The magazine published photography and interviews with renowned gay artists, and became well-known with its very first issue, which showed German fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm in nude portraits taken by Wolfgang Tillmans. Since its first issue in May 2001, BUTT has featured many gay artists such as Casey Spooner, Michael Stipe, John Waters, Heinz Peter Knes, Edmund White, Terence Koh, Walter Pfeiffer, and Slava Mogutin.