Looking for a date? The boys at meatzine have got you covered
Anything that involves guys getting their clothes off for the camera generally has my attention, so meatzine – a photographic celebration of men always features on my reading list.
Helping us all have something to look forward to, Adrian Lourie – the photographer behind meatzine – has released a 2021 calendar. It’s available now, and you can purchase it online.
This is more than just a basic beefcake calendar – meatzine assembles 12 Gay, Queer, Bi, Trans and Non-binary folks of all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds and professions and strips them off for the camera.
I caught up with some of the men of meat for a behind-the-scenes look at the 2021 calendar.
The origin story
“When I started meatzine – 10 years ago – gay media didn’t seem to include guys that looked like me or the men that I fancied…” explains Adrian Lourie, when I ask him how he got started with the concept of meatzine.
“I had this desire to offer a different point of view on what it means to be a gay man. We’re diverse as fuck, and we all have amazing qualities. We all deserve to be pin-ups.”
The men of meat
“I usually put a call-out on social media…” explains Adrian, when I ask him how he casts the men that appear in the zine and the calendar. “That means that we’re featuring guys who follow me or buy the zine, or friends of guys who’ve previously featured. It’s very much an extended family of men who buy into the idea of meatzine.”
“These guys are putting themselves out there, often naked and open to a certain level of scrutiny. It’s important to me that they’re comfortable and feel proud to be part of something that I genuinely think has a different voice to most naked calendars out there.”
Mr May – Nick
“I used to be very shy and self-conscious about my body – particularly as a teenager and in my early twenties…” explains Nick, when I ask him how he feels seeing himself as a pin-up in a naked calendar.
“About nine years ago, I chose to really focus on my personal fitness. Like many gay guys, I’ve posted thirs-trap progress pictures – which started off as a way of keeping track of my body and then maybe morphed into something a bit more about enjoying the validation and appreciation.”
“It’s only in the past 12 months that I’ve begun to feel confident enough to try things like life modelling for artists or getting naked for a project like meatzine.”
“I have a professional career that has nothing to do with my modelling – I’m working hard to ensure that neither interferes with the other…” says Nick, when I ask him if he’s worried that photos from his work with meatzine might end up on the internet. “It’s a balancing act – I’m learning to love my body, and I enjoy collaborating with talented queer creatives, but I try and stick to playful artistic naked content rather than anything overtly erotic.”
“I hope that people feel something pleasant – even if it’s just that they’re entertained if not turned on…” says Nick, when I ask him what he’d like people to feel when they’re looking at his work as Mr May. “Despite having enough confidence to enjoy being in great body-positive projects like this, I’m still a person with as many insecurities as the next guy.”
Mr February – Kings
“I’ve never been confident about my body…” says Kings, when I ask him how it feels to see himself in a naked calendar. As well as being Mr February, Kings is also the cover-boy of the calendar.
“The idea of nude shots done in a tasteful and artistic way appeals to me, but we took these photos at a time when I felt very vulnerable about my body. It’s a daily mental battle – I have good and bad days, like everyone else really.”
“I was also concerned that being part of a project like this could have a negative impact on my professional life. I was very specific about what parts of my body I wanted exposed, and what I wanted cropped out.”
“I didn’t think that far ahead!” exclaims Kings, when I ask him how he hopes that people feel when they see him in the calendar. “I guess I hope that they feel good about it, like I do. I took part in this to help build a positive narrative around black gay men. I hope my photo evokes a positive feeling when people see it.”
Get your hands on the meatzine Naked Calendar 2021
