SMALL, ETC.

Small, Etc. is a club for men who are self-conscious about their penis size. Some really are small, according to "J," who founded the club in 1986. Most fall within the normal range, but feel small. Through the quarterly club magazine, Small Gazette: The Smaller Man's Forum, the six hundred members can communicate with each other and with J. Small Gazette publishes letters to the editor, the editor's advice, articles and sexual stories in which having a small penis turns out to be a plus. The bulk of the magazine, though, is devoted to personal ads—small men who want to correspond with others; gay and bisexual men who feel small, looking for lovers; and men of all sizes who are looking for small men to love.

J started the club "because I was self-conscious over my size and I felt there had to be other people out there who had experiences with rejection similar to mine."

I spoke with him on the phone.

Q: What kind of advice do you give other people who feel small?

A: Many people write, for instance, to ask if I have information about the operation to extend the size of the penis or to enhance the girth. I'll write to them and say that from everything I've been able to gather it's worse afterward; there are many side effects that are not revealed in the ads for penis extension, and many of the doctors performing the surgery are being sued. I'll tell them that increasing their self-esteem is really the key to feeling good about their size.

Q: What other questions are you most often asked?

A: I get letters from married men who feel they don't satisfy their wives. I get men who won't shower at the gym because they're afraid of what others might think of them. I get men who think they're bisexual but feel they don't measure up and other men won't be attracted to them. I get people who are afraid to have any sexual relationships because they fear they'll be humiliated, and they won't be able to give the other person what they anticipate they'll want.

I get men in the club who are black, and people assume black men are very well endowed, and these men are not, they're just ordinary, and people say, What happened?

Q: How do you answer these people?

A: I tell them that I felt many of the fears and anxieties that they feel, and that my life has changed because I've been able to connect with others who also are small. Sometimes relating to people and knowing there are others out there like you can change your whole world.

Q: Do club members write to you about penis enlargement techniques other than surgery?

A: There are members who have had tremendous success with the penis pump, although most of the handheld ones don't really work. And it only helps temporarily, unless you use it over years and years and years.

Q: What about weights?

A: I hear there's an organization that's into weights. They get together and talk, nude, with these weights attached.

Q: Any other enlargement methods ?

A: They have pants and different items you can buy to give you the illusion of being well endowed. In fact you're not, but the idea is that people will think that you are. I used to wear them, that's how I know, and I did get a lot of people attracted to me because of the way they made me look. Of course, I had to make sure I didn't go that next step and let anyone see me undressed.

Q: Is the club just for gay men?

A: It's for anyone who feels small. A few years ago Penthouse did a story on us, and I heard from a lot of heterosexual men who felt inferior about their size and wanted to meet women. I tried to find some women who might be interested in them, but the women didn't respond, even though I offered them free membership. Some of the men joined anyway. They might just have wanted to correspond with somebody else who was small. Or they might have wanted to read the magazines and know there are others out there and not do anything besides that.

I met my lover through the club. He's short in stature, and he said to me, "You're so concerned about your penis size, but people who are short in stature also have a problem in this world. When they go to bars people pat them on the head. It's harder for them to get ahead in business because people will accept orders more easily from someone taller." So we expanded the club to include people who are small of stature.

I've also had transgender people joining—men who used to be women. They write that they'd be very happy to have the penis of the smallest guy in the club. It would be big in comparison to what they've got. So it just shows you there's always someone in a situation worse than yours.



Source: The Book of the Penis by Maggie Paley