Sal Monetti
Johnny, 1996
Oil and pencil on canvas
24" x 19"

The Foundation relies on the dedication and support of its volunteers to prosper. Johnny Pascarella is one of those volunteers. The volunteers are a diverse group of men and women who bring to the Foundation, not only their talents and skills, but their lives - and gay histories. I had the pleasure of chatting with Johnny on a recent Monday afternoon - at my place and then over lunch at Manatus. He shared a lot about himself with me and I'd now like to share some of that conversation with you.

 AIDS Now
     Johnny has been living with HIV for several years. He has some strong opinions about the current media coverage that is promising so much hope in the fight against AIDS.
    "The cocktail - no one knows what will happen. Maybe we will become immune, and it will stop working. Right now it sounds great, but we have to be careful. People are still dying - very quickly, in fact, in some cases. AIDS is not under control. Lots of people don't even respond to the new drugs. Protease Inhibitors are in no way a cure. Safe sex is still the only way."

 The Politics of Safe Sex: Closing the Clubs
     As a safe sex advocate, Johnny believes it is solely the responsibility of the individual to engage in safesex.
    "Closing clubs is not going to touch the problem for people who will engage in unsafe sex - most people will have unsafe sex in places other than clubs - closing them does nothing."
    "I remember the old days when people who cruised were found dead in the streets. Years ago - I remember when so many dead bodies were found in Central Park in the 50's and 60's, there was a hell of a lot more of it - picking people up in parks and streets. Today, sex clubs provide a margin of safety - people there are other gay people. It's a lot safer. Also, in a sense,  the clubs even serve a purpose to provide a place to teach safe sex. Clubs give out safe sex information - no one is going to give you a brochure about safe sex - at least I don't know anyone who has them on a table when you come through the door and walk into someone's home."  [laughing].

 The Pre-Stonewall Days
     There were those days of yesteryear when Johnny didn't think about AIDS: he tells me, gay life was very different then.
     "Being in New York, coming out of repressive backgrounds, finding freedom - we were like a bunch of kids running crazy in a candy store. Central Park was one huge orgy. It was different in those days: no backrooms and stuff like that. It was actually a lot more fun, people did parties after the bars closed and we'd get a couple of six-packs of beer, go to the drug store and get a bottle of amyl and go party: yeah - back in the early 60's - and we got the real stuff. We use to hang out at the Lodge and the Big Dollar - two hot bars. After closing, we would hop a cab, stop at the drugstore, grab a bottle of poppers. Yep, that was the early, early 60's."
     "And in those days I had a cabinet-making shop across the street from the St. Marks Baths.  [I interject: St. Marks, so now you talking the 70's?]  "No dear, still the 60's - St. Mark's Baths was one of the [emphasis on the!] places to go. And in those early days the Mafia controlled all the bars. I was not involved then. Today all the bars - that I know - are gay owned. I've been managing gay clubs now for over 20 years, starting as a dancer at the Anvil, working at the Mineshaft and then managing J's.?
     "Bars didn't have the longevity they have today. In the old days - you would have to call a friend to see what bars might have been opened that weekend - they closed down so quickly. "
     "Bars didn't have the relationship they now have with the community. They're more involved today. Back then it was just a way to make fast money - no sense of community."
     "Today gay bars are part of the community. Like I said, most that I know are gay owned. That's one reason why they've become a place to show gay art. They all do it now, the Lure, J's - I worked on a show at the Hanger a few years ago - Russ Oliver's (photographer) - it was wonderful."
     "There was a place, years ago,  not a bar, called Stompers - a shoe store! The idea of Stompers was a place to sell boots - that's what is was - that's what it referred to: stompers, boots. The guy who owned it did art shows all the time. He showed Rex, Tom of Finland, Domino, I can't remember them all. Then there was the Leslie-Lohman Gallery - I am not sure, if they started before or after Stompers. I met Charles and Fritz around that time and they were also showing homoerotic art."
     [Editors note: Charles Leslie has since confirmed that - "yes we were around long before Stompers. We had our gallery in 1969, they started in the early 70's?"].

 Leslie-Lohman
     "The artist, Blade, a good friend of mine, invited me to his opening at the Leslie-Lohman Gallery years ago - in the late 70's - that started my friendship with Charles and Fritz."
    I asked Johnny about his early interest in homoerotic art.
    "Oh yeah, I remember as a kid I bought magazines like Tomorrow's Man, VIM, Physique Pictorial - oh - they are collectors items now. I liked Quaintence - he was a painter who lived in the west and painted cowboys. The work, of course, was not like it is today - then , there were no genitals showing, no sex; but it was all men taking showers together, going swimming nude, waking up in the bunk house, naked. This was the early 50's. His paintings were photographed and put into the magazines I bought".
     "I didn't start to volunteer at the Gallery until a few years ago - but like I said, I always had an interest in gay art. When I first started here, I would baby sit the gallery, then I hung some shows, worked on the archives - and of course now I cater the Christmas party!
    Earlier in our conversation, Johnny had stated that he thought the Foundation was important now and for the future. I asked him to elaborate on that point.
     "Well even in today's liberal society  the work needs to be recognized and preserved. Nobody - straight or gay - is doing what Leslie-Lohman is doing: cataloguing artists work and saving specific pieces of gay art. This palace has an absolute, definite purpose: preserving history - and it will be as important years from now, maybe even more important."
     "I love being here. Unfortunately, lately, I don't have as much time to volunteer - but I intend to do more in the future. I really think this place is run well - in a business like manner and it looks fabulous, with Victor [referring to The Foundation's long-time volunteer, Victor Trivero] doing all that work on lights and things; Wayne (Wayne Snellen - artist and the Foundation's Director] does a wonderful job; and of course, Sal [S. Monetti - artist and Foundation's Assistant Director] has brought a lot to the Foundation - with all the press he got us and continues to get. Yeah, it's a first-rate place.?

 Ne Regrette Rien
     Johnny tells me, "I'm pushing 60 - but I am not going to say from which side of 60." (laughs) Given his years traveled, from which ever side of 60, I asked Johnny to share some of his personal thoughts about his journey - regrets, advise, whatever - here's what he had to say.
     "Regrets - that's a strong word, there are probably some things I would do differently. I would have pursued being a decorator more vigorously than I did; maybe oriented myself to be a little more domestic instead of promiscuous, but I'm not sure - I'm not really sure. It's hard to do this stuff in retrospect. It's a trap, too easy to fall into. I'm HIV positive - I'd like to change that - but that's preposterous in retrospect.?
     "Advice - for whom? Young people? I think they can teach us some things. They came out in a freer society ? they could teach us. They are taught to be free - we weren't - we were defying the world, it was different for us.
      "You know it's still hard for a lot of people to do what they really want, even though we are in a more liberal society. The only thing I would say - to someone gay or straight - listen to yourself, do what is truly right for you, be yourself, express yourself - live your life the way you want. That's it."

    Well Johnny, thanks for the interview? and the advice! Charles and Fritz thank you too: for everything....And by the way, you owe me a home cooked meal, at your place: you did say that, didn't you?

Postscript: John Pascarella died shortly after discovering he had lung cancer, June 2003.