True Homosexual Experiences: Boyd McDonald and Straight to Hell

Boyd McDonald had the makings of a successful career in the 1950s but after 20 years of resentful conformity and worsening alcoholism, McDonald dried out, pawned all of his suits and went on welfare. It was then that his life truly began. From a tiny room in a New York hotel, McDonald published Straight to Hell, a series of chapbooks collecting readers’ ‘true homosexual experiences’. Through interviews and images, this book tells McDonald’s story as a key figure in gay underground history and pioneer of the queer zine scene.