Gay Sex in the 70s

Gay life in New York in the 70’s meant being in a time and place where sexual exploration was somewhat a rule rather than an exception. The city was a constant cruising opportunity for gay men back in these days. On New York’s West Side piers, bars, dance clubs, baths and beaches there was a never ending party and anyone bold or curious enough was invited.Gay Sex in the 70s draws a chronicle of gay culture in New York during the period between the riots of Stonewall in 1969, the launch of the gay-rights movement, and the first reported cases of AIDS in 1981. This is an epoch not given much attention leaving the impression that modern gay culture always have been living in the shadow of AIDS. Joseph Lovett, an American documentary filmmaker and producer, makes a collage out of photos, film footage and interviews. The men who were cruising the streets of NY in the 70’s describes a time of easily accessed sex, but also a time of brotherhood, friendship and a feeling of being part of something big, namely the search of what it meant to be gay. This was a time when nothing was forbidden and there were no worries. The very personal stories are told with pride, longing and no regrets.ERIKA STRAND-BERGLUND