Gay Comix (later Gay Comics ) is an underground comics series published from 1980 to 1998 featuring cartoons by and for gay men and lesbians . The comic books had the tagline "Lesbians and Gay Men Put It On Paper!"
51-475: Much of the early content was autobiographical, but more diverse themes were explored in later editions. The contents of Gay Comix were generally about relationships, personal experiences, and humor, rather than sex. It is generally less sexually explicit than the similarly themed (and male-focused) Meatmen series of graphic novels. Its editors each made a deliberate effort to feature work by both women and men. The idea for Gay Comix came from Denis Kitchen ,
102-569: A Czech national champion and medal winner at the 1934 World Women's Athletic games in track; Willy De Bruyn , a Belgian cyclist who became unofficial women's world champion in 1934, born intersex and raised as a girl but later identified as a man; and French sprinter Pierre Brésolles , who ran the 100 metre and 200 metre races and won third place in the 100 meter dash in the Oslo European Championship in 1946 . Later Olympic athletes include Andreas Krieger (b. 1965),
153-805: A " butch lesbian") before realizing that they are instead transgender. Trans men have less success integrating socially within cisgender gay men's communities, which tend to be more body-focused, especially in terms of being phallocentric . Yitzchak et al. state that, as a result, they more commonly see gay trans men partnering with each other than with cisgender gay men. There are, however, cases of women being likelier than men to thoroughly question trans men about their motivations for modifying their bodies. Some scholars argue against assumptions that trans men are predominantly heterosexual and usually have lesbian histories. In scholars Dan Irving and Rupert Raj's book Trans Activism in Canada , researchers state, "There
204-603: A German former shot putter who competed on the women's East German athletics team at SC Dynamo Berlin , and Ricardo del Real , a Mexican taekwando competitor in the 2000 Summer Olympics. More recently, Chris Mosier , a duathlon and triathlon competitor on the US National team in duathlon, successfully challenged the International Olympic Committee former policy that required surgery before transgender athletes could compete. Mosier's challenge led to
255-526: A baby, and breastfeed . In the United States, the ratio of trans men within the general population is unclear, but estimates range between 1:2,000 and 1:100,000. A U.S. Census Bureau study in 2015 suggests that there were around 58,000 name changes in census records consistent with female to male transitions although only 7,500 of these changed their sex coding as well. In a study by Kara Devaney, entitled Transgender Research Literature Review , it
306-531: A committed, happy relationship living a normal, well-adjusted life. Gay Comix #4 was published by Kitchen Sink Press in November 1983. It was 44 pages long and sold for $ 2. Howard Cruse was the editor and Vaughn Frick did the cover illustration. It included the following comics and artists: Some notable themes in this issue were struggling with being in the closet, in Ode to Phyllis Anne and Walls. 'A Word From Our Sponsor'
357-423: A cover price of $ 2.50. The cover was designed by Roberta Gregory . This issue included the following works: This issue explored themes including first young heartbreak and realizing your sexuality in 'Chosen Family: Wonder If I Am Years.' It dealt with AIDS and the horrible anxiety of not knowing your status as positive or negative in 'Peace of Mind.' In addition to the regular issues, there were special issues,
408-774: A female fetus. Trans men experience issues during pregnancy not experienced by pregnant women. For example, trans men may experience discrimination on the base of their gender while receiving obstetric care. Many providers are unfamiliar with the needs of transgender patients. Additionally, some men report that being pregnant made their gender dysphoria worse. Despite the 2020s restrictions on transgender children and adults participation in athletics, trans boys and men have competed in many individual and team sports at high school, college, and professional levels. Early known examples of trans men who competed at international levels were often competitors in women's championships, and came out as trans men later in life. They include Zdeněk Koubek ,
459-434: A few different methods of binding, including using sports bras and specially made binders (which can be vest-type, or wrap-around style). Tape or bandages are often depicted in popular culture. Some trans men might also decide to pack , to create a phallic bulge in the crotch of clothing. However, this is not universal. Trans men who decide to pack may use anything from rolled up socks to specially made packers, which resemble
510-690: A penis. Some packers are also created for trans men to be able to urinate through them ( stand-to-pee , or STP, devices), or for sexual penetration or other sexual activity (known as "pack-and-play"). Transitioning might involve some or all of the following steps: Being socially accepted as male (sometimes known as passing ) may be challenging for trans men who have not undergone HRT and/or surgery. Some trans men may choose to present as female in certain social situations (e.g. at work). After physical transition, trans men usually live full-time as male. However, some transmasculine individuals might choose to use and engage their bodies to be pregnant , birth
