Фоторепортаж Батча Кордоры «Straight & Butch»: 20-летняя история дружбы геев и гетеросексуалов

For Philly local Butch Cordora, his latest project is more than a provocative coffee-table book. It is the culmination of a creative journey spanning nearly two decades. “Straight & Butch” — inspired by Cordora’s fascination with the friendships between gay and straight men — began with a calendar before evolving into an 87-minute documentary and, finally, a revealing collection of photography and personal stories. Cordora spoke with PGN about the book’s long road to completion, his complicated relationship with Philadelphia fame and what today’s Gayborhood could learn from the anything-goes nightlife of the past. Tell me about the path to “Straight & Butch.” The idea came to me literally 20 years ago. I have a lot of straight male friends — probably more than the average gay man — and I share many of their interests. Some might say they’re not historically gay pastimes: poker, billiards, darts, fast cars, heavy metal and things like that. I’ve also occasionally caught feelings for a few of them, although I obviously never acted on those feelings. Basically, I’m fascinated by the whole straight-guy/gay-guy relationship. One day, while I was showering at the gym surrounded by naked straight guys, the idea just popped into my head: “I wonder if any of my straight friends would pose nude with me for a photo shoot?” It wasn’t about making porn or hooking up. I wanted to show the world where we were at that time in terms of comfort, acceptance and open-mindedness — and maybe move the needle a bit. You have to remember, this was 2006. What was the process of curating the content for the book? I love Madonna’s “Sex.” I thought it was a masterpiece, quite frankly. The book was probably 75% to 80% photography, laced with quotes and stories about her past and present, all beautifully blended together. That was my inspiration. At one point, my book was going to be entirely in black and white like hers, but I eventually changed my mind. So much of this book was shaped by my editor — and one of my best friends — Kelly Burkhardt. She shares my vision, is incredibly artistic, and has a wonderful eye for imagery and content. I literally could not have done this without her. Some parts of the book are extremely revealing. What was it like to expose so much of yourself in print? Oh my God, I know! It’s more than slightly embarrassing, I have to say. I wrestled with the decision to include some of those salacious stories right up until the printer’s deadline. But any memoir worth its weight has to offer a true, revealing and honest depiction of its subject. Still, I find myself telling people who buy the book, “Don’t worry about the text-just look at the pictures!” What do you hope readers take away from “Straight & Butch”? I definitely want people who purchase it to get turned on! The fact that, besides me, every guy in the book is straight will hopefully entice people to pick it up. Beyond that, I want it to make a statement about where we are in terms of acceptance, sensitivity, sexuality, masculinity and the human condition. That includes objectification or objectivity, depending on how you look at it. It’s “look but don’t touch” and “straight but not narrow.” That sort of thing. This book is the final chapter of a 15-year odyssey that also included a calendar and documentary. What has been the most meaningful part of the journey? Yes, “Straight & Butch” is done! No one is more over this project than I am! The calendar was really great, but making the documentary was the proudest I had ever been artistically. The fact that I made an 87-minute movie still blows my mind. Now, though, this coffee-table photography book might be my biggest accomplishment. A long time ago, Kelly said to me, “You know what I like about you? You finish stuff.” Honestly, I like that about myself, too. If I say I want a talk show, I find a way to make it happen. If I say I want to make a movie, I make one. I said I was going to write a book about poker, and I did. I think that’s one of my best traits. Then there was this photography book, which sat in limbo in a folder on my desktop for 10 years. All the while, I could hear Kelly’s voice in my head. I hated that I had never finished it. Last summer, during a drive to Allentown, Kelly and I talked about the project. People move on with their lives. They move on from projects. We were both in different head-spaces and busy with other things, but we decided to dig deep and finish the damn thing. It took an entire year and every bit of downtime we both had, but I can now safely say again: I finish stuff! What was it like seeing your Philadelphia life laid out on film in the documentary? I loved making that movie. I still watch it from time to time, and I hope it stands the test of time. I’m not embarrassed by it at all, even today. Funny, isn’t it? There are 87 minutes of me naked, yet I’m more embarrassed by the four or five salacious stories in the book! If I had to be picky, though, I honestly don’t know what I could have done differently with the film. I thought the “Straight & Butch” documentary would catapult me nationally — or at least make me a little more “gay famous” outside of Philadelphia. For some reason, interviewers back in 2012 and 2013 said the film came across as “Philly-centric.” I’ve been accused more than once of not creating work or art that transcends Philadelphia and connects nationally. I don’t see it, and I don’t get it. Tell me something about this project that you’ve never revealed before. This happened long after all the photo shoots were finished, but I eventually hooked up with two of the models. A third model later came out as bisexual, and another came out as nonbinary. I asked all four of them to be truthful with me, and they each swore that, at the time of the shoots, they identified as heterosexual. Therefore, I still feel comfortable calling the book “Straight & Butch.” Butch Cordora’s “Straight & Butch” is available for purchase at Passional Boutique and PEG Philadelphia Erotic Gallery.