most notably going there every Saturday night with my roommates Paul Samson and Ken McDonald. (If you see this, Ken, please contact me!) "Groove Is in the Heart" (by Dee-Lite) and "Use It Up and Wear It Out" (a Pat and Mick cover of the old Odyssey classic produced by Stock-Aitken-Waterman) were the songs that made people go crazy on the dancefloor, and that's where I finally met my "Latin twin" named Christian Ornelas, a guy people were telling me about for years. It turned out to be true -- in certain light it was uncanny! -- but I found out as I researched this he passed away a couple years ago from complications of HIV/AIDS, which suddenly made this whole thing incredibly sad.

My other (albeit haziest) memory is the time I got so drunk I was sort of "resting" in a bathroom stall, and one of the big hunky bouncers came in and CARRIED me down to the front door. Once there, he could see I was in no condition to actually leave, so he propped me up in the seat where the guy checking IDs normally sat. (Maybe he was the doorman too.) Well, next thing I knew a line of gay guys came along and started pulling out their driver's licenses, so I just went along with it in my drunken stupor and started carding people. It was only when I asked the (distracted) bouncer for a flashlight that the jig was up!

Learn about the club's history HERE.

You can show your support by signing a petition to keep the building alive HERE.

Robert Bazan | Dec 05, 2012 | 12:19 am

Studio One is now called The Factory..... a sad imitation of Studio One and only open for special parties... The Backlot is a small dance club, not nearly as busy as The Abbey, across the street or Mickey's & other WeHo clubs. Probe had a fire in the 1990s and is long gone...Sad Sad.

Hey, Micky's!

Oh, Micky's -- your float was so fine ...

Standard Pose

   I've been staying at the Standard Hotel, Hollywood, at least once a year since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when my friend Jay and I went on our already planned vacation. In addition to the fun rooms, great pool and ping-pong tables, the 24/7 Restaurant is one of the major draws, where it's nearly impossible to pick just one thing off the menu. Here I am over the weekend recreating a pose I've done nearly every time I've visited. At the risk of sounding like a 87-year-old, time truly does fly ...

2005

2002

Norms on La Cienega Declared a City Landmark

This made me smile -- partially because I agree that the building is "awesome," but also because I used to go there all the time when I lived in West Hollywood in the early '90s. My friend Marc and I used to play tennis behind the Trader Joe's on Santa Monica Boulevard and then eat a super-cheap meal at Norms, which was usually all we could afford in those days. In fact, I remember being so broke on my birthday one year that Marc and a fellow actor friend of his picked up the check for my breakfast -- which was something like $2.99 -- leaving me incredibly touched. Looking forward to stopping by to say hi when I'm in town for L.A. Gay Pride!

L.A. Magazine writes:

Shortly after noon on Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to add Norms Coffee Shop to the list of Historic Cultural Monuments. The landmark protection will require city review of any proposed changes to the googie style restaurant built in 1957. As we’ve reported before, developer Jason Illoulian of Faring Capital purchased the property last December and has plans to build a “village of shops” in the surrounding parking lot. He told me in March that he thinks the building is “beautiful” and “awesome,” but was unsure who his future tenant(s) would be. “We’re hoping to keep it as a 24-hour diner,” says Illoulian of the restaurant space. “Whether it’s Norms or somebody else.” 

Googie masters Armet & Davis designed the building 58 years ago for founder Norm Roybark and the venerable all-night restaurant would like to stay put. Norms president Mike Colonna issued a statement following the council’s vote thanking the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Cultural Heritage Commission, and the entire city council, singling out councilmember Paul Koretz “for not just defending the building’s structure, but for supporting Norms’ goal to continue serving the local community.”

With my friend James on Melrose Place around the corner from Norms.

Man Found Dead In West Hollywood Park

My guess is he collapsed after seeing his bill for two light beers at Pump. Read HERE.

Postcard From Hollywood

Having a wonderful time, wish you were here ...

