Time Line 1970

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Time Line 1970
(Time Line 1965) -- (Main Index) -- (Time Line 1975)
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1970

See also [ 1970s ]

Books Published

  • The Young Master by William Lambert III, one of the best from this prolific author of gay erotica with an SM twist.
  • Leather Ad V1: M and V2: S novels by Larry Townsend.
  • Sex and the Lash Lovers by R. Rodgers Kingman.

Clubs and groups organized

Formation of Atons of Minneapolis; Boston Bike Club; Centaur MC of Richmond VA; Druids MC of Washington DC; Entre Nous of Boston; The Lake Riders of Chicago; the Libertines of Kansas City; MS Amsterdam, MSC Rhein-Main Frankfurt; MC Kemo of Montreal; PCMC of Los Angeles; Praetorians of New York City; The San Franciscans; South Pacific MC of Sydney; Southern Cross MC of Melbourne; Spearhead of Toronto; TOR MC of Toronto and Vulcan Rubber Club of Washington DC. New York First, a council of New York motorcycle clubs is formed.

Leather bar openings include

The Barn in NYC; Boots in Ft. Lauderdale; The Cellblock in NYC, The Leather Game in Los Angeles; The Leather Stallion in Cleveland, the Eagle's Nest, NYC:, the Triangle in NYC,
1970
The explicitly homoerotic SM film "Born to Raise Hell" starring Val Martin, produced by Terry LeGrand and directed by Roger Earl, is released in Los Angeles. It remains a classic of the genre to this date.[see 1972. Which is correct???]
1970
Publication of Cruising a murder mystery novel by Jay Green set in New York's leather bars. When later made into a movie starring Al Pacino it was the subject of vocal demonstrations by gay activists who objected to the portrayals.
1970
Michael Holm starts Revolt Press in Sweden. He publishes Tom of Finland's books of artwork, and later starts Mr SM and Toy magazines.
1970
Spearhead holds its first Roundup run and the Vanguards hold their first Oktoberfest. The first Leather Sabbat is held in Washington DC.
1970
Professor Louis Compton of the University of Nebraska teaches the first gay studies course in the US. [TOL]
1970
The Gay Activists Alliance selects the Greek letter lambda (8) as a symbol of the gay movement.
1970, Jan.
More than 250 homosexuals, led by the Rev. Troy Perry, march for police reform on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. [LRF]
1970, Jan.
Customs officials seize and seek permission to destroy, ten artworks from an international erotic exhibit scheduled to show in New York City. Permission is denied by a New York court citing the First Amendment. [LRF]
1970, March
A gay San Francisco postal worker fights an attempt by the Civil Service commission to terminate him for "moral incompetence", recovering his job in November, and paving the road for future Civil Service Commission reforms. [LRF]
1970, June
Celebrating the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first gay pride parades/marches/rallies are held in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Cycle MC marches in the Christopher Street Liberation Day parade in NYC.
1970, July 6
Troy Perry, founder of Metropolitan Community Church, and a leatherman, sits on the steps of the Federal Building in Los Angeles refusing to eat or leave until someone from the city of Los Angeles comes and talks to him about Gay rights. Eleven days later city Councilman Robert Stevenson holds a curbside meeting with Perry, ending his vigil. [TOL]
1970, Aug.
North American Conference of Homophile Organizations (NACHO) holds its final meeting in San Francisco. Morris Knight leads street people in to smash NACHO. Anarchy faced off with arrogant conservatism, and anarchy won, says Jim Kepner. [LRF]
1970, Sept.
The Federal Commission on Obscenity and Pornography urges the repeal of most anti-pornography laws. [JR]
1970, Nov. 25
Yukio Mishima commits ritual suicide after a failed attempt to incite a riot at a Military school in Japan. (Born Jan. 14, 1925).

1971

Books published

  • All or Nothing by Dirk Vaden, one of the most popular leather novels of its time.
  • Run Little Leather Boy and The Scorpius Equation two of Larry Townsend's best early novels.
  • The photo illustrated History of Flagellation in two volumes by Jon A. Peterssen.

Clubs and groups formed

Formation of Argonauts, Cycle Runners MC, Koalas, and LOBOC in California; Chicago Knights MC; Keystone Riders in Philadelphia; Kingmasters in Los Angeles, Northern Riding Club in the UK; Scorpions MC (originally Centaur MC's DC chapter) in DC; Thunderbolts MC in Connecticut; Tribe MC in Detroit and Unicorns MC in Cleveland. The Boston Bike Club disbands.

