Pleasure Chest Founder Remembered at ‘O’ Awards

LOS ANGELES—Duane Colglazier, co-founder of The Pleasure Chest, has been named a posthumous recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's "O" Awards. Colglazier opened the first Pleasure Chest Store in the heart of New York's gay district, with the help of business partner and fellow gay man Bill Rifkin. Rifkin later left the business, and Colglazier took over the operations of the original and expansion stores in various cities. "I’m very honored and humbled to receive this recognition from AVN on behalf of my late uncle Duane Colglazier, who was a true pioneer in the adult industry," said Brian Robinson, Colglazier's nephew, who now operates The pleasure Chest stores. "He had a vision of a different kind of business. When he and his partner founded The Pleasure Chest in 1971, they were the first adult store not to black out the windows, and to not use the XXX and ADULTS ONLY designation. Their mission statement asserted that sex is not just for procreation, but also for pleasure, and that it’s an integral healthy part of our lives. "I’m very proud to build on this vision, by expanding our company’s educational mission and our commitment to meeting the needs of a diverse community," he continued. "It is a very exciting time in our industry with such amazing work being done in skillfully and artfully created toys, and the continuous demand for insightful education and the vast sharing of knowledge. And our industry is in everyone’s dialog like never before. We are certainly proud to be a part of this. We want to be a store for everyone, and I’m happy to carry on the vision and the torch that my uncle so clearly lit." Colglazier was a former Wall Street trader and Rifkin was a former banker before they co-founded The Pleasure Chest. The store originally opened as a waterbed store, but mood lighting, cock rings and handcuffs were quickly added to the inventory. It didn't take long until The Pleasure Chest became a full-fledged sex store. "We were started by two gay men in an area that was a hub for queer community and culture on the lower East Side," explained Sarah Tomchesson, director of business development and strategy for The Pleasure Chest. "We were run primarily by gay men through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s," Tomchesson said. "A part of our legacy is that we are deeply rooted in the gay community and that we lost many of our staff/family through the AIDS epidemic, including Duane, who passed away on March 8, 1988. At our height, we had nine locations, some of which Duane sold off to family." Some of the stores have since closed, but these days The Pleasure Chest locations are under the control of Robinson. "Brian saw the dream his uncle has started and worked with his family through year-long negotiation to buy out the Chicago and New York stores and in 2005 he acquired the Los Angeles store," Tomchesson said. From small beginnings, Colglazier and Rifkin started a trend that continues today. The Pleasure Chest was the first erotic store to create a "boutique" atmosphere in some of the major cities in the country. As all things gay became popular in the mainstream community in the 1970s, so did The Pleasure Chest. The store became a couples-focused store, regardless of sexuality. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s The Pleasure Chest was among the very few stores across the country that was promoting sexuality in a positive and open way. The unspoken motto of the store was that a healthy sex life was as much a part of health as nutrition, exercise and learning. A positive approach to sexual discovery and exploration became a key focus of the stores. In that light, customers throughout the past four decades have felt that going into The Pleasure Chest wasn't something degrading or dirty but a way of fulfilling one's own life. Celebrity customers of The Pleasure Chest throughout the years include Victoria and David Beckham, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Queen Latifah, Olivia Munn and Joan Jett. ''Sex has been a good business for me,'' Colglazier said in a 1981 article in The New York Times. Robinson and the current staff of The Pleasure Chest will be presented the award in Colglazier's honor during the fourth annual "O" Awards, Sept. 11, at Moon nightclub at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The ceremony is part of the AVN Novelty Expo, which takes place Sept. 10-12 at the Rio Hotel and Casino. The "O" Awards are open to all attendees of ANE. For more information, visit NoveltyExpo.com.