Until its demise in 2007, the twinkfest gay magazine XY filled the void while Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly was on hiatus. But the magazine, which launched in 1996, is now the only remaining asset of owner Peter Ian Cummings, who filed for bankruptcy and whose mailing list (of about 100,000 people) and online profile database 500,000-1,000,000) might hold some value. The FTC doesn’t want to see it sold, because the names on the list undoubtedly include many minors, many of them likely closeted. (A sale also might violate XY‘s original privacy agreement, which assured subscribers their names and addresses would never be shared or sold.) But whatever ends up happening in bankruptcy court, make sure none of the following are allowed near the database.
NAMBLA. The North American Man/Boy Love Association would love to get its hands on the home addresses of vulnerable young gay men, but unless Chris Hansen is going to be there to meet each one at the door, turn ’em down.
George Alan Rekers. The Rentboy.com enthusiast likely had his Internet access shut off by his wife, so his only way of communicating with cute twinks is through the mail. Don’t give him a windfall of a pen pal master list
Exodus International. For a group that believes homosexuality is something it can cure, nothing is more valuable than an Excel sheet filled with the names and hometowns of possible turncoats. Get ’em while they’re young. And malleable.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The Catholic Church. While the Vatican pretends to crack on on priests abusing boys, it’s also faced with the stark reality that fewer and fewer people are joining or staying with the church. What better way to replenish the altar boy roster than with a direct marketing campaign?
Former Rep. Eric Massa. The lithe, smooth torsos of XY cover boys might be irresistible to this snorkeler, but some things don’t deserve tickling.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
Wow, is this a new high for Queerty? JD, have you been hiding your talent? This time the humor works — very droll, very successful.
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It is too bad and sad that XY did not survive. The magazine was always a much more interesting view of gay world than OUT or The Advocate. And no, teens and twinks are not my style, well except remembering back as a teen myself and fantasizing about older teens and college guys.
XY was by and for gay kids, young and full of life yet scared as shit about dealing with the inevitable trials of being gay. Certainly XY did not make all kids feel better; but I always felt/knew, there are plenty of now former kids who are alive and well today because XY showed them that their lives and desires are just as valid as anyone and everyone else’s lives and desires.
Twink
XY tried to push the gymbot lifestyle on impressionable gay teens. No wonder it went down.
L.
@Twink: Whether this is true or not about XY (which I didn’t know) is debatable, but since the criticism could arguably be levelled at the almost totality of gay mags, I don’t think XY would particularly stand out if it was.
Tallskin
Why didn’t the idiot delete the datbase for god’s sake! If i were an insecure gay teen of say 14 the last thing I would want is for my name to be made public
IT’s always puzzled me why Nixon never wiped his fucking tapes!
Carlton
I think XY had it’s relevance in that closeted young gay men felt wanted and accepted in having an actual publication made FOR them. It also had a site where you could befriend/date same said guys. It generally felt like the first step in realizing there’s a whole world of fun, and “hotness” and tolerance out there upon that first crawl out of the closets doors. I hope where it left, another publication or site fills its role.
Say…what is the best site for young people to befriend/date/explore today? I’m fairly certain we’ve all graduated from planet out and gay.com, what has currently filled it’s void? Anyone in tune?
Republican
I think the guys in XY are a little bit old for the evil fucks at NAMBLA.
Riley J.
@Twink: Gymbot lifestyle? As in wanting to look good, being shallow, going to the gym and being attracted to the same? That’s not a lifestyle, that’s human nature and can be found at any straight establishment (ever been to a hetro bar?) too. Anyone crying otherwise should…ya know…get a gym membership or two.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Much ado about nothing…….The mailing list most likely consists of mostly older dudes into twink types……How many actual twinks living with M&D were going to have a subscription sent to their homes??? If they did have a sub, most likely was sent to a PO box or somewhere else……. As to the online list, its farily easy to simply make an online profile go away into cyberspace……….
That being said, I did purchase more than one copy (slipped in with a purchase of a comb, candy, soda, shoe laces, the newspaper, shoe polish, and anything else I bury it under on the counter :-p ) and definatley was a boost to know I wasn’t the only Gay teen in the world…….And they did have lots o hawties…
Brutus
@Twink: XY didn’t “push” it on anyone. Other way around — guys who were attracted to the “gymbot” pictures on the cover and inside the pages bought it.
christopher di spirito
I’m proud of you, Queerty.
See? You editors can do good journalistic work when you’re not collecting Davey Wavey’s fuck stick.
christopher di spirito
I’m proud of you, Queerty.
See? You editors can do good journalistic work when you’re not collectively fellating Davey Wavey’s fuck stick.
Baxter
XY: The magazine for young gay boys and the old men that love them.
Ryan C
@Riley J.: “human instinct” to work out? You’re trying to hard.
Twink
I was talking about pushing the idea that only muscular, good looking guys are to be emulated. It wasn’t for “young gay boys” to know they’re not alone and to guide them into healthy adulthood, it was for old chicken-hawks to drool over.
And the idea that “closeted minors” would be on the mailing list is laughable. If that magazine arrived at your house in the mail, you wouldn’t be in the closet for long.
Carlton
@Ryan C: I agree with them. human instinct to prefer those who do. Like it or not, most would go for an in shape body over an out of shape body and if you’re trying to sell us on not, well LOL. This magazine didn’t do anything that Maxim doesn’t do but that’s okay, cause they’re straight. A moment we have a gay magazine, alll the f’ing actvisits start flying through with protests and how/why this guy is not on the cover. Well, probably because he’s not that desirable. Sorry, better luck with National Geographic.
