As one of the co-founders of Nasty Pig athleticwear, David Lauterstein has never been one to shy away from making a bold statement, and his new book, Sodomy Gods, is no exception. This raw and provocative memoir takes readers on an unfiltered journey through the 1990s New York City. Against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis, David’s story unfolds with unflinching honesty, recounting his coming out, the heartbreak of loss, and the soaring joy of first love. As he finds his footing in the city’s vibrant yet challenging queer subcultures, he discovers his voice as an artist and entrepreneur, ultimately launching the iconic fashion brand Nasty Pig.
What inspired you to write a memoir?
David Lauterstein: When Unbound Edition offered me a book deal in early 2022, we agreed that releasing it in the Fall of 2024 to mark Nasty Pig’s 30th Anniversary would be great timing. The story takes place in New York City from 1993 to 1995, the time period when I met my first boyfriend, Frederick Kearney, and we started Nasty Pig. While it acts as an origin story for our business, the central narrative is our love story. Thirty years later we hold the same core values of authenticity and service that we’ve had since day one.
This year has been remarkable for you and Nasty Pig. You were recently featured in The New York Timesand this month, you and your husband are being honored at the OUT 100 gala. What does all this recognition mean to you personally?
DL: One of our earliest customers was the late Manfred Thierry Mugler. He taught us that the only thing that mattered was our connection to our customers, so being recognized was never of concern to us as long as we were making our customers happy. That said, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that all of the recognition we have received over the past two years hasn’t felt pretty incredible. It’s definitely cemented our legacy as pioneers, and the increased visibility gives us a stronger platform from which to champion queer identity and sexual positivity.
What do you hope readers will take away from Sodomy Gods?
DL: While Nasty Pig has always been about pushing boundaries, the boundaries we push aren’t only sexual. We push our fans to find radical self–acceptance and love. We champion love always. I want the people who read Sodomy Gods to feel that love and authenticity. I also believe very strongly in the power of queer generational knowledge, and it is my hope that younger generations know that they have queer elders to help them discover it.
The younger generation of gay men have a lot to learn from its elders.
DL: I think for younger members of our community who have come of age during a period of widespread queer visibility, they might not realize how radically different things were just three decades ago. That’s a very short time considering the amount of progress we have made. The rights we have today are a hard–fought privilege and they are being taken away from us every day from people who want to erase us. It’s imperative that we don’t take them for granted. I hope my memoir acts as a time capsule of what it was like for our kind in the not-so-distant past so that we understand what’s at stake in the not-so-distant future.
What do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities for the Nasty Pig brand in 2025?
DL: The biggest challenge we face in 2025 is keeping men feeling empowered during what may be a verydifficult time for our community. But therein lies the biggest opportunity as well. Making our customers feel good is what we are all about.
How did the event at Hotel Gaythering come to be?
DL: A member of the Hotel Gaythering team reached out to invite me to do a reading during Art Basel. I had already decided I wanted the stops on my book tour to take place at authentic queer spaces where we interact face to face.The Gaythering is the perfect location! It aligns perfectly with the themes of community and identity reflected in Sodomy Gods.
What’s next for Nasty Pig?
DL: Based upon the success of the pop-up shops we have done at our design studios in Manhattan, we are looking to open a permanent showroom in 2025 where our customers and fans can experience our clothing and our energy in real time on a more permanent basis. They miss our retail location, and we miss interacting with them! As for collaborations, we are in the process of filming the second installment of the Real Nasty Pigs Of New York which we will release in January.
David Lauterstein presents Sodomy Gods at Hotel Gaythering (1409 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach) on Friday, December 6. Visit NastyPig.com.
