The Velvet Mafia: the gay men who helped shape mic the 60s | Mic | The Guardian

Contents:

• THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD AUD CD – UNABRIDGED, JUNE 12, 2012
• THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD HARDVER – MAY 24, 2005
• THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD KDLE EDN
• THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD PAPERBACK – JANUARY 1, 2006
• THE VELVET MAFIA: THE GAY MEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MIC THE 60S
• ТHE VELVET RаGE: A MT-READ BOOK FOR GAY MеN
• WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE
• THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD

THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD AUD CD – UNABRIDGED, JUNE 12, 2012

He is currently focg primarily on his clil work and wrgs for gay men. His current book, THE VELVET RAGE, has been acclaimed as "groundbreakg" and "the bible for the gay men".

THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD HARDVER – MAY 24, 2005

Downs has been a gut on many media programs cludg, THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, TODAY SHOW, and NPR's MORNING Downs's fluence as a thought lear for gay men is worldwi and ntu to grow.

From Publishers Weekly Wh a tle that plays on Ja Jackson's epochal 1997 LP The Velvet Rope, and s anatomy of unmet sire, therapist Downs's book scrib the paradigmatic ways which early childhood molds the future liv of gay men: srned on the playground, disrpected by Dad, loved only by Mom until their first sex wh men. Through this mechanism of rejectn, gay men feel unlovable, rrpondgly angry and, he says, driven to heights of creativy and "fabulons"— addn to shoppg addictn and obssns wh fat, mcle and penis size— a bid to distract themselv om their ner shame.

While many gay rears will fail to regnize themselv here, others will fd Downs's logic warmg and even genero. Review "Those faiar wh gay men will fd a good al of hont reportg here. Whout beg mdl, Downs, himself a gay man, wr movgly.

THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD KDLE EDN

There's no doubt that the men profiled this sober ll for "owng the jury" of growg up gay a straight world were helped by their unselg, or that there are certaly some rears who will fd their own liv reflected that healg.

But the people who shaped and advised those artists – the on who managed the stars of the classic rock age – were, by an outsized marg, gay terwoven muny clud Brian Epste (who brought the world the Beatl), K Lambert (who -managed the Who), Simon Napier-Bell (the Yardbirds, and a young Marc Bolan), Robert Stigwood (Cream, the Bee Ge), Billy Gaff (Rod Stewart), Ken Pt (David Bowie), Barry Krost (Cat Stevens), as well as Tony Stratton-Smh (who formed the visnary label Charisma for bands like Genis). In fact, was a gay man, Larry Parn, who svengali-d Bra’s very first rockers, om Tommy Steele to Billy Fury to Marty Wil. A new book tled The Velvet Mafia: the Gay Men who Ran the Swgg Sixti aims to tell the Brish si of this story by focg on several key players the scene, cludg a few of the aforementned nam along wh the novative producer Joe Meek and the head of the UK’s most powerful label at the time, Sir Joseph Lockwood.

”At the same time, the rich, powerful and fluential men faced the nsirable nsequenc of beg gay at a time when homosexual acts were still outlawed the UK. ”There were, fact, a few powerful gay women the Brish rock scene at the time as well, cludg Vicki Wickham, who booked the acts on the semal TV show Ready Steady Go and who later managed Dty Sprgfield and LaBelle. ”Bullock’s book don’t lve to the eper cultural and psychologil issu volved the relatnships between the gay and straight men.

THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD PAPERBACK – JANUARY 1, 2006

Still, ’s clear to any stunt of the era that the edgy liv of gay men at the time fascated the straight artists they worked wh. They weren’t jt gay but also Jewish. ”In some ways, managers like Epste and other others uld sulate themselv om the everyday life of gay men at the time – throwg their own exclive parti and circulatg elevated circl where they uld do as they pleased.

Ironilly, after the law agast homosexual acts changed Bra 1967 – crimalizg them certa circumstanc and for those of a certa age – the harassment of LGBTQ people actually tensified.

“But post-67, and wh the formatn of the Gay Liberatn Front 1970 Bra and wh gay people beg more outspoken, the raids and the psdo-polil attacks started to happen more. The Velvet Mafia: The Gay Men Who Ran the Swgg Sixti is out now.

THE VELVET MAFIA: THE GAY MEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MIC THE 60S

Alan Downs about the unique challeng gay men face our society and how we n overe them for better mental 's a book for gay men, their loved on, and mental health profsnals who want to help gay men grow and live happier, more thentic, I share my views on the book and highlight some important lsons applible to many gay men stgglg to accept themselv or overe the pa of their childhood term “Velvet Rage” is ed to scribe "the experience of tense anger that rults om (a gay man) failg to achieve thentic validatn. "The sectns exame the different steps gay men often take to rencile wh their sexual orientatn, al wh mental health issu, and live fulfillg and self-hatred.

