Interview by Dylan Damm Photography by Cory Evans
Tucked upstairs on 18th Street in San Francisco’s Castro District is AutoErotica, a queer time capsule of a storefront. Run by Patrick, the shop began nearly three decades ago with a focus on erotic materials and has since grown into something deeper - part gay history museum, part neighborhood hangout, and a rare archive of printed desire.
PATRICK: I’ve never been recorded before. This is new to me.
DYLAN: Yeah, same here. First time for both of us.
PATRICK: I’m bullshitting you.
DYLAN: Yeah, I may have cam-to-camed before.
Thank you for joining me today, Patrick. Thomas visited your store a little while back and picked up some magazines, which I actually have here. A piece of AutoErotica has made its way from San Francisco to London. For people who maybe haven’t heard of AutoErotica, how would you describe it?
PATRICK: I’d describe it as a gay history store and porn happens to be a part of that. Unfortunately, some people still see it as just a porn store, and I’ve been trying to shift that perception. That’s something we touch on in the documentary that screened Friday at the Roxy Theatre.
My biggest hurdle has always been that because I sell porn, people reduce it to just that. But it’s gay history, buttons, shirts, posters, magazines, and yes, some porn. But it’s not a porn shop.
DYLAN: Why do you think people jump to calling it a porn store? Do they see nudity and make up their minds?
PATRICK: Probably two reasons. One, when I first opened, it was a porn store - dildos, lube, leather, poppers, condoms, sex toys, all of it.
“AT THE TIME, THERE WERE FIVE PORN STORES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, AND I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SURVIVE”
I’d always put vintage magazines in the front window, and I noticed how fixated people were on them. Eventually, I decided to go all-vintage.
People still come in saying, “I thought you sold dildos?” And I’m like, “I haven’t sold dildos in 17 years!” And that’s why I don’t sell them anymore — because if you only visit every 17 years, I’d be out of business.
DYLAN: So AutoErotica as it is now was born out of survival. I love that. Also, I feel like dildos should probably be replaced before the 17-year mark…
PATRICK: I’m sure. Absolutely.
DYLAN: Do many redheaded guys show up in your vintage magazines?
PATRICK: Not really. It’s niche, like Black or Latino representation. You’ll see some, but rarely a whole magazine dedicated to it. I don’t think it’s deliberate exclusion, just a reflection of what publishers thought would sell.
I once had an employee who insisted redheads had a missing chromosome, he just didn’t like them. But I’ve always liked redheads. In the U.S., gingers have often been seen as “other.” So yes, you’ll occasionally find one, but never a whole magazine.
Same goes for people who ask if I have cowboy porn or clown porn. I don’t, but that doesn’t mean it’s not out there.
DYLAN: That’s where Red Hot comes in, right? As far as I know, it’s the first magazine devoted entirely to ginger men. And it’s here now - 2025, finally.
PATRICK: Bradley got me the 2025 calendar for Christmas.
DYLAN: Fire Island!
PATRICK: Exactly. That was the gift.
DYLAN: Great taste - both of you.
PATRICK: I’d say so.
DYLAN: What does a typical day in the shop look like in 2025?
PATRICK: We get tourists from all over the world now, thanks entirely to Bradley’s work on Instagram. San Francisco has always been an international destination,
“BUT NOW AUTOEROTICA HAS BECOME A DESTINATION IN ITS OWN RIGHT”
A good day is when someone comes in clutching $20 bills. Locals are starting to come more often too, though because we’re upstairs, you’ve got to make a bit of an emotional commitment to climb the stairs. I hear all the time: “I’ve passed your sign for 20 years and never knew what was up here!”
Tourists, though? They march right up. I ask everyone, “How did you hear about us?” It’s either Instagram, word of mouth, or they saw our A-frame sign out front that says We Buy Gay Stuff. That sign is probably the most photographed thing in the neighbourhood after the Castro Theatre. People line up to take pictures with it. It’s wild.
DYLAN: I think I’ve even seen photos of it myself.
PATRICK: Yeah, I’m known for that sign. Even the new mayor commented on it when he was in the neighbourhood a few months ago.
DYLAN: When I visit San Francisco, I’m heading straight for that sign. I love that tourists are seeking out AutoErotica on purpose.
PATRICK: There’s no place like it in the country. No other brick-and-mortar store like this. New Yorkers especially love it - people from LA, Chicago, everywhere.
“I’VE BECOME A KIND OF REPOSITORY FOR GAY HISTORY AND PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FOR THAT” especially younger folks. Some are looking for magazines, others for posters or buttons, it’s always a mix.
DYLAN: When did you realise AutoErotica had become a gay history store? Was that something that developed organically?
PATRICK: Totally organically. I remember the exact moment. It was a Friday morning, right after Bradley started running the Instagram. A couple walked in, from London. I asked how they found me. They said, “Well, we were in LA and we’re flying back to London on Sunday. But we flew to San Francisco just to visit AutoErotica and buy a few things.” After they left, I texted Bradley: Oh my god, AutoErotica has BECOME a destination. That was the moment it really hit me.
