The jockstrap, which originated as utilitarian sports equipment, was appropriated by gay men starting in the 1950s, especially among fetish subcultures.
History
Entry into gay male culture (1950s–1960s) Some gay men began adopting the jockstrap as erotic attire in the 1950s, coinciding with a broader shift towards hypermasculine aesthetics in queer fashion. Post-World War II leather and biker subcultures, influenced by gay ex-servicemen, embraced BDSM and icons of traditional masculinity (motorcycles, bomber jackets, construction workers). Underground homoerotic media accelerated its fetishisation. The 1950s magazine Physique Pictorial often featured muscular men in white jockstraps and artist Tom of Finland's illustrations also featured and eroticised the garment.
Rise in gay nightlife and fetish subcultures (1970s–1980s) By the 1970s, while jockstraps were not routinely used by athletes, the garment was routinely worn in gay nightlife and fetish scenes, particularly in leather and BDSM communities. It was liked as the garment's design accentuated the crotch while exposing the buttocks, making it desirable for tops and bottoms. Jockstrap nights became common at venues worldwide. The garment's use in gay pornography, especially changing room and gym-themed scenes, further entrenched it as a fetish object. At this time, it became associated with an explicitly queer version of the existing jock archetype, as documented in Hal Fischer's 1977 photo series Gay Semiotics, which documented jocks in San Francisco's Castro District, alongside other explicitly masculine gay stereotypes.
During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, jockstraps and leather remained visible symbols of hedonism and community resilience (e.g., sidewalk gatherings outside New York's The Saint nightclub).
Contemporary significance (2020s) The garment became popular among gay men and the wider LGBTQ community in the 2020s. Major designers – including, Calvin Klein, JW Anderson, Gucci, and Rick Owens, alongside other large brands like Adidas, Diesel, and 2(X)IST – and other mainstream brands have featured jockstraps on runways and in Pride collections, including rainbow and pride-themed versions.
As a fetish
References