{"product_id":"barneys-le-sex-shoppe-phoenix-gay-sex-shop","title":"Barney's Le Sex Shoppe (Phoenix Gay Sex Shop)","description":"\u003ch1 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarney's Le Sex Shoppe — Phoenix, Arizona Vintage Gay Bookstore Tee\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarney's Le Sex Shoppe. Phoenix, Arizona. 1970s. Dirty magazines, adult movies, private booths, and a quarter's worth of entertainment. Not exactly your neighborhood Barnes \u0026amp; Noble.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhoenix in the 1970s wasn't exactly known for its progressive attitudes toward homosexuality, but that certainly didn't stop the local gay community from finding places to meet, socialize, and occasionally get into a little trouble.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd one of those places was \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarney's Le Sex Shoppe\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an adult bookstore located at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1421 East McDowell Road\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1977\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Barney's was advertising in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Pride of Phoenix\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, one of the city's early gay newspapers, offering adult entertainment to a clientele that was probably looking for something considerably more interesting than the latest bestseller.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe store's advertisements proudly promoted a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e25-cent arcade\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, late-night hours, and ample free parking.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwenty-five cents!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTry finding that kind of entertainment for a quarter today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarney's was part of a thriving network of adult bookstores, movie arcades, and sex shops scattered throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area during the 1970s. Establishments like The Book Cellar, The Venus Bookstore, and The Pleasure Palace catered to a community whose options for openly expressing its sexuality were considerably more limited than they are today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd these weren't just places to buy dirty magazines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor many gay men, adult bookstores served as informal meeting places, offering opportunities to explore their sexuality and encounter other men in an era when being openly gay could still cost someone their job, their family, or their freedom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArizona's laws were particularly unpleasant. During the 1970s, consensual sexual activity between men remained criminalized, and proposed changes to the state's criminal code threatened to continue that discrimination.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMeanwhile, Barney's was advertising its little quarter-operated arcade right alongside articles about gay rights and the growing liberation movement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere was something wonderfully defiant about that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1979\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, advertisements for Barney's were still appearing in Arizona's gay press, identifying the McDowell Road location as a 24-hour bookstore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApparently, there was enough demand for reading material to keep the doors open around the clock.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOf course, nobody was necessarily going there for the literary criticism.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike so many adult bookstores of that era, Barney's eventually disappeared from the landscape, leaving behind little more than old advertisements and memories of a time when gay nightlife was considerably more underground.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"Gold \/ S","offer_id":67940031135902,"sku":"28445211673753955456","price":29.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Natural \/ S","offer_id":67940031168670,"sku":"20924975205004726289","price":29.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Pink \/ S","offer_id":67940031201438,"sku":"21273333349773657252","price":29.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White \/ 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