561-433: A publisher of underground comics through the company he founded, Kitchen Sink Press . In 1979, after realizing underground cartoonist Howard Cruse was gay, Kitchen asked him to edit an anthology of gay comic artists. The two had worked together previously; Cruse's comic Barefootz was published through Kitchen Sink Press. A call was put out for artists through comics magazine Cascade Comix Monthly . Gay Comix aimed to get
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#1733115254433612-889: A separate word to describe them. For this reason many transgender people find the spelling offensive. Originally, the term trans men referred specifically to female-to-male transsexual people who underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or sex reassignment surgery (SRS), or both. The definition of transition has broadened to include theories of psychological development or complementary methods of self-acceptance. Many of those who identify as transgender face gender dysphoria . Transsexual and transgender men may seek medical interventions such as hormones and surgery to make their bodies as congruent as possible with their gender presentation. However, many transgender and transsexual men cannot afford or choose not to undergo surgery or hormone replacement therapy. Many who have not undergone top surgery choose to bind their breasts. There are
663-484: A special issue featuring Barela ; Mangels changed the title to Gay Comics starting with issue #15, in part to divest it of the " underground " implications of "comix". Excerpts from Gay Comix were included in a 1989 anthology titled Gay Comics . Artists producing work for Gay Comix included: Gay Comix #1 was published in September 1980 by Kitchen Sink Press. It was 36 pages long and sold for $ 1.25. The cover art
714-409: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Trans man A trans man (short for transgender man ) is a man who was assigned female at birth . Trans men have a male gender identity , and many trans men undergo medical and social transition to alter their appearance in a way that aligns with their gender identity or alleviates gender dysphoria . The umbrella term trans
765-503: Is a broader term for all trans individuals with predominantly masculine identities or gender expression , and includes trans men as well as non-binary people who were assigned female at birth and may have an identity that is partially masculine but not entirely male. The alternate spelling transman is sometimes used interchangeably. However, like transwoman , it is often associated with trans-exclusionary views which hold that trans men are distinct from men, and thus require
816-468: Is a series of paperback books collecting short comics featuring gay and bisexual male characters. The comics included a mixture of explicit erotica and humor. Between 1986 and 2004, 26 black-and-white volumes of the series (160–200 pages each) were published by Leyland Publications , making it the longest-running anthology of gay male pornographic comics. During its run, the series was said to feature "every gay male cartoonist of note who has worked since
867-545: Is a shortening of both transgender and transsexual , and describes anyone whose gender identity does not align with their assigned sex . Trans men who transition are commonly referred to as female-to-male ( FTM or F2M ). The term transsexual originated in the medical and psychological communities, and is generally considered a subset of transgender , although the two are not always interchangeable. It predominantly describes people with medically diagnosed gender dysphoria , and who desire to permanently transition to
918-709: Is addressed that the term transgender encompasses a myriad of different and unique identities that do not follow the "normal" rules of gender. Miriam J. Abelson writes, "There is no question that trans men's experiences are men's experiences and give insight about men, masculinity, and gender inequality." Like cisgender men, trans men can have any sexual orientation or sexual identity , including heterosexual , gay , bisexual , and queer , and some trans men consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable to them. The literature commonly indicates that sexual attraction to those of their same gender (e.g., trans men liking men and trans women liking women)
969-685: Is considerably less common among trans men than among trans women; the majority of trans men are reported as heterosexual. Surveys from the National Center for Transgender Equality show more variation in sexual orientation or sexual identity among trans men. In NCTE's 2015 Transgender Survey of respondents who identified as trans men, 23% identified as heterosexual or straight. The majority (65%) identified their sexual orientation or sexual identity as queer (24%), pansexual (17%), bisexual (12%), or gay/ same-gender loving (12%). Some trans men date heterosexual women, while other trans men date queer women;
