‘Circus of Books’ Documentary about LA Gay Porn Shop Coming to Netflix

Circus of Books—a documentary about a straight couple’s gay porn empire—is coming to Netflix next week.

The documentary, which was shown at 2019’s Out on Film festival, follows couple Karen and Barry Mason, who were once the largest distributors of gay porn in the United States. The couple ran the LA porn shop Circus of Books, which would become a hotspot for LA’s gay community, for nearly four decades.

The story looks at how the couple dealt with federal obscenity charges and kept their family, including their gay son, together among the controversy.

The film is directed by the couple’s daughter Rachel Mason and produced by the openly gay Ryan Murphy. Interviews include drag personality Alaska and porn star Jeff Stryker.

Circus of Books premieres on Netflix on April 22.