We’ve all played Monopoly at least once in our lifetime. If you’re a gay man then you definitely try out the Gay Monopoly.

Monopoly is one of the most popular board games. It’s one of those games that most people played at least once in their lives. I was first released to the public in 1935 and have been created with different themes and variations. Since I was a child I’ve played dozens of versions of the game including the Looney Tunes version, the Battleship version, and the casino version. I’ve heard about many other versions but one that I did not expect was a Gay Monopoly.

What is Monopoly?

Monopoly is a board game in which players use tokens to travel around a board and collect as much money as possible. The primary ways players collect money are by collecting $200 every time they pass GO and purchasing property and having other players pay them a fee every time they land on their property (you can even collect money while you’re in jail) The winner is the person who has the most money. It’s one of the longest board games with one of the games being days long.

Many people believed that the Parker Brothers created Monopoly. There is controversy about who really invented it. Some say that it was invented by Elizabeth Magie and Charles Darrow.

It’s said that the game is a symbol of capitalism. Magie thought property ownership would increase the poverty gap which she predicted correctly. For many wealthy persons around the globe real estate is their biggest asset. There was even a Monopoly Communism version in which people pay for things through a Community Fund.

Over the years there have been different versions of Monopoly in other countries including Russia, Japan, Ireland, and China.

Why was Gay Monopoly created?

The 1980s was a significant time in our country. It was a time when gay life became much more celebrated than in past decades. More, gay men expressed their sexuality out in the open, and gay bars and venues were created and expanded. As a celebration of gay life, GM was created by the Parker Sisters and was released in 1983. The owners had a good mission which was to raise money for AIDS. During the 1980s the HIV/AIDS epidemic heavily destroyed many communities, including the gay communities, due to a lack of access to resources and education. Many other gay organizations followed suit to help combat HIV/AIDS.

Gay features of GM

GM has the basic concept of the original Monopoly game. Players travel around the board and try to collect as much money as possible. If you’ve played Monopoly you know that the game can last a long time which can be a couple of hours. There are certain unique items about GM. First is the moving pieces. The original Monopoly’s moving pieces include a dog, boat, iron, car, and boat. The moving pieces on Gay Monopoly are common items stereotypically used within the gay community including a high heel, handcuffs, and a blow dryer.

Another distinct feature of Gay Monopoly is that the properties have gay themes. These properties include Provincetown which is a famous destination in Massachusetts that’s been a popular gay hub since the 1970s, Cedar P Fire Island which is one of the most popular US gay destinations and is considered a gay paradise, and Castro Street which comes from the Castro District. Castro District is a popular gay neighborhood in San Francisco. Once you land on a property in Gay Monopoly instead of purchasing a house or hotel you can buy a bar or bathhouse.

There is also a Family Pride card pack. The cards each describe a famous gay person and if a player guesses the person then he or she could move to any space on the board.

Just like in the original Monopoly, a trusted banker is needed to handle transactions (don’t use your cheating friends). According to GM’s guidelines

“…choose this person carefully. A good choice would be someone who watches ‘Let’s Make A Deal’ often or perhaps a person who frequents S&M slave auctions. If no one fits these descriptions, at least get someone who occasionally buys his own drinks. If you are still without a candidate, just settle for anyone who enjoys deposits and withdrawals and who looks cute wearing nothing but a banker’s visor. But with this last one, make sure she keeps her hands out of the till. She is likely to have had so many sugar daddies that she will confuse her own cash with that of the bank.”

Banned from shelves

The game didn’t have copyrights to the original Monopoly. And so, Parker Brothers, the owners of Monopoly, sued for violation of infringement rights. Parker Brothers won and Gay Monopoly was banned from shelves.

Where can you buy GM

Even though GM is banned there are still copies out there which can be bought and sold. You can find it on eBay and will have to pay at least $400 for it.

Wrap up

During the time it was created Gay Monopoly was one of the very few games catered to the gay community. The gay community has been discriminated against in this country for a long time and so it came as shock to many when it was initially released. Fortunately, many game board games are currently out on the market such as Top2Bottom, the Gayme, and Cock & Tails.

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