1020-1048: Is still a common misperception that trans men are largely heterosexual amongst those who conflate gender identity and sexual orientation. It is frequently assumed that trans men are exclusively attracted to women and have lesbian histories prior to transition." They add, "Recent data from the Trans PULSE project (Bauer, Redman, Bradley, & Scheim, 2013) challenge this assumption, with 63 percent of female-to-male spectrum trans people in Ontario reporting non-heterosexual identities and/or past-year sex with trans or non-trans men." They also argue that, based on some research, "many non-trans gay men have welcomed trans men into gay communities and have increasingly recognized trans men as potential sexual and romantic partners." Trans men and transmasculine people often face difficulty and discrimination receiving medical treatment, due to both bias against assigned-female patients and against transgender people . In
1071-589: Is still increasing. Trans men with an intact female reproductive system may become pregnant . According to surveys compiled by Medicare for Australia, 75 male-identifying parents gave birth in Australia in 2016, and 40 in 2017. Although testosterone therapy eventually induces amenorrhea in most trans men, trans men with uteri are still at risk of pregnancy even if they no longer have periods. Additionally, trans men are likely to live in poverty and have inadequate access to healthcare, so many do not have access to
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#17331152544331122-557: The World Boxing Council women's flyweight title from 2013 to 2014; NCAA swimmer Schuyler Bailar , and high school state wrestling champion Mack Beggs , who won the Texas state girls' wrestling title in 2017 despite efforts to bar him from participating. (State rules required him to compete according to sex assigned at birth . ) In basketball, noted trans men include Jay Mulucha , an LGBTQI activist and Ugandan basketball player with
1173-412: The contraceptives they may want or need. Trans men can use barrier methods, oral contraceptives, IUDs, and other methods of contraception while taking testosterone. Trans men must discontinue testosterone while attempting to conceive, while pregnant, and while breastfeeding, because high levels of testosterone during pregnancy can cause fetal abnormalities , specifically with the urogenital system of
1224-473: The 1970s". Cartoonists whose work was featured include: In 2001, copies of Meatmen vol. 18 and 24 imported by Little Sister's bookstore of Vancouver, British Columbia were classified as "obscene" and seized by Canada Customs . This led to the case Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium v Canada , which was eventually decided by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2007. This comics -related article
1275-402: The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 42% of 8,037 trans men reported negative experiences with healthcare providers. There is a lack of credible research about how to provide adequate healthcare to transmasculine people undergoing medical transition, notably with doctors having difficulty diagnosing breast cancer in people who have undergone top surgery . HIV infection between trans men and others
1326-545: The Magic Stormers in the Federation of Uganda Basketball League (FUBA), and American basketball player Kye Allums , the first openly transgender NCAA Division I college athlete. Harrison Browne was the first openly transgender athlete in professional American hockey, coming out in 2016 and transitioning medically after his retirement from professional sports in 2018. Kumi Yokoyama is a Japanese footballer who plays as
1377-515: The Yenta' and 'When Worlds Collide.' This issue also discusses homophobia in 'Just Because' and 'Binnie Blinkers.' Gay Comix #6 was published in November 1985 by Bob Ross. It was edited by Robert Triptow. This issue had a cover price of $ 2. The cover was illustrated by J Mills. Comics included in this issue were: Some of the topics and themes in this issue were anti-gay buzzwords used in marketing to show covert homophobia in "Shopping for Cornflakes", and
1428-565: The anthology was stellar, editing an anthology that was to cater to an entire category of people was no easy task, and that Cruse's effort shone through. White also allowed that since those who submitted to Gay Comix would be presumed gay or bisexual, Cruse had a smaller than average pool or comic artists to draw from. White summed up his review by saying that Cruse "must deal with more obstacles than usual, and for that reason his achievements thus far in Gay Comix deserve to be applauded". Gay Comix
1479-476: The closet, in 'Let's Get Visible.' Gay Comix #12 was published in spring/summer 1988 by Bob Ross and edited by Robert Triptow. It had a cover price of $ 2.50. The cover illustration was by Brad Parker. Comics included in this issue were: This issue covered topics such as illegal love under oppressive governments in "Future Shock", and lesbian safe sex in the face of AIDS in "Romance in the Age of AIDS". Gay Comix #13