Leather bar openings include

The Bootcamp in San Francisco, DC Eagle, The Ramrod in Phoenix, the Stockade in NYC and the 247 in Philadelphia.
1971
The In Between opens at 1347 Folsom in San Francisco, in between FeBe's and the Ramrod. It soon metamorphosed into the No Name, a popular leather bar. [R]
1971
The first FFA run is held in Cambria CA.[R]
1971
Runs initiated include The Centaur's Olympia, Entre Nous' Days of Equinox and Hell-Za-Popper held jointly by Wheels and Nine Plus.
1971, Jan. 3
First lesbian center in the US opens in New York City, sponsored by the NY Chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis.
1971, Feb.
The Eulenspiegel Society is founded in New York City as North America's first SM organization. It is open to all sexes and orientations.
1971, Apr.
Bob Ross begins publishing the Bay Area Reporter, aka the B.A.R., in San Francisco. Mr. Marcus begins his leather column in this newspaper in August of 1971. As of this writing in Jan,. 1999, both the paper and the column are still going strong after 28 years!
1971, Apr. 30
Richard Chinn and John Cantrell are arrested in downtown Chicago for kissing each other in public.
1971 Aug. 5
The Bootcamp, a uniform themed bar opens at 1010 Bryant St. in San Francisco. Marcus Hernandez, aka Mr. Marcus, is manager. [R]
1971, Aug. 29
Tribe M.C. (later Tribe Detroit, Inc.) founded.
1971, Aug.
In Chicago, thirteen men decide to organize a group specifically to hold gay male SM play parties and the Chicago Hellfire Club is created.

1972

Books Published

  • Black In White IN by K. Kevork, Interracial gay sex with strong elements of SM.
  • A Persian Boy by Mary Renault, a novel that follows a slave boy in the service of Alexander the Great.
  • Punishment, An Illustrated History by Peter N. Walker
  • The Leatherman's Handbook by Larry Townsend, the first non-fiction book about gay male leather lifestyles, is published.

Clubs and groups formed

Formation of Atlantis MC (originally Unicorn/Atlanta) in Atlanta; Atons of Minneapolis; Bucks MC in Pennsylvania; Celtics MC in Mississippi; Hawks MC in Los Angeles; the Interclub Fund in San Francisco; Iron Cross MC in Montreal; Knights of Malta, Black Rose Chapter, Portland OR; Knights of Malta, Emerald Chapter in Seattle; NY Levi Club; Omaha Meatpackers; Rainbow MC in California; The Selectmen of Detroit, The Stallions of Cleveland; and Titan MC of Boston.
1972
The Folsom St. Barracks at 1147 Folsom St in San Francisco is the city's first leather oriented "Bathhouse". [R]
1972
Marcus Hernandez, leather bar manager and leather columnist for The Advocate and later for the B.A.R, is selected as the first gay Emperor of San Francisco. (Not counting the Emperor Norton, of course.)
1972
Frank Ball founds TAIL, the "Total Ass Involvement League", with members all over the world who communicate through frequently published newsletters, and membership rosters with carefully [codad|coded indications]] of sexual specifics offered and sought.
1972
Marshall Loeb begins publication of SMads, which offers gay male subscribers a chance to place and respond to explicitly SM personal ads.
1972
Cycle MC sponsors its first tour to New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
1972
Iron Cross publishes first issue of its newsletter Crossroads and Nine Plus publishes last issue of its Scimitar.
1972
Two New York leather bar institutions, the Ramrod and The Spike (formerly the Stockade) open. Nine Plus moves to a new location between The Spike and The Eagle.
1972
Producer Terry LeGrand and Director Roger Earl make a gay male SM film starring Val Martin and a large cast. Born to Raise Hell is still regarded as one of the best gay male SM films ever made.[Joseph, see 1970. Can you resolve this question?]
1972
R. Litman and C. Swearingen, in an article in the Archives of General Psychiatry, describe a bondage subculture in the USA. This is the first such reference to any leather group recognized as a "subculture" in the professional literature. [wd]
1972, April
The (San Francisco) Bay Area Reporter newspaper begins publishing a column devoted to leather related news, gossip and information written by "Mr. Marcus" (Marcus Hernandez.) The first, and longest running, column of its type, in 1999 it is still going strong!
1972, April 4
Atons of Minneapolis founded.
1972, May
Chuck Holmes sends out his first mail order flyer for gay erotic 8mm films, one of which starred the legendary king of porn John Holmes (no relation). The business would eventually become Falcon, one of the biggest gay video companies in the world.
1972, May 2
Death of J. Edgar Hoover, for many years the director of the US Bureau of Investigation (FBI). For years his federal police force had kept surveillance records on thousands of individuals and organizations including many that were gay or engaged in other sexual activities beyond vanilla. After his death stories surfaced about his 44 year "friendship" with Clyde Tolson (1900-1975) who was his right hand man at the FBI and was his housemate outside the office. Photos of Hoover in female drag have also appeared. It seems that our FBI director, who could blackmail mafia dons and presidents with ease, was both homosexual and homophobe!
1972, June 27
Gay News, England's first gay newspaper, founded.
1972, July
Queen's Quarterly a New York based gay male magazine includes a very well illustrated article on the life and work of leather/SM publisher and artist, Steve Masters in Vol 4, #4.
1972, Aug.
Los Angeles police raid a HELP (Homophile Effort for Legal Protection) monthly fundraiser at the Black Pipe, a major leather bar. Among those arrested. HELP president Larry Townsend. The police are surprised when the organization fights back. Some consider this the West Coast Stonewall.
1972, Oct.
In a contest held at the Chicago Leather bar, the Gold Coast, John Lunning becomes Mr. Gold Coast. The FIRST leather titleholder.

