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Monday, February 24, 2025
Kudos: Chris Kluwe
'MAGA stands for trying to erase Trans people from existence. MAGA stands for resegregation and racism.'
I'm sure many of you saw the video already, but I still wanted to give a shout out to former NFL player Chris Kluwe who arrested during a Huntington Beach City Council meeting last week. Kluwe, a former pro football punter, who played for the Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, and The Oakland Raiders. has long spoken out about social issues.
Kluwe attended Tuesday’s meeting to protest a proposed MAGA acrostic plaque outside of the Central Library for the library’s 50th anniversary. After his anti-MAGA speech, Kluwe stated that he would now engage in the time-honored American tradition, peaceful civil disobedience.
Kluwe was then held by several police offers and carried out of the council chambers and arrested. Activism certainly isn't new to Kluwe, who appeared on the cover of OUT Magazine back in 2012 in support of gay marriage and equality. It was hopeful to see Kluwe, as well as Jane Fonda at the SAG awards, speaking truth to power with all the shit currently going on by the orange idiot and his cult followers. Things are only going to get worse, and as Fonda reminded us, there's no need to wait to stand up and protest as we're already in a very bad place.
Alex Michael: Enjoying The Ride
'Here's the thing: Men, especially in their 20s and 30s, are way too hard on themselves. We set impossible standards, chasing that perfect body like it’s the only thing that matters.'
Although by now we should really know better, so many of us still tend to stereotype, especially with models. It's lazy, but also easier to just assume everyone in a certain group are similar. With male models, the stereotype still stubbornly remains sort that of a nice, but rather self-absorbed guy. A dim-witted Zoolander wannabe with no real skill or talents beyond their ability to pout, pose and look good for the camera.
Over the many years of working on FH however, I've found the stereotype rarely true. Sure, I met a few 'Zoolanders', but for the most part, the male models I interview are incredibly goal oriented with modeling just a small step in their long journey. So many models that I feature never thought they were especially hot, and their incredibly bodies didn't just happen, they were created through hard work, determination, and a desire for success as they pursue their passions.
For Alex Michael, who I first featured last year, (HERE:) the initial passion was acting. As part of the process, in addition to honing their talent, they also need to be ready for auditions, and be comfortable in front of the camera. In order to be natural in front of the camera, it helps to feel good about how you look, and have confidence in both you talents, and your appearance. Alex began his fitness journey to benefit his passion for acting but in the process, fitness became a passion for the 28 year old actor, model and fitness content creator.
Alex's words about setting getting fit being 'the only thing that matters' really rang true for me. When I first began my fitness journey, it pretty much consumed me. I was working out, or thinking about exercise, and what I was, and wasn't going eat, almost 24/7. I was so absorbed, it took getting shin splints, and not being able to exercise at all for awhile, to have me realize I needed to slow down, enjoy the journey, and set goals that realistic over the long term.
We live in a world where there’s constant pressure on men to be in perfect shape. Social media, the media, and society at large bombard us with the idea that we need to look a certain way. I totally get it, I've felt that weight too. A lot of the acting and modeling gigs I've done are based on characters who are physically fit.
I enjoy the process of staying healthy, eating right, and staying in shape, but at times we feel a pressure to maintain our fitness and to continue growing muscle and definition. The truth is, while being in shape is important, it’s not the whole story. It shouldn’t consume your life to the point where you lose sight of who you really are. Eat right, lift weights, but don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
Alex understands that those muscles that we worked so hard to obtain, won't just vanish over night. He tries to remind everyone that he supports with their fitness journey,, to take a break occasionally. A few days or a week off, especially for something fun, like a beach vacation, won't erase all the work they've put in. If you're interest in more tips for balancing fitness with life, or just take a peek at his life as an actor in NYC or his images as a model, check him out on Instagram HERE:
There is nothing quite like a visual motivator, and Alex's modeling work has chronicled both his journey and the successful result. Two shots of Alex from this shoot from Roger N from TimeOutDigital were recently selected to appear in the February 'Beauty' themed issue of the Paris based Fashion Magazine MOEVIR.
Inspiró: Luxury & Lust
Artwork by Marco Matroso
Image by Mr. Ection
Images by AkaRoberto
Images by Ahmad Nasereldein
Images by Bob Burkhardt
Images by Bert Van Pelt
Images by The Male Muse
Artwork by Lost Kid Art
Artwork by Wayne Howarth
'Photographer Mark Alan believes in the idea of luxury when it comes to lust.'
I've written before about my passion for magazines. My love of visuals of the male form began when I just a kid flipping through magazines. We didn't really have many magazines in our home, not when I was young, but had relatives who'd save old issues for me. I even enjoyed visiting the dentist or doctor, just to check out their magazine supplies, and most visits, the receptionists were fine when I asked to take a few with me.
