"Gay Magazines and the Gay World: Towards a Definition of Gay Culture" is an examination of the 'gay world' in order to determine whether it qualifies as a 'culture', or whether it is best considered a subculture, consumer culture or lifestyle. Central to this analysis are two national gay magazines (Outrage and Campaign), that operate as informal cultural capital for gay men, in providing vital information in a world in which identification is paramount. The Introduction establishes the frames of reference, in claiming the magazines as a site where gay culture can be observed, rather than being seen as definitive 'guidebooks' within a developing culture. The use of the term 'gay world' is also explained as suggestive of an increasing globalisation of gay cultural signifiers, and as a means of referring to what might be a cultural formation without pre-empting its status as a 'culture'. "Chapter One - The Gay World as Subculture" looks at the notion that the gay world is in fact a subculture, and reveals ways in which such a cultural description is no longer appropriate or accurate. A gay world emerges that is a 'mainstream' formation in itself, offering neither a substantial stylistic revolt, nor evidence of a membership centred upon youth or shaped by oppression. "Chapter Two - The Gay World as Lifestyle/Consumer Culture" similarly addresses definitions of lifestyle and consumer culture, and finds significant analogies and differences with the gay world. An active world emerges that is unlike traditionally passive lifestyles, but one that nevertheless reveals an investment in capitalism and consumption. "Chapter Three - Gay Culture?" examines the notion of 'culture' in detail, and establishes a set of definitions for the gay world in order to .provide a detailed comparison. A gay culture emerges that is a 'mainstream' culture, with evidence of a continuing depoliticisation and desexualisation, concomitant with a perceived 'crisis of habitus'. Chapters Four and Five take a closer look at the way in which the gay male body is adorned and developed within the culture, as a way of providing the identification necessary to maintain the culture's existence. "Chapter Four - Fashion and Gay Culture" examines the use of fashion within contemporary gay culture, detailing changes within the way fashion operates as both a homogenising and individualising force in society. The modern gay man emerges as one less concerned with a particular fashion and more as a figure who is seen to be 'fashionable', with the concretising of his role as 'cultural intermediary', both within and outside of the culture. The physical development of the gay male body is addressed in "Chapter Five - The Gay Body/Gay Bodybuilding", in which changes in the representation of men offer the possibility for transformation, only to be recuperated within a broader masculine, capitalist culture. Finally, the Conclusion presents some possibilities for the future of gay culture within Australia, as Outrage and Campaign threaten to be consumed by the influence of broader, global trends.