Circus of Books

Books Circus Bookstore first opened on West Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard in 1960. By this time, Santa Monica was already home to an established LGBTQ nightlife and hustling strip due to an influx of mostly gay men who had been discharged from various military bases. Books Circus was one of the strip’s multiple shops that sold gay pornography and adult toys- then illegal but highly lucrative products. The shop also sold foreign newspapers, back-list paperbacks, Bibles, LGBTQ fiction novels, science fiction books, and a variety of other reading materials. The alley behind Books Circus was one of Los Angeles’s top gay cruising spots, earning it the moniker “Vaseline Alley”.

Beginning in the early 1980’s, business at Circus Books began floundering due to its owner’s cocaine addiction and massive debts (some of which were to members of the Mafia). In 1982, Karen and Barry Mason, a Jewish couple with three kids from Los Angeles’s suburbs who had recently began distributing for pornography tycoon Larry Flynt, heard of the owner’s business troubles. Since he wasn’t paying his rent and was about to be evicted, the Masons made a deal with the property owner that if they gave half of the storeowner’s rent until his eviction, the lease would be signed over to them for the same deal. That year, the storeowner declared bankruptcy and the Masons inherited the lease and the new business. To rebrand, they simply split the neon sign in two. Thus, “Books Circus” became “Circus of Books”.

Throughout the mid-1980’s, Circus of Books grew exponentially. The Masons eventually began producing hardcore gay films themselves, many of which featured wildly popular 80’s star, Jeff Stryker. During this time period, the Masons were the largest distributors of gay pornography in the United States. However, following the appointment of Attorney General Dick Thornburgh in 1988, the FBI and police began targeting adult distributors for breaking obscenity statutes. In 1990, Circus of Books was one of three Californian adult businesses that were busted for shipping pornography over state lines in an FBI sting operation. The Masons hired attorney John Weston, who advised them to stand their ground and not close Circus of Books. The ensuing legal battle made national headlines and lasted for two years, eventually coming to a close without a conviction.

During the AIDS epidemic, Circus of Books lost many of its gay male employees and regulars. Then with the advent of the Internet in the 2000’s, much of pornography and social networking within the LGBTQ+ community quickly transferred online. Karen and Barry Mason closed Circus of Books on February 9, 2019. The story of the gay bookstore and its unlikely owners was told by the Masons’ daughter, Rachel Mason, in a documentary produced by Netflix and released after the store's closing in 2019.

Thanks to revived interest in the bookstore’s legacy, drag performer Chi Chi LaRue bought the original building in January 2020 and reopened it as Chi Chi LaRue’s Circus- a boutique sex shop and gallery dedicated to showcasing racy LGBTQ+ art. 

Branson-Potts, Hailey. These grandparents sold gay porn for decades and almost went to prison. Now, they are calling it quits, Los Angeles Times. February 8th 2019. Accessed October 30th 2020. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-west-hollywood-porn-shop-circus-of-books-20190208-story.html.

Circus of Books. History, Circus of Books. 2020. Accessed October 18th 2020. https://circusofbooks.com/pages/history.

Circus of Books. Mason, Rachel. USA. Netflix, 2019.

Russell, Ron. Bookstore Fights Claims That It Attracts Hustlers, Los Angeles Times. September 21st 1989. Accessed October 18th 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190209131908/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-21/local/me-1003_1_west-hollywood-book.