Austin
Okay, I have to chime in here – I was actually *in* the demographic for XY while it was running (which was youth up to 24; it wasn’t all about teenagers).
I liked the mag, and I generally skipped the photo sections. They had real articles about gay youth and issues concerning gay youth well before anyone else even wanted to talk about it.
I’m not sure any of you remember, but in 1996 the idea of someone being out at 18, much less 13, was new. The “scene” was run by older gays who generally came out in college or later (sometimes much later); the notion of a “gay teen” was something for Nifty.org stories or independent movies. I was the only out kid in my high school in 1993, and even when I graduated in 1995, and that’s in “liberal” southern California.
I first learned of the Trevor Project through XY. They had stories on gay kids fighting discrimination, on drug awareness, on all sorts of topics that were aimed specifically at gay youth, and all at a time when even advertisers who should be aimed at the youth crowd wouldn’t touch a gay youth magazine with a 10-foot pole (which is a big part of the reason it collapsed).
Now, granted, nowadays the major players are all covering youth issues. Constance and Derek are all over the place. GSAs fighting against school boards or christian groups get headline billing on major stations. Maybe we don’t need something like XY any more, especially with the prevalence of the internet and blogs. But flip back 15 years and I think you’ll see differently.
You guys may have all bought it for the “hot bois”, but the mag reached a legitimate youth audience in a way no one else was even attempting. Give credit where it’s due.
William
Doubtful anybody would be interested in buying an email list that has not been updated/verified since 2007. If this is the only remaining “asset,” Cummings would better off spending time completing Publisher’s Clearing House forms and waiting for Ed McMahon to visit from the grave.
no
Like Austin, I was in the demographic and subscribed to it when i was 17 or so.
I hope he does not sell it don’t want my info out there for others to know. I don’t want to be hounded by gay publications.
like some I did see that it did push a scene lifestyle out to others, but it was there too at a time before and when networking sites were just beginning and left kids feel they were not the only ones. And the survival guides were honest.
I remember when they began asking for contributions, I didn’t have money to donate and if i did I would have asked for them to stop pushing the lifestyle. I got magazines even after my subscription expired asking for donations. They followed me to a new address. I think my mother started throwing them away after she went back in denial. Was uncomfortable that they followed even after i stopped subscribing. He should not sell the information I would hate being followed by another gay publication I didn’t want.
I do agree with some of you, who say yay this blog has news now wow!!!
Ryan C
@Carlton:
“most would go for an in shape body over an out of shape body”
1. Prove it dear.
2. Define “in shape.”
3. Last, but not least, the wrinkle in your thinking:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815509,00.html
Yet Another
XY was the first gay ANYTHING I ever bought. It definitely wasn’t just for the pictures as it wasn’t the most culturally diverse publication. But it really did make me feel less alone. I could never subscribe, but i snuck them when I could and hit them in my room.
You can say whatever you want about it but at the time, it was a Godsend for some of us.
By the way, @austin, you mentioning nifty.org took me back too. lol. Wow, its actually still up?
Thomas
Does anybody remember the XY staffers, and long term lovers, Michael Glatze and Benjie Nycum that left to form Young Gay America Magazine? That mag, and l0 year love affair ended too, after Glatze declared he was no longer gay. As a conservative Christian, Glatze believes that homosexuality is a sickness and opposes LGBT rights. Can’t judge a mag by it’s cover, or something like that.
lookyloo
@Twink: XY was the only place I saw anything about young, jock-ish gay guys. All gay references in the media back then (and pretty much now) are effeminate, artist types. Gay, jock, high schoolers have no one to ’emulate’. It’s probably very lonely and scary.
L.
Dear Ashley,
Be informed that we’ve been informed approximately 13,477 times already. We are over-informed, actually. But we bet there are many other sites that aren’t as well informed at us, say, Twitter, or Gawker. Please go and inform them quickly!
Gratefulness always,
L.
Charles
@L.: LOL. Rumor has it, the perps have been sighted hanging out on the Teen Vogue forum. Take it over there.
Dame Helga von Ornstein
Speaking of those lost souls at Exodus whatever happened to their “leader” who was making the rounds preaching the virtues of the group but was forced to resign after a picture of him surfaced where he is clearly sitting in a gay Dupont Circle (Washington, DC) bar with a drink?
thomas
you look very good.wish i were their
Silvester
Makes me warm inside!
Fitz
He didn’t delete the list because he knew it would be an asset. Plain and simple.
(Nixon didn’t delete his tapes because he thought he was being unfairly chased, and that history would prove he was a wonderful and benevolent man. )
I am sad that the mag is gone. I never was into that kind of guy, and never looked like that kind of guy, but it was a semi-safe way for closeted youngins to get something gay that they could hide in their bags which wasn’t just straight-up porn. And I don’t resent that the boys were super fit. What 15 y/o doesn’t have that body image crap? It’s almost the job of a 15 y/o! Do you really think you are going to talk effectively to a young teen about normal body fat distribution? please. They want what they see: 6-pack abs, hairless bodies,and jock-inspired clothes. But, hey, if you think that there is a market for gay 14-17 y/o’s who want to be chubby, hairy, D&D players, then go for it. Put it out there.