Circus of Books
While struggling to make ends meet with their young family in1976, Karen and Barry Mason answered an ad from the Los Angeles Times. Hustler Magazine's publisher, Larry Flynt, was looking for distributors. Circus of Books was supposed to be an extracurricular activity but ended up being the center of the LGBT community when they took it over. After a decade, they were America's leading distributors of gay pornography. Their struggle to be both parents and members of the LGBT community at a period when their lifestyle was still taboo is explored in the film. It was not easy for them to have their store serve as a safe haven for HIV/AIDS patients in the middle of an epidemic, as they were facing prison time for federal obscenity charges against them. Rachel Mason, the daughter of Circus of Books' owners, is an artist, filmmaker, and singer who tells the narrative of an unsung chapter in gay history.
Released: 2019-04-26
Genre:
Documentary