Inside the famed Masque, the punk club thst spawned X, the Go-Go's and more

With my biggest fan

Brunch with Jim Key and Greg in Hollywood

Your Teeth Check In, But They Don't Check Out

If you're looking for a gay bathhouse in Los Angeles, the San Vicente Inn is no longer one of your options.

Mr. Klein, 43, bought the property last summer and faces a year of chasing down city approvals and permits for his overhaul. In the meantime, he has quietly turned the place into what he calls a “pop-up hotel,” a concept he gleefully describes as a twist on shabby chic — a midway point between the sick shabby of before (rooms lit by the blue glow of crystal meth torches) and the super-chic he has planned (breezy poolside suites stocked with Malin & Goetz soaps). 

“At first, I just planned to keep it running how it was, which was basically a gay bathhouse, and then close for the refurbishment,” Mr. Klein said during a recent tour. “But then there was a near overdose. Seriously! It was like land of the missing teeth in here. I couldn’t bear it.” 

Read HERE.

Check This Out

From the Facebook page of my friend Ken in Los Angeles:

Just a little media coverage of the marriages happening at West Hollywood Library. #gaymarrriage #westhollywoodlibrary #weho #gay #media #Instagood #westhollywood

Speedo Speaker

This is how business gets done before the West Hollywood City Council. More HERE.

And We Didn't Get Breaks!

Nine Former Employees Sue WeHo's Micky's Nightclub 

In unintentionally hilarious lawsuit news.

Matthew Krupnick, the esteemed lawyer representing the nine plaintiffs in the suit, provided photographic evidence related to the case to WeHoVille.com that showed "strippers performing in the nude, strippers openly displaying their penises and masturbating in front of patrons, a stripper walking around with semen on his face and chest, a patron using his finger to penetrate a stripper’s butt, a ring toss game involving a man’s penis and employees pouring shots of liquor down a stripper’s back while a patron licked it from the stripper’s butt." In addition to the illegal work environment, the lawsuit alleges that Micky's failed to provide state-mandated breaks or overtime pay to the plaintiffs.

Keep reading HERE.

Sean, Hollywood 1987

The first time I met Sean he tried to pick me up outside the Greenwich Village Pizzeria on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood back in the summer of 1990. I was new to town and Sean asked me if I wanted to come home with him. I admit I was intrigued -- he told me he was shooting a small part in the new Ken Russell movie, which turned out to be "Whore" -- but I was with a friend visiting from back home so I just laughed his invitation off wondering who this tattooed love boy thought he was to be so forward. Truth be told I was scared of him. 

But as the months went by we'd keep running into each other at bars and parties and eventually I had to admit that I wanted to know what he was all about. I'd never met anyone like him before -- so quiet and mysterious -- and never have I since. 

I experienced many of my "firsts" with Sean -- my first ride on the back of a Harley being one of the safer activities he introduced me to. I remember I had stayed over at his converted-garage apartment near the Beverly Center and he loaned me a Mr. Bubble T-shirt to wear before we headed out on the road that afternoon (that must have been a sight). 

Everywhere we'd go there was a buzz that surrounded Sean. He wasn't a movie star or anything, but you'd never know it by the way people fell over when he walked into a room. 

It wasn't until years later when I'd moved to the East Coast that I came across this photo in the famous "Men/Women" book by Herb Ritts that I realized Sean had a lot of things going on besides periodically showering me with affection. ("You know what I love about your body?" he asked me of my 138-pound frame in the shower one day. "Your arm is the same size here as it is here," he said, placing his strong right hand around my bicep and then my wrist.)  

Bike "Whore" 

Visiting at the "office"

After not seeing him for nearly a decade I ran into him at the Abbey a few summers ago. A lot had happened in the ensuing years, but we shared a special moment where he opened up to me more than he ever had before, and that helped me close a mysterious chapter of my life. I hope he's doing well today. He deserves to be happy.

Check out Sean in Herb Ritts's iconic photo "Male Nude With Bubble" after the jump.