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Skin for the Win

Editor Zack Rosen is the winner of a full scholarship to this month's NetRoots Nation summit in Vegas — and all he had to do to win was promise to take off his pants.

ZACK ROSEN X390 (COURTESY) | ADVOCATE.COM

When Zack Rosen wants something, he’ll do anything to get it.

Case in point — a contest to win a full scholarship from Freedom to Marry for the Netroots Nation activism summit later this month in Las Vegas. Rosen made a promise on the adult website Fleshbot: Vote for him, and he’d take off all his clothes.

He won, and Tuesday he’ll make good on his promise. The 26-year-old Washington, D.C.–based editor of the website The New Gay talked with The Advocate about his big reveal, why he’d do anything to attend the summit, and how he really feels about today’s style of activism.

The Advocate: What prompted you to promise voters that you’d take your clothing off if you won the scholarship to Netroots Nation?

Zack Rosen: To use the metaphor of being at the table, I think there’s a big table of activists of various sizes and statures and means right now, and I just really want to be at that table. My website has almost no budget. I work out of my living room. We’re not the most read blog in the universe. I wouldn’t be able to fly myself to this. You don’t often have the opportunity to be around this big a group of people, sharing this many ideas. If I could do anything I had to do to get that chance, I was going to take it.

Did you spend some time considering, OK ... now what happens if I win?
I gave it a lot of thought. At the end of the day, it’s just my penis. Every man has one. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not so terrible to be seen naked. I don’t find it to be this shameful thing. That said, I’m slightly scared shitless now that it came through. You can prepare for it as much as you like, but now the fact that there’s going to be a naked picture of me online has become very real.

Do you worry about not being taken seriously because of this photo?
I thought about that too. It’s better to be there. I get irked endlessly by the idea that ... I think a lot of activism today revolves around respectability. That’s become the track we take. I feel like, when I was 12 and 13, just becoming aware of what the larger gay world meant, I remember very aggressive billboards about having safe sex. I remember protests. I remember people being, not necessarily angrier, but more vocal than they are now. I don’t like the idea that we’re expected to act the right way, dress the right way. I think there’s a place for that, because without it we won’t get anything done, but there’s a place for the other side as well.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: thomas
    Date posted: 7/31/2010 8:25:18 PM
    Hometown: san antonio

    Comment:

    zack is gorgeous with and without his clothes on

  • Name: Wayne
    Date posted: 7/14/2010 2:37:34 PM
    Hometown: Florida

    Comment:

    If you people would check the Fleshbot website, Mr. Rosen did deliver on his promise. I seriously doubt The Advocate posting a link to someone's naked pic, but they might. If all of you would do your homework instead of complaining hoping this website ould do the wrk for you, all of you would have known by now.

  • Name: Gil
    Date posted: 7/6/2010 12:05:42 PM
    Hometown: prtlnd

    Comment:

    well- it's Tuesday- no pic....What's up, Zack, chicken out?????

  • Name: nobiashere
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 8:30:38 PM
    Hometown: Philly

    Comment:

    Oh shut it and step off Gil.

  • Name: JON
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 3:04:58 PM
    Hometown: Norfolk

    Comment:

    won't have too- The Advocate will probably run a link- this site/magazine is getting pretty lame- still no word on the other 2 winners- who did it legitimately- on talent, not stunts....you can tell what the Advocate values. They do an interview with this guy and never ask him about the reactions to him on the 2 other articles they ran over the past week......My main question to him would be- your blog fails and you have to get a job, you prospective boss sees your nude pics and decides he doesn't want someone like that working for him, will you regret it then?

  • Name: Gil
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 2:15:26 PM
    Hometown: toledo

    Comment:

    Who wants to place bets that all of these people making snarky, negative comments will be the first to search for Zack's nude photo on Tuesday?

  • Name: Greg
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 12:27:03 PM
    Hometown: Providence

    Comment:

    The other story about him ("Gay Editor Wins Scholarship, Will Strip") has him shirtless - he's not bad at all, he's a "real" guy unlike the too-perfect guys in porn. Some here find that a threat to gay conformity, which proves everything he says about his blog!

  • Name: Rowan
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 10:10:02 AM
    Hometown: London

    Comment:

    Wow,I think the advocate is rivaling Queerty with plain ol mean commenters! Are you guys constantly like this in your day to day life? How exhausting.Anyhow,I love his blog and there will always be a divide between the mainstream and non mainstream gays.

  • Name: Greg
    Date posted: 7/4/2010 10:00:31 AM
    Hometown: Providence RI

    Comment:

    He's sort of cute except for the tattoo of a ficus plant. His cock MAY be great, though - we'll just have to see!

  • Name: Dana
    Date posted: 7/3/2010 10:20:22 PM
    Hometown: Leominster

    Comment:

    I think Zack is a handsome man who didn't need to do this to win but the fact that He did demonstrates that He is a creative thinker. I'm always amazed at how people react to nudity. Now where can I see that photo again?

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