1530-473: The cover art. It had a cover price of $ 1.50. The cartoons and artists featured were: Themes addressed in this issue include domestic partnered life in "Getting Domestic", internalized homophobia in "Jerry Mack", and experimentation in "Unnatural Desires!" Gay Comix #3 was published in December 1982 by Kitchen Sink Press. It was 44 pages long and had a cover price of $ 2. Howard Cruse was the editor. The cover art
1581-1005: The creation and adoption of new IOC guidelines for the participation of transgender athletes and in World Championships. Mosier was considered the catalyst for change in the policy in January 2016, after he successfully advocated for change in the policy Another Olympic team athlete, former member of Japan's Olympic fencing team Fumino Sugiyama , is now a transgender rights activist and works to promote acceptance and participation of trans athletes in Japanese sports. Track and field athletes include retired German pole vaulter Balian Buschbaum and American NCAA college athlete Keelin Godsey (hammer throw). Competitive athletes in individual sports include American professional boxer Patricio Manuel , and Japanese former professional boxer Shindo Go, who held
Gay Comix - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-554: The feel good comic of the year." The second special issue, #19, was devoted to the work of Alison Bechdel . In a review of Gay Comix #1, Bill Sherman called the anthology "a beacon to any artist that needs one", saying that " Gay Comix does for gay cartoonists of both sexes what Wimmen's Comix did for femme comix artists: opens the territory for incoming artists." Gay Comix #3 contained letters from readers. Not all letters were positive. One reader, Jim Clair, commented about issues one and two: "I am gay and proud, and really found
1683-463: The first devoted to Leonard & Larry , a strip by Tim Barela . In his review of the special for The Comics Journal , Ray Mescallado called Leonard & Larry "consistently the high point of Gay Comix whenever it appeared", and noted that Leonard & Larry "proposes something even more radical than an openly gay superhero: plausible gay characters in ordinary situations." He finished his review writing that, " Gay Comix Special 1 could well be
1734-400: The first two issues a 'downer' to gay life. I found no laughter, and was in fact depressed by a few of the stories. Gay life, even in big cities, is hard enough without having to be reminded of it in a magazine that presents itself as a hopefully lighthearted view of our wonderful life." In his review of the first three issues of Gay Comix , Ted White noted that while not every comic addition to
1785-461: The gay and lesbian contributors to write about things that had happened to them, and experiences they had had. Originally Cruse had reservations about editing the anthology. "He [Cruse] had never publicly, in print, declared he was gay ... he thought coming out would only add to his woes". Cruse decided that "it would be cowardly" to decline the editor position for those reasons. Cruse recognized that gay people were viewed as caricatures by most of
1836-530: The hospital, but are forbidden by their leader to think about the grim realities of AIDS. Super Gay Comix was later referenced in a prank call by the Jerky Boys . Gay Comix #9 was a special issue of the collected cartoons of Jerry Mills, titled Poppers . It was published in winter 1986 by Bob Ross and edited by Robert Triptow. It had a cover price of $ 2. Gay Comix #10 was published in spring 1987 by Bob Ross and edited by Robert Triptow. The cover illustration
1887-501: The human race. The cartoonists and stories featured were: Themes touched on in this issue include coming out and settling down, in "Stick in the Mud". Grief and cruising, in "Billy Goes Out", and hope for a more tolerant future in "When You're in love, the Whole World is Lavender". Gay Comix #2 was published in November 1981 by Kitchen Sink Press. It was edited by Howard Cruse, who also did
1938-443: The joys and pitfalls that come along with being in a lesbian couple in "Terminal Couple-Itus". Gay Comix #7 was published in spring 1986 by Bob Ross. It was edited by Robert Triptow. Donelan did the cover illustration. This issue had a cover price of $ 2. This issue included the following comics: Gay Comix #7 touched on AIDS in "Late One Night", bisexuality in "Bi Bi Baby", and coming out in "The Discussion Group". Gay Comix #8
1989-417: The latter might be because queer women are less invested in the gender and sexual anatomy of a person when it comes to selecting an intimate partner. It is also common for trans men to have histories with the lesbian community or to feel that they identify better with that community because of its wide acceptance of gender variance , with a number of trans men having previously identified as lesbian (often as
2040-798: The most well-known lesbian comic artists alive, saw Gay Comix as an inspiration for her own work. In a 2007 Comics Journal article, Bechdel is quoted as saying: I got out of college in 1981 and went into a gay and lesbian bookstore one day and found an issue of Gay Comix — I think it was the first one, that Howard Cruse had edited — and that was pretty mindblowing. It hadn't occurred to me at that point to put together my penchant for silly drawings with my personal life and my political interest in gay and lesbian issues, but there were these people who were doing it: Howard Cruse and Roberta Gregory and all those early Gay Comix artists. ... I'm very grateful to them for all that groundbreaking work. Meatmen (comics) Meatmen: An Anthology of Gay Male Comics
