queer erotics

Dom Orejudos a.ka. Etienne or Stephen started making gay-male erotica in the 50s. Most of which were collaborative efforts with the iconic “Tom of Finland”.  Orejudos did mostly leather inspired erotic comics. He also started some of the first gay erotic themed events, like International Mr. Leather. I find his artwork to be essential to gay culture. What I love about his work is that it was not just art--it was an erotic artistic movement ! I didn’t want to flood this with info from wikipedia but here is more information about him.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_Orejudos 

Made by the Queer Art and Porn Collective.

Perhaps queer eroticism then is actually a queering of what causes sexual feelings. I once went to a queer porn short film screening that included a 5 minute film of a subject reading a book in the stacks of the library. That was it. Queer erotics. I guess that’s why I included Shamir’s music video on this site... queer erotics include experiences/aesthetics that are beyond the sexualized body... and also include the queer body as a body which insights sexual feeling.

The now out of print Butt magazine was always a favorite of mine. From giving reviews of “cruising locations” to interviewing queer celebrities and porn stars to journalism.  You might recognize this magazine from shopping in American Apparel. What is erotic to me is the photography. I was always stunned when I saw this for sale online and in stores (I wasn’t really “out” at the time). Also the name of the magazine is so (was so, at least) provocative. The best way to describe this would be erotic journalism. Also it seemed to cater to my obscure taste in music. I’d always be surprised to find interviews of bands like Girls and Salem. I attached a link to the now digital version of the magazine for ya’ll to check it out. Also--I attached some sexiness to this post !  http://www.buttmagazine.com/

All work and all play make this an issue worth waiting for.”

A whole site dedicated to erotics, this page about queer erotics, specifically

This is just a bunch of people’s opinions on the difference between pornography and erotica

This film is said to be satirical... I’m curious about what erotic satire looks like and if it has the same/similar goals as a through and through erotic film. 

Obviously, the text itself is erotic in nature and queer because the person saying it identifies as such. However, I also really dig her use of the prosthetic leg as a drum. It’s got this erotism to it, as well as a playfulness. It’s very queer.

This zine is kinda fun. It has a very playful approach to academia. There is one erotic story called “E=mc2″ which stood out to me, in which the two characters engage in an escalating sexual situation while discussing great 20th century writers. One character gets increasingly aroused as the other struggles to provide an adequate answer to her questions. I felt I could relate to this situation in my academic life, with some professors seeming to take a sort of low-level sadistic pleasure in the failures of their students. Interesting stuff.

The writer talks about potential queer exchanges between animate and inanimate bodies, which I find especially intriguing, especially they bring up this affectionate relationship they have with a couch. Eroticism isn’t discussed explicitly but it is here.

Danez Smith is a Black, queer, poz writer who is crushing it rn! In my interpretation, this poem talks about the complex intersections between body and identity and involving other people in that relationship. 

Note: Nicole Eisenman is my favorite contemporary painter. She makes a lot of work about queer sexuality and I thought I should find something of hers to include here. The link is to an interview between her and contemporary painter David Humphrey. I was really struck by their discussion of the surfaces of paintings. It is distinctly erotic. 

I also want to share this because I admire the way that Maggie Nelson is able to weave together personal narrative and cultural criticism into her writing. 

For me this book was an introduction to erotic literature. Last semester I took a class called “contemporary black women writers” at UMass. Now Lorde isn’t exactly contemporary, but this book serves as a seminal piece in feminist, black and what I would consider queer writing. I don’t think I’ve ever sat and read a book in one sitting before besides this one. What opened my eyes in this book was her use of language to create these beautiful erotic situations. I never took erotic literature seriously (I know, what a shame) until I read this book. 

anna’s note: It’s hard to sum up this essay with one quote, but i’ve been reading and reading this essay for two years now and i resonates even more deeply each time. I am curious how her understanding of “women” includes (or doesn’t) gender queer and trans people. I’m curious if folks think the more “sexy” music videos and such fall into Lordes idea of erotics... I think they do actually... There is something profoundly erotic about seeing another queer (or female) body expressing sexual desire or finding power in their sexiness. Can’t quite put my finger on it though...

content warnings: nudity, knives/cutting skin