Sexuality and the Modern American Gossip Magazine, 1879-1950s, by Christopher Michael Elias

The growth of gossip magazines and tabloids during the first half of the twentieth century was partially fueled by the industry's embrace of sensational topics such as murder, violence, crime, and corruption. But no subject seemed to attract more attention than sexuality, especially sexual practices constructed as "abnormal" by the publications' authors and editors. As a result, gossip magazines and tabloids became a cultural spotlight that helped expose a variety of sexual identities, practices, and subcultures previously hidden from public view. First published on OutHistory in 2017.