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Boston’s gay bars of yore
Which Boston gay bar do you miss the most?
Russ Lopez book, The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown and Beyond shares how vibrant Boston’s gay scene was through the much of the 20th century. After WWII, Boston had more than a dozen gay bars. Those numbers would continue to proliferate over the coming decades (peaking in the 1970s – 90s) alongside other businesses that catered to the local gay community.
Last year Machine / Ramrod closed after a developer purchased the building it was located in to turn the block into residences. And a few weeks ago, I shared that the Boston Eagle has permnantly closed. The loss of these spaces has reignited the discussion about the slow demise of the gay bar in Boston, and it made me wonder, what gay bar from Boston’s past do you miss the most?
Vintage gay
This photo was posted on the Twitter account @oldmasc and I swiped it for this weekly blog post. I can’t tell much about this photo other than that Harvey (on the left) was eighteen years old when the picture was taken. I assume these are military uniforms. Are you able to glean anything from the clothing or hair style that might pinpoint a date or location when these three were photographed?
Men in the past were often photographed close together and touching, but the photo strikes me as more intimate with each man interlacing his hands and sharing a seat so that the men on either side are half seated on the arm of the chair and half curled around each leg of the man in the middle. Certainly it would have been more comfortable standing on either side or behind the man in the middle.
I dedicate this weekly post, featuring vintage gay photographs, to the men and women who lived in a more critical time where being true to yourself and loving who you want wasn’t always an option and came at a great price. Do you have a photo you would like to share? Email me at bosguymail@gmail.com.
This week on Instagram: artedgar
Edgar Murillo is the artist who is known on Instagram as artedgar. According to his profile he is a deaf illustrator of homoerotic art who is from Barcelona Spain. His account is definitely racy and certainly gets your attention when you are scrolling through Instagram. He is clearly passionate about his art and most of his drawings evoke an emotion or reaction of some kind. His drawings include all body types and races which is nice and not something I see from a lot of artists who tend to draw similar looking and body types.
You can follow this week’s featured account on Instagram here, and you can check out previously featured IG accounts here.
Caption this photo
I have posted this photo in the past but it is worth sharing again. Hopefully the caption I’ve shared inspires you to offer up one or two of your own. Leave a funny caption as a comment, and I’ll approve it for readers to enjoy.
“What does a guy have to do around here to get a COVID shot?”
Book review: 100 Boyfriends
I feel like 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell (published in February 2021) is very much the topic of conversation when gay literature is being discussed at the moment. This is the fourth book Purnell has published but the first time I’m reading the author.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get into this book. It struck me as both repetitive and disconnected. Page-after-page of random hook ups without any real connection between them execpt for the inner monologue, narrating sexual interludes with a few fleeting gay relationships thrown in every 30 or 40 pages. Perhaps my age and relationship status are barriers to fully appreciating the novel but that isn’t to say I couldn’t relate – I could. It is just that after 30 or 40 pages, I got the point and the next 120 pages became a blur of sexscapades that were neither titillating or enlightening. I’ve heard people describe the book as funny, foul-mouthed and unapologetic. I agree with foul-mouthed and unapologetic, but I don’t think the book was funny. Maybe ironic would be a better way to describe it. Purnell pulls no punches in describing the men, sex or himself — for the record all are found lacking, which makes it more depressing than relatable.
The epilogue, fifteen pages about hook-ups from a self-proclaimed “Rouge King of California Garage Rock” who toured Europe with a quick stop in Dubai, was interesting. I would’ve loved to have read more about that experience, but that might have more to do with my overwhelming desire to travel, after living through the COVID-19 pandemic.
While this wasn’t my favorite book, it has piqued my interest. Purnell can write and maybe that was why I ultimately was let down by the book. I’m intrigued enough that I’ll probably purchase another book of his, hoping there is more of a story to sink my teeth into. If you’ve read any of his other books, I’d love a recommendation.
If you’re interested in purchasing this book and open to supporting local bookstores, try one of the links I’ve shared. The links below will take you right to the book so you can order it online in just a couple of clicks. Alternatively, you can check your local library for a copy of this book. Here is a link to the BPL copy for 100 Boyfriends.
Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner
Harvard Bookstore in Harvard Square
Porter Square Bookstore in Porter Square
Trident Bookseller’s & Cafe in Back Bay
Temptation Tuesday
I’ll refer to this week’s post as “denim dreams” because he looks so good wearing that denim shirt.
Mayor Kim Janey
Earlier today the US Senate voted to confirm Mayor Marty Walsh the next Secretary of Labor which means for the first time since the Boston mayoralty was established in 1822, the city has a mayor who is both a woman and black.
Meet Kim Janey, the two-term city counselor president has stepped in to fill the vacancy and serve out the remainder of Marty Walsh’s mayoral term. It is an exciting time for Boston, and I wish Mayor Janey success. The election for the next mayor will be an interesting one. The field of candidates is more diverse than I can ever recall and it is anyone’s guess who Bostonians will vote for later this fall. WBUR has a great article about who is currently running to be Boston’s next mayor.
Posted in Uncategorized
Monday morning mancandy
May this post help distract you from the fact that it is a Monday morning.
BosGuy cooks: Potatoes
According to this January 2021 article in Irish Central there are ninety different words to describe potatoes. Even here in the U.S. we have a number of names, which should be a clue this is a popular vegetable. While there are a lot of ways to cook them, this easy, three-step process is how I cook potatoes. The total cooking time (including prep) takes approximately 30 minutes.
For this recipe you’ll need potatoes (I use golden yukon or red bliss because of their size), vegetable oil, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you may like. I often add chopped parsley to the potatoes after they come out hot from the oven. In the photo above, I’ve added fried and salted sage.
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, wash the potatoes, then add them to a large frying pan. Nearly cover the potatoes with water and liberally salt (this will absorb into and season the potato). Boil for approximately 10 minutes. They will be done when when you prick the potato and there is only minimal resistance.
STEP 2: Drain the potatoes and add them to a large bowl (and let them sit for 5 minutes to cool). Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle your preferred seasonings. I often add a few pinches of salt and lots of ground black pepper. Paprika is another favorite seasoning but use whatever you like. Then mix so the potatoes are coated with the oil and seasonings.
STEP 3: Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and with the bottom of a glass slighly “smoosh” each potato before placing them into the oven which you preheated to 400 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes. This will make the outer part of the potato more crispy, but the inside will remain creamy. Although I’ve never tried it, I imagine you could probably broil the potatoes for their final minute or two in the oven (I’ll have to try that next time).
The potatoes hold up great in the refrigerator for about a week (assuming they aren’t eaten before then), and they make for a great side plate with eggs for breakfast or with your dinner.
Saturday morning coffee
Enjoy your morning cup of Joe (or whatever you might like to call him).
Saturday morning comics
ADAM & ANDY is set in the fictional New England town of Woodfield, CT. You can learn more about Adam and Andy and purchase a copy of “the definitive collection of Adam and Andy” by visiting, adamandandy.com.
Click on this week’s comic strip to enlarge
Click here if you would like to see the previous Adam & Andy
BosGuy 