A powerful aspect of The Velvet Rage is how addrs the rage, shame, and self-hatred many gay men experience growg up gay a straight Downs suggts that this shame is not nate but rather a rult of how society treats gay suggts shame is the emotnal rponse to beg treated as if you are ls than human.

ТHE VELVET RаGE: A MT-READ BOOK FOR GAY MеN

He wr, "The toxic re of shame has the gay man utterly nvced that he is crilly flawed, and this shame lors and dims his life experience, g him to filter out the good and grasp only the bad, difficult, and distrsg.

Alan provis a roadmap for overg this shame by explorg s tells his rears to be openly gay and stop hidg behd masks they thk will keep others om judgg them. He wr that the more you hi, the more you, nversely, the more you reveal, the more you stggle to fd acceptance and more powerful aspect of The Velvet Rage is how addrs the issue of gay men often stggle to form lastg relatnships, and Alan Downs claims that this is bee they have not fully e to terms wh their shame and wr, "Famished for thentic validatn and whout a reliable sense of self-directn, (a gay man) velops a sophistited radar for those thgs and people who will make him feel good about himself. "The Huffgton Post poted out how well the book shows how gay men try to overe their shame by "beg the most succsful, outrageo, fabulo, betiful, and mascule.

"Some people might scribe this as a recipe for shallow this is often a pg mechanism for gay men who are stgglg to fd acceptance and n be a way to fd pri and acceptance their gay inty. Explorg ncepts The Velvet Rage I don't e the book as a gui for how I work wh my clients, do plement many of the thgs I prrize stance, I help many clients intify and overe the pa they experienced growg up, their feelgs of shame, and ternalized homophobia.

WISNS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATUR 'THIS BOOK IS GAY' LIBRARY, STIRRG ONLE OUTRAGE

I also help clients velop a healthier sense of who they are by gettg them to thk about their valu and the relatnship ont, I help clients unrstand the role that shame and ternalized homophobia may play their romantic and platonic relatnships and offer guidance on buildg healthier, more fulfillg nnectns wh Alan giv practil advice throughout the book on how gay men n overe their tells rears to embrace their creativy, build a strong support work, and re for also giv exercis and journalg ias to help gay men thk about their feelgs and experienc. Stereotypil reprentatn of gay cultureWhile many gay men will relate to aspects of this book, some parts may not speak to all gay stance, not all gay men have issu wh monogamy or are dg-takg, club-gog men, which are prevalent gay culture but shouldn't overshadow the gay muny as a all diverse cultur, there are var subcultur among queer the last , 's been rehg to see gay men portrayed and reprented more promently the media and pop men are unique and do not f the typil stereotype or mold that some may say domat Alan Downs's narrative The Velvet gay don't require a particular style, nor is there a rrect way to be 's no such thg as a one-size-fs-all LGBT person's experience of beg gay is different and should be celebrated and accepted.

Limed verage of pennceAlso, The Velvet Rage do not fully regnize that shame n lead to pennt behavr gay men. Geni Pictur (“Mrs Lowry & Son, ” “Good Luck To You, Leo Gran”) has optned Emmett Monterey’s acclaimed memoir “Go the Way Your Blood Beats” – about growg up gay and disabled 1980s London – for TV adaptatn.

At his mastream school, teachers refe to schle his class on the ground floor, and at his llege for disabled stunts, he’s told he will be expelled if the mors are te, if he’s gay. The Velvet Rage was first published 2005 and that time the book has bee notor wh the gay muny as one of, if not ‘the’ book to gui gay men toward fulfilment and self-actualisatn. The 2nd edn blurb stat that The Velvet Rage has “helped shape the inty of an entire generatn of gay men.

THE VELVET RAGE: OVERG THE PA OF GROWG UP GAY A STRAIGHT MAN'S WORLD

If the inty of gay men has already been altered, do the sights offered wh the book still have relevance today? One of the prcipal theori that he outl wh The Velvet Rage is that a gay man’s life n be broken down to three stag. This three-stage ncept appears to be an origal one nstcted by Downs himself, based upon his work wh gay clients.

Although Downs largely wr about a universal gay experience, there are wele extracts om his own personal story that brg honty and humany to what n sometim be generalised and prcriptive.

The Velvet Rage is filled wh sights about the liv of some gay men.