1973

Books Published

  • The American sex researchers John Gagnon and William Simon publish "Sexual Conduct"
  • The Social Sources of Human Sexuality, introducing the concept of "scripted behavior" into research. [wd]

Clubs and groups formed

Formation of the Argonauts of Wisconsin in Green Bay; Cin City CC in Cincinnati; Colorado Riders in Denver; Cycle men South in San Diego; Denim Guy Club in Australia; Gateway MC in St. Louis; Kansas City Falcons MC; Loge 70 in Switzerland; Long Island Spuds, Monterey Dons in California, MSC London in the UK; Northern Lights in Montreal; Olympian Cycle Corps in Dallas; The Pride Chicago; Rochester Rams, NY; Roo Bike Club, Sydney; Saddlemasters, Illinois, SF GDI; Silver Star MC, Milwaukee; Thebans MC (Originally FLLA), Miami; Tridents MC International and Wrangler MC Dallas. The Mid-America (Originally MidWest) Conference of Clubs formed.

Inaugural issues of newsletters

Atlantian from Atlantis MC; The Bolt from Thunderbolt and Scene and Machine from D. B. I. Corp, Washington DC. The latter newsletter publishes a list of leather bars in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. And holds the first Mr. Scene & Machine contest at the NY Eagle--won by Mr DC Eagle, Johnny Albert.
1973

Inaugural runs

  • Atlantis MC's Dogwood; and Omaha Meatpacker's Rough Out.
1973
The US Supreme Court, ruling in Miller v. California, defines obscenity as a violation of the community standards in the location where it is viewed.
1973
The National Gay Task Force is founded.
1973
The Leather Fraternity, a contact club newsletter for leathermen is started in Los Angeles by "Robert Payne".
1973
Tom of Finland's first exhibition of original art, the illustrations for the book, The Loggers, is held in the back room of a sex shop in Hamburg. It is a disaster, poorly hung, poorly lit, no sales, and most of the art disappears.
1973
The Thunderbolt's clubhouse burns.
1973
The Red Star Saloon opens, it is connected to the Barracks bathhouse, and is noted for its sleaze, as exemplified by its Chuck Arnette watersports ads and posters. [R]
1973
Folsom Prison, a leather bar at Folsom & 14th St. opens in San Francisco. It closes in 1977. [R]
1973
Ron Johnson becomes manager of the No Name in San Francisco and converts it into a kind of Performance Art Leather Bar which becomes wildly popular. [R]
1973
The End Up opens in San Francisco and The Interchange Saloon opens in Detroit.
1973, March 3
Two policemen shoot it out in a Sacramento, California, public toilet after one tries to arrest the other for "oral copulation."
1973, March 29th
Ray Engel holds "Bondage, Leather and Fetish Party" at the Rag Doll in North Hollywood, CA
1973, April 28
Mid-America Conference founded during the 8th anniversary run of 2nd City MC in Chicago.[RR]
1973, April 27th and 28th
Ray Engel holds "Straight and Swingers Ball", Miss Sensuality Pagaent and "Erotic Trade Show" at the Rodger Young Center, 936 Washington Bl, Los Angeles
1973, May 6
600 protestors link hands across New York's George Washington Bridge in a demonstration for gay rights. [TOL].
1973 Nov.
The Ambush opens at Harrison and Dore in San Francisco, and attracts a unique laid back crowd of leather hippies. It remains a unique leather bar until it closes in 1986. [R]

1974

Books published

  • Publication of issue #1 of Gay Bondage magazine edited by "Tau" (Jim-Ed Thompson). Produced after Jim Ed had convinced the House of Milan, for which he worked as an editor of heterosexual SM titles, to try a gay title. After three issues they are convinced and Gay Bondage is replaced by Action Male, a magazine of more general gay male leather interests.
  • S-M The Last Taboo by Gerald and Caroline Greene.1974
  • The Story of Harold a novel by Terry Andrews, which features sm images of burning, is published in New York City.
  • The first issue of Bound to Serve, the photo magazine of gay male bondage and SM lasts for 10 issues, through 1980.