2091-448: The opposite sex via sex reassignment therapy . Many trans people prefer the labels transgender or trans , considering them more inclusive and less stigmatizing. However, others, such as Buck Angel , reject the label of transgender . The GLAAD media reference guide advises against describing people as transsexual , except for individuals who explicitly identify as such. Transmasculine (sometimes clipped to transmasc )
Gay Comix - Misplaced Pages Continue
2142-524: The world, and wanted to publish comics that showed the humanity and normal side of lesbian and gay people. Gay Comix featured the work of primarily gay and lesbian cartoonists. In an editor's note in Gay Comix #4 Cruse put out a call for more women to submit to the magazine, saying, "After all, the personal style of comic book storytelling in Gay Comix was pioneered by the women who put together Wimmen's Comix when underground commix were young." While it sometimes had suggestive or sexual comics, Gay Comix
2193-431: Was "one of the first undergrounds to look at life from a gay and lesbian perspective". It aimed to and succeeded in showing gay and lesbian people in as normal a light as anyone else. According to Cruse, "we wanted to reflect the feelings real people have. Gay people have been presented stereotypically so much you'd never know that we're perfectly normal people." Also historically significant is that Alison Bechdel , one of
2244-479: Was a parody commercial for a product a lesbian could use to "de-dyke" her home in a hurry. The issue also touched on the topic of AIDS and safe sex in 'Ready or Not.' Gay Comix #5 was published by Kitchen Sink Press in 1984. The editor was Robert Triptow, and the cover art was by T. O. Sylvester . It included the following stories and artists: Some of the themes in this issue were relations between gay men and lesbians, and gay men and their mothers, in 'Revenge of
2295-457: Was by Rand Holmes. It opened with a note from Howard Cruse: Each artist speaks for himself or herself. No one speaks for any mythical 'average' homosexual. No one speaks for the Gay Movement. ... In drawing this book, we gay cartoonists would like to affirm that we are here, and that we live lives as strewn with India inked pratfalls, flawed heroics, and surreptitious truths as the rest of
2346-411: Was done by Burton Clark. Gay Comix #3 was the first issue to include notes from its readers. The comics and artists featured in this issue were: Some of the themes addressed in this issue were activism, in 'Weekend Revolutionaries' and the pickup or cruising scene in 'Castroids.' This issue included a very positive comic about a gay trans man and his journey through transition. It shows a trans man in
2397-472: Was done by Peter Keane. Issue #10 had a cover price of $ 2. Comics in this issue included: Comics in this issue covered topics like the agony of a crush in "The Crush", and monogamy in Leonard and Larry. Gay Comix #11 was published in winter 1987 by Bob Ross and edited by Robert Triptow. It had a cover price of $ 2. Comics included in this issue were: This issue discussed topics like homophobia and coming out of
2448-527: Was not a pornographic comic series. Cruse apparently even expressed hope that he wouldn't be submitted to comics that focused heavily on genitals. Kitchen Sink Press published the first five issues of Gay Comix ; thereafter it was published by Bob Ross , publisher of the Bay Area Reporter gay newspaper. The first four issues were edited by Howard Cruse ; issues #5 through #13 were edited by Robert Triptow . Andy Mangels edited issues #14 to #25 and
2499-436: Was published in summer 1986 by Bob Ross and was edited by Robert Triptow. The cover illustration was done by Kalynn. This issue was titled Super Gay Comix and all of the comics featured a superhero of some kind. Comics in this issue included: Comics in this issue included topics like gay bashing, in "JaysonMan and ArenaWoman", and AIDS in "+Persons", where a group of superhero-esque figures go to "cheer up terminal patients" at
2550-437: Was published in summer 1988 by Bob Ross and edited by Robert Triptow. It had a cover price of $ 2.50. The cover illustration was by Michael Goldberg. It had the tagline "Torrid Tales of Politically Incorrect Love". Comics included in this issue were: This issue covered topics such as homophobic bosses in "My Boss", and pronouns in "Acquired Pronoun Deficiency Syndrome". Gay Comix #14 was published in winter 1991 by Bob Ross. It
2601-437: Was the first to be edited by Andy Mangels. As of issue 14, Gay Comix was to be moved to a regular quarterly publishing schedule, as opposed to the yearly and sporadic schedule it had kept up until that point. This was also the last issue to be titled Gay Comix ; later issues were spelled Gay Comics. Mangels changed the title to Gay Comics in part to divest it of the " underground " implications of "comix". Gay Comix #14 had
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