I love the glamour shots of celebrities, head and body shots from famed photographers like Harry Langdon, Annie Leibovitz, Helmut Newton and Bruce Weber. I'd collect my favorite images and save them in scrapbooks. When I got older, and had my own money, I'd often go into the city on the weekends and hit the International book and magazines stores. I'd even buy magazines from countries where I didn't know the language, just for the beautiful images within their pages.
I think that's why I've incorporated the magazine style layout for FH. It begins with a pic of the day, (the magazine cover) then some celebrity driven or visual feature stories, before using ending with the main piece, the cover story tied to the pic of the day. I've often wanted to change the format, I know it, and blogging in general, is already outdated, but it fits for me and the way I like to display and layout stories and images in a structured and predictable way.
I still love buying magazines, especially the thick, photographed filled special issues like Vanity Fair's Hollywood issues. There's a smell, and feel to quality paper, with a visually stunning cover that draws you to flip it open in the store, and then put it into your cart. I certainly don't buy as many magazines I used to, but there are some days, and some occasions, when nothing beats having a magazine with incredible visuals and great articles. A quick read maybe, but one you can enjoy again and again.
Some of you may remember I was features editor and writer from Dylan Rosser's tMf magazine. (HERE:) for several years. It was a great way to connect with artists and models, as well as wonderful format to spotlight talent. As much work as it was, it was always so rewarding when the finished issue was up and ready. Although tMf was a digital magazine, I always wished there'd been a glossy print edition, featuring colorful full pages of the visuals from the artists and models featured.
FH readers know the work of photographer Mark Alan, (The Male Muse) whose work I've previously featured on the site. (HERE:) Last year, Mark began Inspiró, a magazine focused on the male form, and the artists who create the work so many of us love and enjoy. Mark's goal was spotlight the artists he's inspired by, enjoyed and followed over the years.
'There are so many gay/queer artists and photographers that inspire me online and in the real world and over the years. I'm always gathering bookmarks and regularly checking in on their latest works. One day while editing an issue of Pulp, a zine featuring my photography paired with written works by gay/queer authors, I thought it would be great to organize a magazine to feature the works of all these creators of homoerotic art that I love.
'Around the same time, I received a copy of a book printed in Germany called "My Gay Eye", which was featuring some of my photos in that issue. Once I saw what they were doing on an annual basis it really motivated me to move forward with my idea. From there Inspiró was born.'
Born in America, Mark now lives and creates in Spain. In addition to Inspiró, he is the creator of The Male Muse online, and publisher of Pulp, Wolfpack and Happy Trail. Inspiró magazine is printed on premium matte paper because Mark believes in the idea of luxury when it comes to lust. As refined as it is daring.
Currently, Inspiró is available in print form, but Mark hasn't given up completely on a digital version. His plan is to have a special X-rated digital edition a couple of times a year. This would feature artists who are ok sharing in that format, and images too explicit for a print edition, especially in more conservative countries, including right now, the US.
How do you choose your contributors?
Each issue of Inspiró features 12 creatives, 6 photographers and 6 artists of other modalities, and within each issue I want as much variety as possible. So basically, I go through my ever-growing list of bookmarks and contact artists with a proposal of featuring their work.
The first issue was a bit of an uphill climb as I didn't have anything but my vision to present to everyone. But with the first issue under my belt, the second and now third have been much easier.
I've had a couple artists contact me the past month wondering how to be featured as well which is amazing. There's now a Submissions Page on my website for artists and writers to reach out about their work.
What can viewers look for in upcoming issues?
I'm always looking around for artist that have a unique style and strong homoerotic themes. Bluesky has been a treasure trove for finding new talent. I'm hoping to push some boundaries in each issue while always presenting compelling and beautiful work. My husband does the final design on Inspiró after I've laid out all the photos. He's really risen to the challenge and has been elevating the aesthetic with each issue. Really proud of what we are creating together.
How often do issues come out?
The goal is 4 issues a year from this point on. I learned a lot between issues 1 and 2 about how to organize work flow. There wound up being a huge gap between those two editions because communication and gathering content was so time consuming. So, to resolve that I've decided to essentially work on the remaining 3 issues for 2025 simultaneously, doing all my communication and gathering art up front so we can have everything on hand and ready to lay out well in advance. Issue 3 is nearly complete and will be out late March or early April.
The latest issue of Inspiró magazine, filled with deeply evocative images that keep calling you to look again. is now out! Celebrating male beauty and sensuality through the eyes of Mark Alan, as well as eleven other homo-visual artists, some of whom FH viewers know well. The 100-page publication contains a multitude of artistic forms—–collage, ceramics, photography, found objects, digital art and line drawings—–in vivid exploration of love, diversity, sexual fever, and the erotic expressions that bind them together. You can preview and purchase out the second issue of Inspiró HERE:
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