Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Welcome to Boiz Town
Months ago, a friend sent me an e-mail, updating me on the past couple of years of his life and a video I had not seen in probably 25 years.
Quite likely produced in the mid 1970s, the video a 30ish man and a 13-year-old boy snuggled on his lap while being read from a storybook.
Seconds into the video, their love for one another carries them to a nearby bed and a beautiful demonstration of man boy love.
There is no date on the video – titled “
Mark, my friend, recalled we had seen the video as part of a NAMBLA coming of age meeting in a
At the time, there was no hysteria over pedophilia/boylove, and the neighborhood adult bookstores (including Drake’s, Circus of Books and Le Sex Shoppe) carried magazines celebrating the beauty of boys.
(Who can forget Mel Roberts’ classic photo essay on boys or the wonderful Gayboy?)
Because of adverse publicity emanating from the East Coast, NAMBLA never did make a significant impact on the gay community in Southern California, though it claimed substantial support in the
Those of us who supported NAMBLA and were courageous enough to admit our preferences, at least to one another, formed a small but loyal alliance, often meeting after-hours (2 a.m. or so) at that theater on Santa Monica Boulevard or the next-door bar. Two hours later, we could be sure there would be some action on the street, with plenty of boys between the ages of 12-16 looking to make a few dollars.
By the early 1980s, the police had begun their sweep of the boulevard, sending the underage boys (and girls) on their way home, inviting a new core of prostitutes ranging from smooth young-looking boys to hardened young men, women and transsexuals. It also invited increasing drug crimes which a decade later had almost wiped clean the street.
For perhaps a dozen years, the scene was friendly, pedo friendly, and perhaps it was the naivete of the time that made it all so wonderful.
To some degree, the AIDS epidemic brought attention to the potential dangers of unprotected sexual activity, though little changed along the boulevard and inside one of a half-dozen or so gay sex clubs in the area.
Man boy sex still was available – for a price, unless you knew the right people – along the boulevard, at one of several fast-food places or convenience stores, where junior high school and high school boys hung out. There also were a couple of hot spot corners that seemed to attract action.
Meanwhile, our small group of friends had moved on, mostly for professional reasons, but we stayed in contact for a few years. Eventually, four of us were able to track down one another; Mark’s e-mail and video attachment came more as an FYI than an invitation to meet up again, though that is now a possibility.
We went our separate ways, some of us married, some of us found a partner, but there always will be that very special connection – our love for boys.
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