Beyond the Cover: The Unfolding Story of an Iconic Gay Adult Bookstore and the Nuances of Identity

Imagine a family, seemingly conventional, raising their children in a suburban home, observing religious traditions, and diligently pursuing academic success. Now, imagine their secret world: operating one of Los Angeles's most iconic gay adult bookstores and distributing material across the nation. This was the surprising reality for the Mason family, whose journey into the heart of the adult entertainment industry reveals a compelling saga of unexpected entrepreneurship, community building, legal battles, and profound personal discoveries.

The story of Karen and Barry Mason, and their legendary establishment, Circus of Books, is far more than a tale of commerce. It's a rich tapestry woven with threads of resilience, social change, and the ever-evolving understanding of identity. How did a couple with backgrounds in journalism and special effects engineering come to define a significant chapter in LGBTQ+ history, all while maintaining a seemingly ordinary family life?

An Unforeseen Foray into the Adult Entertainment World

Barry and Karen Mason were hardly typical candidates for adult entertainment moguls. Barry, a talented inventor, had developed a life-saving safety device for kidney dialysis machines. However, a sudden collapse of a crucial deal left the family in dire financial straits. Desperate for income, they stumbled into the adult distribution business. What began as a stop-gap measure quickly revealed their innate business acumen. Within weeks, with minimal effort, they were inundated with orders, hand-delivering adult films across Los Angeles. Their portfolio soon expanded to include struggling gay adult publications, initially acquired through their association with figures like Larry Flynt.

The pivotal moment arrived in 1982 when the opportunity arose to acquire Book Circus, West Hollywood's most renowned gay adult bookstore. Renaming it Circus of Books, Karen and Barry transformed it into more than just a retail space. It became a vital safe haven, a social nexus, and an informal community center for LA's burgeoning gay population.

A Hidden Life: Keeping the Business a Secret from Their Children

For Micah, Rachel, and Josh, the Mason children, their parents' profession was a closely guarded secret. Strict instructions were given: never touch the products, never speak the shop's name to friends. Yet, secrets, especially those so deeply embedded in a family's daily life, have a way of surfacing. Micah discovered adult material in his mother's car boot, while a 14-year-old Rachel learned the truth from friends, a revelation that brought shock and confusion. Despite their parents' unusual business, the children viewed them as ordinary small business owners, underscoring the Mason family's remarkable ability to compartmentalize their lives.

"There's a level of conventionality in our family," Josh Mason once reflected, highlighting the profound dissonance between their public and private personas.

Navigating the Storm: Legal Challenges and Community Support

As the Masons' business grew, even venturing into producing gay adult videos starring figures like Jeff Stryker, they found themselves squarely in the crosshairs of a national moral panic. The Reagan administration, viewing pornography as a "form of pollution," launched a widespread crackdown. The infamous 2,000-page Meese Report of 1986 ushered in aggressive prosecution tactics, placing immense pressure on adult material distributors.

One fateful day, a seemingly innocuous order from "Joe's video store" turned out to be an FBI sting operation. The shop was raided in dramatic Hollywood fashion, and Barry Mason faced severe charges for transporting obscene material across state lines, potentially leading to a five-year prison sentence and ruinous fines. Their tenacious lawyer, however, argued for First Amendment protections, emphasizing the devastating impact such a penalty would have on the family. Ultimately, Barry entered a guilty plea but avoided prison time, allowing Circus of Books to remain open.

A Beacon During the AIDS Epidemic

Amidst the societal and legal pressures, Circus of Books played another, even more crucial role during the devastating AIDS epidemic. Karen and Barry were exemplary employers, extending profound compassion to their staff, many of whom were battling the then-fatal illness. Barry would visit employees in hospices, while Karen quietly allowed ill staff members to work on good days, circumventing rules that would have stripped them of vital health insurance.

This period cemented Circus of Books not just as a business, but as a lifeline for a community under siege. Many employees had been ostracized by their own families, finding an unexpected support system and sense of belonging within the store's walls. The Masons, despite their deep involvement in the gay community, maintained a notable silence about sexuality within their own home, highlighting a nuanced yet powerful form of acceptance.

Personal Journeys: Identity and Acceptance Within the Family

While the Masons' professional lives were immersed in the complexities of sexuality, their children embarked on their own, often secret, journeys of self-discovery. Rachel, the middle child, quietly embraced a queer lifestyle, exploring gay clubs and drag shows from a young age. Her artistic and rebellious spirit meant her eventual coming out, though not formally announced, was perhaps less of a surprise.

