New Mormon beefcake calendar for 2009

Despite having been excommunicated from the Mormon church for putting together the first edition of the “Men on a Mission” calendar, Chad Hardy is moving full steam ahead with the release of the next installment.

The 2009 “Men on a Mission” will go on sale on September 1st at MormonsExposed.com, but we've got your first look at the Men of 2009 right here.   

Even as the Mormon religion and culture become more and more visible in mainstream media, it still hides behind a shroud of mystery.

Television shows such as Big Love try to shed some light, yet the fact is the series is fiction and not necessarily a true depiction of the people of the church.

Then there were the women of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, a sect led by Warren Jeffs, who had their children removed, and eventually returned, from their custody. Again the Mormon Church was thrust in the spotlight under a cloud of controversy and again under close scrutiny.

Now, Hardy’s calendar will surely bring thousands of eyes (the 2008 edition sold over 20,000 copies) back to the church. And, once again, controversy will likely ensue as we get to see a different side of a new group of men on a mission.

Hardy’s mission is to use humour, not to mention some skin, to help debunk some of the misconceptions held about the religion. Hardy’s method is to prove that this “devout dozen,” as he calls them, can be proud of who they are and their bodies while still having a strong faith.

Similar to the LGBT community, Hardy seeks to promote tolerance and the education of the ignorant. We both aim to show that what is not understood is not necessarily scary, and it’s okay to have some fun and light-hearted humour along the way.

Without further ado, a preview of some of the men of the “2009 Men on a Mission” calendar!   

 

 

Mark Umbach © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Mormon beefcake calendar leads to excommunication

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

The man behind the sexy beefcake calendar ‘Men on a Mission’ was excommunicated from the Mormon church over the weekend for what they considered to be an inappropriate representation of the church, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.   

Las Vegas resident Chad Hardy put out the 2008 calendar late last year featuring, as the official Website puts it, 12 returned Mormon missionaries who "have dared to pose bare-chested in a steamy national calendar."   

The calendar, which has sold close to 20,000 copies according to The Stranger, scored a ton of press upon its release last year, and rumblings of excommunication started almost immediately after its release.

'I felt like I spoke my truth," the 31-year-old entertainment entrepreneur told the Salt Lake Tribune.

"Bottom-line, they still felt the calendar is inappropriate and not the image that the church wants to have."   

According to the Tribune, some of the 12 shirtless models have been called to disciplinary meetings, though none have been formally punished.   

Hardy told to paper that his intention was never to disgrace to church but to step “outside the stereotypes and stepping outside of the image."

The sixth generation Mormon said he feels badly about how his excommunication will affect his parents, who live in Utah.

Hardy, who has been inactive in the church for the past six years, said he considered resigning his membership to avoid the hearing, but decided against it out of respect for his family.

According to Hardy, plans are already underway for a 2009 calendar.

Angela D'Amboise © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Sexy priest calendar to rival rugger boys

OK, we are not quite sure what is going on here, but thanks to gaywired.com for bringing it to our attention.

A calendar of tasty Roman Catholic priests is on sale in Italy.

On the website the following explanation is given for its existence:

"It contains generical (sic) information about the Vaticano State."

Weird. All yours for ten euros, or you could opt for the Gondoliers calendar instead.

Oh, and they are looking for model priests for 2009. Bless.

Mormon beefcake calendar on sale

"The 2008 Men on a Mission calendar features twelve handsome returned Mormon missionaries from across the United States who, for the first time ever, have dared to pose bare-chested in a steamy national calendar.

"Usually seen riding their bicycles and preaching door-to-door, these hunky young men of faith explode with sexuality on each calendar page.

"Hand-selected for their striking appearances and powerful spiritual commitment, the "devout dozen" are stepping away from the Mormon traditions of modest dress, and "baring their testimony" to demonstrate that they can have strong faith and be proud of who they are, both with a sense of individualism and a sense of humour.

"While the fact that twelve young returned missionaries are posing shirtless will certainly raise eyebrows, it may also help to sort out some common misconceptions of Mormons by celebrating the beautiful bodies, great looks and amazing stories of service of these deeply spiritual men.

"Intended to be a light-hearted spin on a social taboo, the Men on a Mission calendar is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the selfless servitude of missionaries."

Get your very own Mormons Exposed calendar today!

Note: this calendar is not sanctioned by the Church of Jesus and the Latter Day Saints.

Royal official is in charge of the closet

There we were, idly looking for a picture of the Bishop of Manchester, as you do, when we came across this little gem on Wikipedia.

There is, according to lovely WP, a bishop of the Church of England who luxuriates in the title of Clerk of the Closet.

What does he do? Well, you might think he keeps a neat list of all the gays who are priests and bishops and makes sure nobody finds out the truth.

Given that out gay Bishop Gene Robinson commented last week that if all the gays left the C of E en masse it would have to shut up shop entirely, that must be one hell of a long list.

It turns out, in fact, that the Clerk of the Closet dates from 1437. Well, the office does, not the present incumbent.

