Gay Men and Mustaches, a History in Photos

The Gay Mustache

Here at The Advocate, we are punctilious about our follicles. Gay men practically owned the mustache in the '70s, and now it's become a symbol of men's health issues celebrated every year during Movember. In honor of our hairy history, we present the big gay mustaches of our past.

Bruno

The mustache that launched a thousand fantasies. Bruno was most beautifully shot by Colt Studios.

Armistead Maupin

Adorable Armistead Maupin was the Charles Dickens of San Francisco in the '70s with his avidly followed daily serial in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Tales of the City." The characters were so well loved that the newspaper column spawned a book series that continued for many volumes and many TV adaptations. And yes, Maupin still sports the 'stache, and he is still adorable.

Glenn Hughes

The mothership of mustaches was the hairy horseshoe on Village People band member Glenn Hughes's upper lip.

Village People

You have heard of hair bands? Well, almost all the members of the Village People made it a mustache band.

Marlon Brando

Bisexual actor Marlon Brando decorated his perfect upper lip with a Watersian-style lip liner in The Ugly American.

E.M. Forster

English author E.M. Forster withheld publication of his groundbreaking gay romance novel Maurice until after his death. Here he is in Paris in 1925.

Harvey Milk

A Milk mustache.

Rock Hudson

Rock Hudson wore it well in his '70s television hit, McMillan and Wife.

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury kept the mustache relevant in the 1980s.

George Rekkers

Wait! What? Who let this guy in?

Robert Reed

Robert Reed of Brady Bunch fame working the mustache and afro combo.

Sal Mineo

Actor Sal Mineo tricked out with a "pimp-stache."

Rip Taylor

The always lovely Rip Taylor handlebars on the $1.98 Beauty Show.

Al Parker

Al Parker, porn star-director-producer from an early Blueboy layout.

Pacifico Solano

And speaking of Blueboy, here is an artwork by Pacifico Solano using appropriated images from that magazine.

John Waters

Like a cherub from Hell, a young John Waters with his signature lip liner, waiting to leave America in a permanently shocked state.

Nick Chase

Dreamy Colt model Nick Chase was in real life Steve Schulte, who happened to be one of the first mayors of a newly independent West Hollywood. American lives do have second acts.