Castro clone

Castro cloneis slang for ahomosexual manwho appears in dress and style as anidealizedworking-classman. The term and image grew out of the heavily gay-populatedCastroneighborhood inSan Franciscoduring the late 1970s, when the modernLGBT rights movement,sparked by the 1969Stonewall riotsin New York City and theSummer of Love,gave rise to an urban community.The first recorded usage of the term is fromArthur Evans's "Red Queen Broadsides", a series of posters hewheatpastedaround the Castro at the time.The look was most common from roughly the mid-1970s to around the mid-1980s. The Castro style regained popularity in the first decade of the 21st century, particularly among LGBThipsters.

Fashion

See also:Lumberjack § Fashion

The Castro-clone appearance typically consisted of masculine attire such as uniforms, leather orLevi'sjeans, andchecked(orplaid) shirts. Typical of the look was a form-fittingT-shirt,shrink-to-fitdenimtrousersworn snugly (bell bottomsandlow-rise jeansin the early 1970s, later more traditionally working-class501s), sneakers or boots, and often a fullmoustacheandsideburns.Hair styles were relatively short, not acrew cut,but definitely something that would not blow in the wind or require muchhair sprayto hold it in place.The look was modelled heavily on thegreasersof the 1950s and 1960s, which was also an influence onpunk,heavy metalandfetish subcultures.

The elements of the look all served to emphasize the wearer's physical attributes, especially those associated with masculinity; those with buff body shapes believed that less clothing was often better, so that their hard work at thegymwas evident. Gay men so frequently adopted this attire, at first whenbar-hopping,that it soon became associated with males of the post-Stonewallgay community.

History

Arising from theLGBT social movementsof the late 1960s and 1970s, which allowed greaterfreedom of expressionthan had previously been acceptable, this new freedom was represented in the imagery of movies and magazines of the time, inspiring a particular gay male style. With a greater acceptance of gay men, there was a fashion towards being seen and identified with the group.

Visual appearance was further inspired by the icons of masculinity portrayed in the works ofhomoeroticartists, such asDonelanandTom of Finland,and can be seen in the "construction worker","policeman ", and leather-clad" biker "characters in the musical groupVillage People,as well asAl Parker,Richard Locke,Jack Wrangler,and other porn stars.

The combination of inexpensive, comfortable streetwear, with an emphasis on masculine attributes, yielded a gay look that was considered erotic and easy, yet suitable for non-gay venues. This enhanced LGBT recognition and facilitated the community'semergencefrom theclosetin the late 20th century.

Concept

Men who use this label might feel the need to maintain their sense of masculinity as well as 'looking the part'.Men could take parts of the appearance that they found attractive and that worked for them. For many men, the look was an outward sign of their freedom from socialdictaand a celebration of their personal masculinity. Somefetishizethe style while others find the appearance a sign of liberation,counteringthehomophobicstereotypethat generalizes all gay men as effeminate.

With an influx of young gay people who felt free to express theirsexual desires,a culture of idolizing masculinity emerged with rugged working-class men seen as one of the ideals, even if many of those men were actually middle-class professionals.

There was a period when the "clone look" was limited to theCastro DistrictofSan Francisco,but that period could not have been more than a few weeks.The emergence of the NYC-based gay monthly magazines in the mid-to-late 1970s (such asMandate,Playguy,andHoncho) had much to do with inspiring the clone look in locations other than the Castro District. The magazines were filled with images of clones, both in feature spreads and advertisements. Gay porn films of the era also advanced the look.

The look continued to evolve through the 1980s and beyond, effectively influencing the rise of thebear culture,which expanded on the concept, converting mustaches to beards, emphasizing masculinebody languageas well as appearance, and embracing ex-footballerhusky-to-chubbyphysiques. This contrasted with the more common subcultural spin-off of the Castro clone phenomenon, thetwinkevolution which led to the slightly more sleek gym-and-diet-induced, slim musculature prized among gay urban men. This began in the mid-to-late 1980s, with men sporting fashions and hairstyles inspired by popular actors such asRob LoweandDon Johnson,as well as pop rock stars such asGeorge MichaelandSimon Le Bon.

Criticism

One of those who criticised the Castro clones was the gay singerSylvester,who asserted that such clones often hassled him and were judgmental toward effeminate or flamboyant men.