"He is responsible for advising the Private Secretary to the Sovereign on the names for candidates to fill vacancies in the Roll of Chaplains to the Sovereign," WP says, and they are always correct on such matters.

"He presents Bishops for Homage to the Sovereign; examines any theological books to be presented to the Sovereign; and preaches annually in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. He receives a salary of £7 a year."

Isn't that less than the national minimum wage?

Come on your Majesty, you can afford a bit more than that!

Bishops cost money - what with the lovely dresses, the jewellery and what not.

The present Clerk of the Closet, the Bishop of Guildford, isn't even entitled to seat in the House of Lords. Boo. Who would be a bishop these days?


The Right Reverend Christopher Hill, Lord Bishop of Guildford, Clerk of the Closet.

Nude gay sauna shocks Bognor

Bognor Regis town council is worried that the wholesome, family-friendly seaside resort is turning into a second Soho where naked gays run amok.

Councillor Michelle White has voiced her concerns after Peter Bedford, the owner of high street club Caesar's, announced plans to host regular nude gay swimming and sauna sessions at his venue.

His plans are the last straw for White, who is already upset over the sex shops and strip clubs that are apparently springing up around Bognor like mushrooms.

Bedford protests that there is nothing wrong with a bit of collective nudity behind closed doors. He says: "Why shouldn't Bognor have one of these clubs? We don't want the town to be different."

But its not just bout gays and lesbians splashing each other in the buff. Apparently, the event is to promote healthier lifestyles, whilst including a social aspect.

Chichestertoday.co.uk  says: "The social events at Caesars will be combined with a gym to offer people the chance to get fit and mix with others on the same premises.

"People too often go into gyms on their own and go home again without speaking to anyone else," the club owner lamented.

There's nothing like stripping off to break the ice, but unfortunately, this simply isn't accepted by gyms and swimming pools - Bedford plans to provide this service to the gay community.

Disney OK gay students Sister Act

It seems we were misled. Disney contacted PinkNews this morning to say that they are going to allow the Lesbian and Gay student group at the University of Ireland in Galway to perform a stage version of hit movie Sister Act.

Aaah, a fairytale ending! And the gays DO get to dress up as nuns - what could be more Irish than that?

Official: masturbation does not make you go blind

The College of Optometrists has said that masturbation does not cause blindness, watching too much TV does not damage your eyes and putting Vaseline on your eyelashes will not make them grow more thickly.

The revelations come from a list of ten myths that the college wants to expose in an attempt to encourage people to have their eyes tested.

Here is the full list of whacky facts:

1. Wearing someone else's glasses may damage your eyes.
False!
Although you may not be able to see very well with them and may get a headache or double vision, you won't come to any harm from wearing glasses that are not your prescription (unless you're driving a motor vehicle).

2. Watching TV too much or too closely will damage your eyes.
False!
Watching too much TV or sitting very close to it may make your eyes tired or give you a headache - particularly if you are watching TV in the dark when you are effectively looking at a moving light, like a torch – but won't cause any serious permanent damage.

3. Masturbation makes you go blind.
False!
The only correlation between the two is that semen contains a large amount of zinc and a deficiency in zinc (although nearly impossible to achieve solely by masturbating) will cause a decline in a person's vision.

4. Cutting your eyelashes off or putting Vaseline on them makes them grow back or appear fuller.
False!
Cutting your eyelashes off makes you look like an idiot and your eyelashes do not grow back fuller. Putting Vaseline on them only gives you a greasy pillowcase.

5. Exercising the eye muscles can allow you to 'throw away your glasses'.
False!
People (normally) need specs because of the shape and size of their eye (i.e. their eyes are too big or too small).  Exercises won't help this.

6. Not wearing your glasses will make you depend upon them less.
False!
If you don't wear your glasses you may become more accustomed to the blur and won't remember how bad it is, and thereby think that your eyes have got better (when they haven't).

7. By looking at the patterns, colours and other characteristics of the iris you can tell what health problems a person has.
False!
There is no scientific proof for this. However, when an optometrist carries out an eye examination they will not only test your sight, but will also check the health of your eyes and look for signs of some general health problems.

8. Eating carrots will improve your eyesight.
Some truth!
Carrots are a source of vitamin A, which is important for the eyes.  However, before you embark on an all-carrot diet to improve your vision, note that it is more important for eye health to have a good balanced diet that supports your all-round health.

9. Using your eyes too much can wear them out.
False!
They will last for your whole life if they are healthy (or have conditions that are treatable). The health of your eyes has nothing to do with the number of hours you use them.

10. Holding books up close will damage a child's eyes.
False!
Where or how your child holds a book has no effect on the health of the eyes or the need for glasses. Sometimes children find it more comfortable to read close-up and their very good focusing ability makes it easy for them to do so.

The list was compiled by the College of Optometrists to launch a national media campaign that will raise awareness about eyes and the importance of taking care of your eye health.

(photo: patrick q@flickr.com)