The youngest, Josh, a high-achiever burdened by his mother's expectations, wrestled privately with his own truth. The night before returning to college, the weight became unbearable, leading to a raw, emotional confession. Karen's initial reaction - "Are you sure? Why are you doing this? God must be punishing me!" - was a poignant reflection of her internal conflict between deeply held religious beliefs and unconditional maternal love. Yet, with time, came acceptance, acknowledging that parental expectations often reflect more on the parents themselves than on the children they impose them upon.

The Digital Dawn and the End of an Era

The turn of the century brought a new challenge: the internet. The widespread accessibility of online content began to erode the unique appeal of community-driven stores like Circus of Books. The store's role as a meeting place and a source of exclusive content diminished. The Silverlake branch closed in 2016, followed by the original West Hollywood shop in February 2019.

The closures were met with an outpouring of grief. Customers and former staff members wept openly, mourning the loss of a landmark that had been more than just a store; it was a sanctuary, a piece of LA's vibrant gay history. Karen, however, expressed a bittersweet relief, noting that the declining business meant she could no longer provide the benefits to her staff that she once had, transforming her into an employer she no longer wanted to be.

Beyond the Narrative: Understanding Sexual Orientation Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (SO-OCD) and Pornography

The Mason family's story, with its themes of hidden identities and complex relationships with sexuality, provides a compelling backdrop to explore broader psychological dimensions of sexual identity. In the digital age, access to pornography is unprecedented, and for some, its consumption can become entangled with deeper anxieties, particularly those related to identity validation.

One such intersection lies with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), specifically a subtype known as Sexual Orientation Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (SO-OCD). Unlike genuine struggles with sexual identity, SO-OCD barrages individuals with unwanted, intrusive thoughts and doubts about their sexual orientation, regardless of their actual desires or history. It's a cruel trick of the mind, fostering doubt and distress, even latching onto the merest possibility of uncertainty.

The Vicious Cycle of SO-OCD and Compulsive Behaviors

OCD operates through a cycle of obsessions, compulsions, and temporary relief. For individuals with SO-OCD:

1. Obsession: Recurrent, intrusive doubts about their sexual orientation (e.g., "Am I really gay/straight/bi? What if I'm not who I think I am?").
2. Compulsion: Engaging in repetitive behaviors or mental rituals to reduce distress or "check" their orientation. This can include:
   • Excessive self-analysis and rumination.
   • Seeking constant reassurance from others.
   • Avoiding situations or people that trigger doubts.
   • Crucially, for some, watching pornography to "test" their arousal and validate their perceived orientation.
3. Relief (Temporary): The compulsive behavior provides a fleeting sense of calm, but it ultimately reinforces the belief that these actions are necessary, perpetuating the cycle.

The paradox with SO-OCD and pornography is that an individual might watch material aligned with their desired orientation to confirm arousal, or even material not aligned, and interpret any physiological response (or lack thereof) as further evidence of their deepest fears. For instance, a gay man experiencing SO-OCD might watch gay porn to confirm his arousal, but if he doesn't feel it strongly, or has a fleeting thought about a non-gay person, it can intensify his doubts. Conversely, if he does feel aroused, the compulsion might shift to questioning if the arousal was "real" or "strong enough." The mind gets trapped in a loop of questioning, proving, and re-questioning.

Breaking the Cycle: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

The most effective treatment for OCD, including SO-OCD, is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy. ERP involves systematically exposing individuals to situations, thoughts, or images that trigger their obsessions, while guiding them in resisting their typical compulsive responses. For SO-OCD, this might mean:

• Reading statements that challenge their perceived sexual orientation.
• Looking at images that trigger anxiety about their identity.
• Practicing "un-checking" behaviors, embracing uncertainty rather than seeking definite answers.
• Learning to tolerate intrusive thoughts without engaging in compulsive validation, including the compulsive use of pornography for "testing."

The goal of ERP is not to change a person's sexual orientation, but to break the cycle of fear and compulsion, allowing them to live authentically and accept uncertainty about intrusive thoughts.

A Legacy of Acceptance and Identity

The story of Circus of Books and the Mason family is a compelling illustration of how the personal, the professional, and the political intertwine. It's a testament to unforeseen paths, the power of community, and the complex journey of identity, both individual and collective. From a secret family business that became a pillar of the LGBTQ+ community during its most challenging times, to the private struggles of a family navigating societal expectations and personal truths, the Masons' narrative underscores the enduring human need for acceptance, belonging, and the freedom to define oneself, beyond any conventional cover.