THE RAPE OF JUSTICE
October 1979
Photography by James Baes
While other magazines displayed airbrushed models seemingly sans genitals, Larry Flynt was not only spreading pink, but publishing creative, groundbreaking layouts exploring all aspects of sexuality.
The gender-inclusive photo shoots “Vegas Folly” and “Trick or Treat” were published over four decades ago. “HUSTLER will continue to pioneer the horizons of sexual freedom in search of total liberation,” Larry Flynt wrote in his Publisher’s Statement two months after the issue that included “Butch: A Black Stud & His Georgia Peach.” This interracial layout triggered an assassination attempt that left him in a wheelchair for the remainder of his days.
From the serious to the absolutely silly, Larry never let others dictate what appeared in his magazine. Check out “The Rape of Justice,” “Gold Fingers” and “Lust in Space.” HUSTLER photo shoots were only limited by imagination, and there were no limits to Larry’s imagination.
In the ’80s he embraced the idea of celebrity-directed shoots. Dennis Hopper, Frank Zappa, Marjoe Gortner and more directed amazing shoots of their own fantastical creations—and became Larry’s friends in the process. And throughout the years, spectacularly beautiful shoots in exotic locations around the world were a constant. (Check out “Avery Adams: Shipshape” on the last page of this section.)