Clubs and groups formed

Formation of The Alabama Celtics MC (originally Celtics MC Azalea chapter, later Celts MC, Mobile); BALL MC (Bay Area Leather/Levi MC), Tampa/St. Petersburg; Celtics MC, New Orleans; Corps of Rangers, Los Angeles, Handlebar MC, Seattle; Houston MC; Ili Holo Hawaii; International Roadmasters, Detroit; Iron Cross MC, Los Angeles; Knights d'Orleans; Knights of Malta, Western Chapter, Reno; The Lanyards, Toronto; The Links MC, DC; Midland Link MSC, Worcester, UK; MSC Berlin; MSC Hamburg; MSC Panther Koln; NY Ontario Leather Club, Buffalo, Pennine Chain MSC, Cheshire, UK; The Philadelphians MC; Regiment of the Black and Tans, Los Angeles; Rodeo Riders, Elkhart, IN (later Chicago); The Shipmates, Baltimore; SLM Copenhagen; Society of Janus, San Francisco; Sons of Apollo MC, Phoenix; Swords de Montreal; Trash MC, NYC; and Zodiac Fraternal Society, Vancouver BC.

Bar openings include

The Bike Stop in Philadelphia; Gauntlet, NYC; The Horseshoe Saloon, DC; Munich Eagle; A/J Ranch, Harper's Ferry WV; and the Strap, NYC.

1974
Formation of the Mid-America Conference of Clubs in Chicago, The Forum in San Francisco, and in Europe, ECMC, European Conference of Motorcycle Clubs.
1974, Early
The German physician Andreas Spengler begins a sociological study on the German homosexual sadomasochistic subculture. [wd]
1974
Rob Meijer opens RoB Amsterdam leather shop in Amsterdam. The shop becomes legendary for it's quality and design, and expands to become one of the leading erotic art galleries in the world and THE leading gallery for leather male art.
1974
Tom's Saloon opens in Hamburg, decorated with numerous huge photo murals of specially commissioned Tom of Finland drawings.
1974
Formation of the Mid-America Conference of Clubs in Chicago, The Forum in San Francisco, and in Europe, ECMC, European Conference of Motorcycle Clubs.
1974
First "Let Us Entertain You" weekend sponsored by the leather clubs of Houston on the weekend following Mardi Gras.
1974
Lambda Rising Bookstore opens in Washington DC.
1974
The Leather Underground opens in Baltimore
1974
Bella Abzug and Edward Koch become the first members of the US House of Representatives to introduce legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. [TOL]
1974
Robert Opel strips naked in the Los Angeles City Council Chambers during a meeting of the council.
1974
Jim Ward, a jeweler, meets Doug Malloy a wealthy man who had made a lifelong study of body piercings in various cultures. They become lovers, partners, and in 1975, the founders of the body piercing business, Gauntlet.
1974
The Society of Janus is started in the San Francisco Bay area by Cynthia Slater. It is an SM interest group open to all genders and orientations.
1974
The first World Congress of Sexuality is held in Paris. [wd]
1974, Feb 14
Opening night for Doric Wilson and Peter de Valle's Off Off Broadway theater TOSOS (The Other Side Of Silence) with de Valle's revue Lovers featuring a Leather couple and the song Belt & Leather.
1974, Feb 14
Fan Dancer Sally Rand performs at Man's Country Music Hall in Chicago (she is in her 70's) setting a precedent that years later allows for nude performances in this theater. [Joseph, JR's timeline says 75 Do you know which is correct?]
1974, Apr. 2
Robert Opel appears naked on television worldwide as he streaks the Oscar award ceremony.
1974, Apr. 8
Members of the American Psychiatric Association agree with its trustees to stop listing homosexuality as a mental disorder.
1974, May
The first demonstration of gay activists in Portugal, seeking repeal of antisodomy laws. [TOL]
1974, May 18
A study conducted by the Sex Research Institute of Indiana University recommends ending laws and harassment against adult consenting homosexuals.
1974, June 21
The last defendants in the LAPD raid of a HELP fundraiser at the Black Pipe are cleared of all charges.
1974, July 19
Los Angeles Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim (founded in 1972) is chartered by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations becoming the first gay religious organization to receive such official recognition. [TOL]
1974, Aug.
"The Society of Janus" publishes it's first newsletter. It will become the club's well known "Growing Pains". [CT]
(Time Line 1965) -- (Time Line Index) -- (Time Line 1975)
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