DYLAN: You mentioned your sign earlier, so everything in the store has been brought to you?
PATRICK: Exactly. In addition to the sign, I run a newspaper ad. I’ve been here 29 years. A lot of people don’t even know the name of the store they’ll just say, “Go to that place on 18th Street, upstairs.” People walk in with a box and say, “Hey, I’m moving and I don’t want to throw this away.” Others come in after a friend has died and say,
“WE WANTED TO DE-HOMO THE HOUSE BEFORE THE FAMILY CAME IN. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS”
Sometimes people just want it donated. Others want cash, maybe they’ve lost their job or need to pay bills. But yeah, it comes from everywhere. That’s what keeps it exciting, I never know what’s going to walk through the door. It’s like Christmas.
DYLAN: A day at AutoErotica kind of does sound like Christmas.There’s something really beautiful about people donating their loved ones’ things. Do customers share stories with you?
PATRICK: All the time. One story in particular, or some version of it, comes up almost every week.It’s usually about the first magazine someone found that made them realise they liked guys. Maybe they found it on the side of the road, wet from rain, took it home, dried it out, and hid it under their bed. Or they stole it from a newsstand, sandwiched between other magazines, praying the clerk wouldn’t notice. Whatever the version, it’s always about that one object that cracked something open for them. Being in the store brings that memory to the surface.
“AND PEOPLE FEEL SAFE SAYING IT OUT LOUD HERE. MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER”
DYLAN: I grew up with the internet, so my first exposure to porn was online. I still remember finding my dad’s stash of porn magazines in the loft. I was amazed. I’d never seen anything like them. I probably shouldn’t have been looking at them, but hey, I turned out fine… These days, I’m going through old mags for design inspiration. I’m actually the designer for Fresh Fruit magazine, so I handle all the layout and page design. Vintage mags are such a great reference. Do a lot of designers or photographers come in looking for reference?
PATRICK: Oh yeah, especially from the ’80s. I’m 79, so it still feels like yesterday to me, though it was also the height of the AIDS crisis.
It’s funny to see people treat the ’80s as “vintage” now. They’re drawn to the typefaces, the layouts, the styling. Designers come to the counter excited, saying, “Look at this!” And I just nod, I didn’t get those gay genes. But I love that they’re excited. We recently posted a 1980 rugby catalogue from a local brand, people were obsessed with the styling.
The only downside is that, for a while, some folks treated the store like a free image bank.They’d come in, take a million photos, and not buy anything. So I had to put up a sign: No photos without permission. If you’re using the store for inspiration, you’ve got to support it.
DYLAN: Have you noticed more creatives respecting that boundary now?
PATRICK: Yes, the word’s out. People know to ask. I used to have a strict “no photos” rule, but friends encouraged me to loosen up. So now it’s “ask first.” Some still snap pics of the stairs or the sign, but others will ask to photograph the museum wall. If they ask, I’m fine with it. It’s just the sneaky ones I had a problem with, people treating the store like a free archive. I had to be firm to keep the store respected, but I never wanted to kill the joy.
DYLAN: Firm but fair. Everyone said print was dead, but now people are buying books and magazines again. Did you ever worry that print would disappear?
PATRICK: Not really. I’ve always loved books. I didn’t grow up with apps. But what’s surprised me is younger guys - 20s, 30s, 40s - saying they’re over the internet. They want something real. They’re not buying magazines to collect — they’re putting them on their coffee tables for friends to flip through.
One 21-year-old bought a 12-year-old mag and said it was the first gay magazine he’d ever held. That hit me. He grew up online and never had that physical experience.
“THAT’S WHAT THIS PLACE IS ABOUT, OFFERING A TANGIBLE CONNECTION TO GAY HISTORY”
DYLAN: You get people coming in for nostalgia, design, and discovery. Are you still finding new material that surprises you?
PATRICK: Oh yeah. Like I said, it’s like Christmas. I think I’ve seen it all, and then someone walks in with a box.
One time, someone brought in a flyer from 1991, a spoof of the Chronicle called Chronic Wire. The headline read “7,000 Dead of AIDS, No One Is Helping.” I’d never seen it before. It’s now framed on the wall.
Same thing with a program from Harvey Milk’s funeral. I keep those kinds of things on display - I don’t want them hidden away.
“WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT SHOWS UP, IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO END UP HERE”
That keeps me going. It’s my next hit of something rare and meaningful.
DYLAN: When I visit San Francisco, your shop will be my first stop.
PATRICK: I love hearing that. Just know... it’s not gay glam. It’s messy, like my mind. Bits and pieces everywhere.
DYLAN: Gay history isn’t all glam. What you’ve built is such an important archive. Thank you.
YOU CAN DISCOVER MORE ABOUT AUTOEROTICA OVER AT @AUTOEROT.CA