Mormons Exposed – Hot Boy Calendar!

UPDATE: 

Get the latest on Chad Hardy being Excommunicated by the LDS Church and his views on supporting gay marriage and equality.  Click here.

[Source: Mormons Exposed - Click calendar front for backside]

Chad Hardy put this calendar together and says it’s more about showing individuality rather than religion. The project is forward-thinking and intended to put a spin on a sociable taboo. The men in the calendar represent those of the Mormon faith who are comfortable with themselves and who they are as people.

It’s no chance that this calendar is drawing lots of controversy. Some hardcore Mormon traditionalists feel it gawks at their religion while others are shocked to see hot and steamy photos of young Mormon men usually clad in white button-down shirts and black pants with or without a matching jacket. Mormons Exposed says it is geared towards being an advocate of change in light of the typical stereotype faced by the religion.

“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.” ~Mormons Exposed

The men in the calendar each share words about their missionary activities and have chosen their favorite charities that sales proceeds will go to. These charities are from around the world and include Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army and Care for Life.

Chad Hardy, producer and co-founder of Mormons Exposed, served a 2 year religious missionary and lived in Utah for 8 years. He is from a sixth generation Mormon heritage. His goal is to dispel some myths and interpretations of the religion, advocating tolerance between all religions.

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

The calendar is quickly gaining popularity especially amongst the younger crowd. On their MySpace page, girls are leaving messages such as “marry me” but it doesn’t stop there. The Gay Community is fascinated by the exposure too. Be sure to check out more hot photos and the videos in this article.

Gay blogs are picking up on this story fast and the men are commenting the photos on the Mormon Exposed MySpace page. Their website mentions nothing about homosexuality. In fact one quote from the site leaves it out completely in a place where one would think it would be included if it were the intention to attract gay males as well as heterosexual women. The quote: “The calendar project and surrounding buzz serves as a platform to encourage many different groups of people to look beyond the stereotypes of race, religion or political affiliation to achieve a greater understanding of one another.”

Lika’s Take:

I have to jump on the gay thing with this one. It wouldn’t seem so odd if it weren’t for the homosexual innuendos throughout the project. They’re not blatant or on purpose but are certainly suggestive.

There’s the logo. Ok, it could be styled with their slogan in mind, “MEN on a MISSION” because after all, two men are MEN. But that’s not all. There’s more…

There is also the apparel store. Maybe no one else noticed but I did. The shop sells t-shirts. There are twice as many in men’s sizes than women’s. What’s up with that? Somebody tell me please! I know people will say it’s the colors and that women can also order men’s sizes. That’s not the point. The point is there are twice as many colors available in “men’s only” sizes than there are for women’s only sizes. And, what if I (I’m male) want that pink shirt? Huh, what am I supposed to do? Well, I guess if you’re gay and want to wear a pink t-shirt then tight is good!

Wait a sec, there’s still more. The MySpace comments, yes guys are commenting on the photos. At my last viewing, they’re doing so more than the females. I should also note Mormons Exposed is accepting friend requests from gay members as well as their comments. That throws out any theory of a naïve production or that gays should feel unwelcome. [Update: The female comments have surpassed the males by a large margin.]

And, what about the back cover of the calendar? Check out the third row down on the photos, looking at the photos in columns two and three. Hmmm? Is it just me, or does the guy in column two appear as though he’s positioning himself perfectly for the column three guy? Ok, that’s probably taking things a bit too far but I know things like that are not always accidental. However, in respect of the project it could have been the work of the studio that put it all together.

Did I mention the guys are HOT! Beefy guys alone are not reason enough but in light of everything else this calendar/project has Gay Appeal all over it whether intentional or not.

I understand why sexual orientation wouldn’t be added to the quote mentioned above. But I really feel like it’s an unwritten objective of this project. The Mormon religious system would have had a cow if it were included in writing. My hat is off to Chad and the boys in their attempt to break the barriers of religion and people in general who are hung up on old-world ways. I hope they sell tons calendars and t-shirts. Calendars are $14.99 and t-shirts range from $15.50 – $24.50. Get your Mormon boys here and show your love!

As promised here is another photo and the video.

Lika Starr

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