H. Lynn Womack, Ph.D.

Video + Vintage Ephemera

Jul 22, 2024

“When I'm 80 and sagging all over, I can tell my grandkids, 'Look, when I was a lad, People magazine thought I was sexy!'“
Gerard Butler

H. Lynn Womack = American Publisher + Founder of Guild Press

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H. LYNN WOMACK, PH.D
ON WIKIPEDIA
ON RAINBOW HISTORY PROJECT

Chances are you know who Larry Flynt was.
You might’ve even seen the film based on his life.

But do you know who Lynn Womack was? It’s about time more people found out about this First Amendment pioneer and gay publisher.

In the late 1950s, Womack began building a gay adult publishing empire.

Born in 1923 to Mississippi sharecroppers, Womack's professional journey began in academia. He earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and worked at private schools and universities for several years.

His academic career took an unexpected turn when he made $500,000 from an investment scheme that allowed him to buy a printing press in Washington D.C.

In 1958, Womack founded Guild Press and started many of its subsidiaries. By 1960, he owned and published popular physique magazines, including TRIM and Grecian Guild Pictorial.

GUILD PRESS COLLECTION
PRINTS + T-SHIRTS

Producing a wide array of titles that celebrated gay culture and identity, Womack's daring publications provided a rare and vital outlet for gay men to see themselves reflected in media.

These magazines combined artistic male physique photography with articles, breaking new ground in a time when homosexuality was still largely stigmatized and criminalized.

Despite facing numerous legal battles, Womack remained undeterred and continued to grow his empire.

One of the most significant challenges was a 1960 obscenity conviction for mailing magazines the Postal Service deemed obscene. Womack appealed the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

Womack's ultimate victory in this landmark case was a monumental step forward for gay rights and freedom of the press, establishing an important legal precedent that helped protect his and other adult-oriented publications.

By the early 1970s, Guild Press was one of the largest gay-owned publishers in the world. Sadly, its success was relatively short-lived.

After another police raid and facing more legal battles, Womack closed Guild Press, left Washington D.C., and eventually retired to Florida, where he lived until he died in 1985.

There's a lot more to Lynn Womack's life story and I encourage you to read about him for yourself in Buying Gay by David K. Johnson.