Arts & Entertainment
Coming soon: the ‘International Male’ documentary you never knew you needed

For gay men who came of age before the turn of the millennium, the International Male catalogue holds a special place in their memory.
Glossy, risqué, and as trashy as it was alluring, it was more than just a way to order mail-order clothes – it was a cultural touchstone. The items they sold might sometimes have been more than a little tacky (pirate shirt, anyone?), but the men who were modeling them for us were enough to stir any young gay-curious boy’s imagination in the way that leaves a lasting impression.
The company behind this little gem of gay history disappeared along with the 20th century, and the world has moved on – there’s internet porn now, after all. Still, though International Male is gone, the fond memories linger, and a trio of filmmakers is counting on that – they aim to make a documentary telling the story behind the iconic queer catalogue, and they’re asking for your help to do it.
According to their fundraising pitch on the Film Collaborative website, the film will be, “The story behind the iconic International Male fashion catalog that transformed the ‘All-American Boy,’ changing fashion, masculinity, and gay rights forever.”
They offer the following synopsis:
“More than outrageous fashions, hunky models,
and scandalous undies, ALL MAN is a journey across three decades of the
International Male catalog’s lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay
rights.
With revenues at its peak of $120 million and circulation of
over 3 million, the catalog successfully appealed to both gay and straight
audiences. For gay men, the images of sensually dressed men were a gateway into
a fantasy world providing an escape from the AIDS crisis and widespread
homophobia. For straight men and their female admirers, the catalog gave
permission to take fashion risks and enjoy a more carefree expression of
sexuality without threatening their masculinity and sexual appeal.
ALL MAN: The International Male Story is designed as a tribute
to the catalog’s unique aesthetic and cultural relevance. The film mixes
exclusive never-seen-before photographs and videos, interviews with super fans
and celebrities, and creative re-enactments of the infamous photo shoots, and
more!”
The movie’s directors are Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed, with Peter Jones as producer. According to the film’s Facebook page, Jake Shears is set to appear in it, along with Carson Kressley, Brian Buzzini, David Knight, Steve Lyon, Robert Goold.
You can donate through the Film Collaborative page.
The 2026 World Pride March was held on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Amsterdam. Tens of thousands of participants marched from Martin Luther Kingpark to the grounds of the Pride Village at Museumplein.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)








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The weekly drag show “Daddy Issues” was held at Kiki on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Performers included Evry Pleasure, Indiana Bones and Tiara Missou-Sidora.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)









Books
Something’s off about Dad. When is it time to step in?
‘When Memory Fades’ can help when families face dementia
‘When Memory Fades’
By Nathaniel Chin, MD
c.2026, St. Martin’s Essentials
$30/422 pages
Mom called you in a panic the other day.
She’d lost her keys and by the time you arrived to help, she’d found them. In the refrigerator.
These kinds of things keep happening, not often but often enough, and you don’t know quite what to worry about. But in the new book “When Memory Fades” by Nathaniel Chin, MD, you’ll learn about the journey ahead, for both of you.
You can’t remember why you walked into a room. You got lost last week, going to the bank. Popular wisdom says that things like that are normal as we age, but Chin says that’s not true – although the answer may not be a worst-case scenario, either. Yes, memory problems could just be signs of stress, dehydration, or lack of sleep – or is it time to see a doctor?
Chin says maybe, yes.
He was working his way through medical residency when his father, a geriatrician in Madison, Wisc., was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Chin, now a geriatrician, was blindsided, but that diagnosis also changed his life.
Here, he writes about the brain, and how Alzheimer’s and dementia are diagnosed, explaining that dementia has many faces and, depending on a doctor’s evaluation, memory problems might be slowed or improved. He shares his father’s illness with readers, but he also writes about his mother, a steadfast, steady caretaker.
Her story reminds reader-guardians to care for themselves, too.
Know how to talk the talk, so that you can have “a more productive” conversation with your doctor. Understand that there’s nothing “normal” about dementia or Alzheimer’s. Know the statistics – African Americans are affected with dementia twice as much as whites – and know how to lower your risks. Learn here what questions to ask, how to break the news to everyone, and any legal matters that will be important soon. And know how to tend to you.
Says Chin, “The best action you can take is to educate yourself… The more you understand, the better equipped you are to make sound judgments.”
Something’s off about Dad, just a lot of little things that don’t add up. When is it time to step in? “When Memory Fades” can help you decide.
Wise, wide-spread, comprehensive, and compassionately helpful, this is a book you can read and then take it to the doctor with your loved one. It’s a book that makes sense when nothing else does, and its biggest feature is that it smoothly transitions from easy-to-grasp science and charts, to gentle coaching for caregivers. Author Nathaniel Chin, MD writes with storytelling, humility, grace, and experience from both sides of the Alzheimer’s/dementia issue, and his words are reassuring but also urgent. Learn, but don’t wait, he says. Know how to safeguard yourself. See your doctor, and don’t fear testing. Watch for signs of depression. And never, ever stop asking for help.
Read those last seven words, and find “When Memory Fades” now. It’s a book to have on your shelf, whether you’re 45 or 95 because, as you’ll see, dementia happens and knowledge is key.
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