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The mineshaft: a retrospective ethnography

J I Brodsky1

  • 1University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Journal of Homosexuality
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

The Mineshaft, a 1980s gay male sex club, offered a safe space for diverse erotic expressions. It addressed social needs and provided a unique environment for sexual exploration within urban gay communities.

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Area of Science:

  • Sociology
  • Urban Studies
  • Cultural Anthropology

Background:

  • Examines the socio-cultural context of gay male urban life in North America around 1980.
  • Investigates the role of specific venues in shaping sexual subcultures.
  • Considers the historical lack of institutionalized socialization for same-sex relations.

Observation:

  • Analyzes the Mineshaft, a male sex club, from a patron's retrospective viewpoint.
  • Details its marginal physical location, operating hours, and legal status.
  • Describes ritualized access, simplified social structure, and informal social control.

Findings:

  • The Mineshaft provided a for-profit, relatively safe environment for liminal erotic behaviors.
  • It responded to sociocultural conditions, including tensions between S&M and non-S&M gay male styles.
  • The club facilitated a wide range of fantasy, eroticization, and erotic role-playing.

Implications:

  • Highlights the function of such venues in accommodating unmet social and erotic needs.
  • Suggests that marginal spaces can become sites for significant subcultural development.
  • Offers insights into the negotiation of sexual identity and community in urban settings.

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