Editor’s letter:
The concept for our body issue started out pretty simple. For our lead story about gay men and their never-ending relationship with body issues, I wanted a gorgeous guy on the cover with a perfectly everyday body. Nothing over-worked, sculpted, shaven, built up or trimmed down. Just a guy with a great smile who is happy with his body just the way it is.
But everything went pear shaped. This guy is a hard guy to find. Every time I approached someone I thought was a looker, he would at first be flattered, but then politely decline. Never quite happy enough with his body. Too big, too small . . . not once did I speak to a guy with enough confidence to strike a pose for our photographer. I can’t blame them. I’m pretty comfortable with my body — hairy butt, mole-covered back and blemished skin — but I’m not sure I’d be up for a high-def glamour shoot, either.
This theme carries through our entire issue. Stories about body issues in general, butts and penises all reveal that gay men are as insecure as ever about their physiques.
Fab has often been accused of featuring one type of guy on the cover. Abs, pecs, arms, ass and a smile. Since becoming editor, I’ve tried to change this by featuring cute local guys (and the odd celebrity hunk) to shake things up. I wanted to feature a gorgeous, big-bodied boy on this cover, in part because bigger guys are super hot, too, but also because I wanted to silence the critics and prove that yes, Fab can showcase all types of gays. But while we’re criticized for not featuring someone imperfect, we can’t find anyone willing to be that beautifully imperfect cover boy.
The cover I imagined didn’t happen, and that’s what makes this issue so poignant. A lot of us don’t give a shit and love our bodies, which is fantastic. But many of us still don’t like what our mamas gave us, so let’s keep talking about it. And while we’re figuring these things out, fill in our annual Fab Gay Sex Survey and tell us how that makes you feel.
Want to take the survey? DO IT HERE! (or click the image above)
Download the FAB BODY ISSUE HERE
