Cover photo — upcoming 2009 mormons exposed calendar.
I have been following this story here at LikaStarr.com since October, 2007 when the Mormons Exposed – Men on a Mission 2008 Calendar was announced. At that time I wrote about Chad Hardy and his project for the work they were doing to tear down stereotypes. It goes a lot further than religion alone. It was and still is a bold step; a step forward that should be congratulated. More information on the project can be found at the mormons exposed website.
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MEN on a MISSION – 2009 Photo Shoot
I had noted how incredibly gay friendly Chad Hardy and the gang were in regards the Calendar. It received so much recognition and praise by the gay community. At the time there was no mention of homosexuality in any Mormons Exposed press releases or on their site, yet they talked about stereotypes, acceptance and tolerance of people in all walks of life. They were also very open to friendship requests from everyone on their official MySpace page.
In my original article I mentioned the LDS Church would have a cow if there was any inclination the calendar was geared to include interest from men. As of two weeks ago the church finally gave birth to that cow, resulting in Hardy being excommunicated from the church. Shortly afterward Hardy continues to push the boundaries as he publicly announced his support of gay marriage.
Just this past Friday, July 25th Hardy posted another article on his blog announcing his support of gay marriage and a subtle but bold call to Mormons reconsider the LDS Church’s stance on supporting the constitution amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state of California.
“Men on a Mission is more than just a calendar – it’s a movement to offer a hand of friendship to bridge gaps between religious and cultural differences, beliefs and lifestyles.
The recent events of my excommunication has only made me stronger in my convictions for what I set out to do with this project. All of the stereotypes that I was trying to strip off were put right back on by the Church’s actions.”
Hardy republished an open letter to California Mormons originally written by Morman Jeffrey S. Nielsen.
“I do not believe that people choose their sexual orientation any more than they choose their skin color or gender. So to discriminate and deny them equal protection and equal opportunity under civil law because of these natural traits; especially in this case, sexual orientation, is grossly unfair and should be rejected outright in a compassionate and just democracy.”
Lika’s Take:
I am once again writing this in appreciation of what Chad Hardy has set out to accomplish. I am also extending that appreciation to all the beautiful men who were brave enough to strip their own religious boundaries for the calendars and the cause.Chad Hardy is a hero in my book. It takes a lot of courage to accomplish what he has done so far. And, from the looks of things, it’s just the beginning.
I get a lot of views on the article I wrote back in October. That article will receive over 1000 page views today alone. I have no idea who the viewers are. Though this is a gay blog, I doubt the majority of those viewers are gay. Most of the traffic for that article is coming from search engines. I feel most of them are probably Mormons looking for more information on Hardy and the calendar.
In an effort to do my part in making a difference I will also republish Jeffrey Nielsen’s open later to California Mormons. His letter is so eloquently written that it easily transcends all religions, though it was especially written to address only one. To enhance it’s significance I will do that in a separate post. Until then, you can always view it here.
As a “thank you” for your time, here’s a couple more photos from the 2009 calendar photo shoot in Las Vegas. Most of the images on this page can be viewed at a larger size by clicking on them.
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[...] Get the latest on Chad Hardy being Excommunicated by the LDS Church and his views on supporting gay marriage and equality.
i didn’t buy the 2008 calendar but i’m going for the new one. great post and inspirational story. is chad hardy sure he’s not gay?
Love the calendar but this dude Hardy is a fraud. He hasn’t attended or been part of the church in years. Hardy hardly qualifies to call himself a Mormon.
@ tony
Not that it really matters to me. Either way, he seems like a great guy.
haha… I don’t think he’s publicly stated his sexual orientation. But i have to admit I’ve gotten a couple blips on gaydar while following this story
@ Mike
I wouldn’t call Chad Hardy a fraud. Not attending church doesn’t make him non-Mormon. I’m sure his reasons for disassociating with the church on that level have a lot to do with what he’s setting out to accomplish with this project. To me, it shows his convictions in trying to make a difference in what he believes in.
I love the calendar too
hardy is hardley a mormon he may have served a mission but he missed the point
i saw this coming a year ago you cant the church with the world the church has worked hard to maintain the image of the missionaries as teachers and leaders in the community not sex symbols……… pride wow just give it up hardy
@ Bach
Thanks for your comment. I understand what you are saying and agree with you to a certain point. The difference is that I don’t see Hardy trying to change the church as a whole, just the perception of stereotyping and tolerance. In my opinion, that is one of the biggest problems of most religious systems.
On the flip side of things, sex and controversy sells. And the truth is it can even sell a message. According to Hardy, MEN on a Mission 2008 was in the top 10 list of its production company’s calendar sales. Obviously it is working. Of course that doesn’t stop people from believing the wrong message is being sent. But those are usually the ones with a closed mind.
What blows my mind that some people (not you) are personally offended by this. The men on the calendar are shirtless for heaven’s sake. It’s not like they’re fully naked and getting it on. They’re not even posing seductively or doing anything remotely suggestive. By what some are saying, it almost makes one think a male Mormon can’t even go topless on the beach. Someone might take a photo — Oh Snap!
I am a professional photographer. Its a shame Chad Hardy did not dedicate his efforts into developing talent instead of copping out and trying to sell weak work mixed with degrading subject matter because he knew it would make headlines to earn a buck. Yes he should have been excommunicated because he was not living up to the covenants he made and was/is trying to tear down the church and its divine teachings. Those teachings that are given by the savior himself. Hardys claim of trying to build bridges and break stereotypes… please, he is only trying to sell his amateur work. The fact that he is upset at the church and has continued with the subject only proves he has not the talent or the fortitude to shoot more important subject matter. Look at the ads on this page! They sadly prove how pathetic our society has become, grasping onto the wicked and trying to pose it as mainstream and make it accepted. Wrong is wrong, and I am sure that any individual who sees this knows inside that none of this promotes good. Pride, selfishness are the base root for all of this garbage.