Attitude readers get naked to celebrate the body beautiful
By Will Stroude
Big ones, small ones, skinny ones, tall ones. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and we’re celebrating all of them in the Attitude Body Issue.
As our exclusive survey of 5000 readers reveals some shocking truths about how gay men really feel about their bodies, we asked 12 brave guys to strip off and show us what they’ve got to prove that keeping it real is the hottest look of all.
As part of the special shoot in our brand new issue – available to download and in shops now – we asked the guys about their relationship with their bodies, and how it’s affected their relationship with the gay community as a whole.
Mark hated life with a 31-inch waist, and says he’s far happier with the bigger body he now has.
“I worked on a building site, had big pecs and and a skinny waist. What some people train endlessly for, I had naturally – and I hated it”, he explains. “From a young age the guys I liked were bigger, more portly.”
Mark founded London gay nightclub XXL in 2000 after noticing an apparent lack of space on the gay scene for people larger people or those over the age of 35 – but says the night was designed to accept men of all types.
“What unites us is our sexuality. That’s why I sue the tagline, ‘One club fits all’. It’s about breaking down those barriers.”
He adds: “If any good comes out of me doing this, I want people to say, ‘fuck it, there’s nothing wrong with having a belly’.”
Meanwhile, Londoner Chris Kang fits many a masculine stereotype as part of gay rugby club the King’s Cross Steelers, but he’s learned that hard way that people can often judge you on more than just your physique.
“It can be difficult being a visible minority in the gay community, and it used to bug me much more when guys would use the whole ‘no Asians’ line because of some sort of ridiculous preconceptions they had,” he says.
“I’ve learned to keep it in perspective: I’m a sane, sorted guy who lives in one of the best cities in the world. I can also cook up a kick-ass jar of home-made spicy kimchi. To be honest, it’s their loss.”
He adds: “I don’t think I’m the type of person who needs acceptance but I’m proud that I’ve gained the respect and friendship of so many of my teammates on the Steelers.
“There’s no better feeling than playing sports with your friends, then sharing pints at the bar and celebrating a great day afterwards. It’s a unique sense of belonging that I’m honoured to have.”
You can see the full shoot featuring all 12 Attitude readers who’ve dared to go bare in our brand new Body Issue, available to download and in shops now. Available internationally from newsstand.co.uk/attitude.
More stories:
‘Stigma can stifle a sex life as much as any disability’
Man reimagines iconic divas as horny gay men in hilarious new photo series