Spaces of pleasure: Gay male sex work in the texts of John Rechy and Jim Carroll

The intersection of gay male sex work and urban spaces is a sparsely researched area of masculinity and urban studies. The underground spaces of gay male sex work in 1950s and 1960s New York City is best captured through the texts of John Rechy’s City of Night (1963) and Jim Carroll’s The Basketball Diaries (1978). Both authors explore the relationships between gay male sex work, urban dwelling and masculinity. The subversive nature of gay male sex work allowed for the development of gay hedonistic spaces outside of the heteronormative structures of New York City. These locations in turn inspired gay and queer culture, media and texts influencing the direction of gay and queer culture to this day.