Hot Men, Cats, and a Cause
The brainchild of Found Animals Foundation, a nonprofit
aimed at decreasing animal shelter euthanasia, the
6 Packs/9 Lives calendar was spearheaded by creator of the
celebrity-driven No H8 campaign, Adam Bouska. It features stereotype-breaking
shots of men in various poses with cats -- from riding a motorcycle to lifting
weights. Of the 3 million to 4 million animals euthanized each year, 75% are cats.
($14,
FoundAnimals.org/6packs9lives)
A Sexy Calendar for the Cure
Want a hot calendar that lets you keep track of time and
support AIDS research? Buy Jack Mackenroth's 2012
Calendar for the Cure and 100% of all profits go directly to amfAR, the American
Foundation for AIDS Research. Mackenroth, who came out as HIV-positive
on season 4 of
Project Runway
in 2007, was voted one of the sexiest men alive for 2011 by
DNA
Australia magazine (along with Ryan
Reynolds and Ricky Martin), making him the only openly HIV-positive member of the sexiest men
alive. His new calendar features sexy images of the fitness model, designer,
and champion swimmer by photographers including Adam Bouska, Rick Day,
Carsten Fleck, Frank Louis, James Franklin, Karl Giant, Tommy Synnamon,
Mattheus Lian, Richard Gerst, Ray John Pila, Sonny Tong, Thomas Evans, Krys Fox,
and Preston Cros. Mackeroth assembled the calendar to mark the 30-year
anniversary of the AIDS epidemic -- and to show that people with HIV (he's been positive
since 1990) can be healthy, fit, attractive, and vibrant. And damn, is he buff.
($15,
JackMackenroth.com/2012calendar)
Double Your Pleasure
Daniel Garofali has been called the "World's First Social
Media Supermodel," in part because the Aussie model -- who was one of 2011's
Sexiest Men Alive -- has built an enormous global fan base (especially in
America, Australia, and across Europe) using branding and social media to track
his every move. Now he's giving back with the Daniel Garofali Calendar (and the
making-of DVD) shot by renowned Sydney-based photographer James Demitri. The
double calendar spans two years (2012 and 2013) and Garofali is donating 50% of
the proceeds to KIVA.org, a nonprofit organization that lets individuals lend
as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. ($40,
DanielGarofali.com)
Eating OutIt may be less beefcake than beef tenderloin, but the 2012
Chefs of the Bay Area Calendar is still sexy and queer, and 100% of the proceeds
of this Kent Taylor-shot calendar goes to Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. The
limited edition calendar features 12 amazing Bay Area chefs, including cover
chef Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet, winner of season 1 of Bravo's
Top Chef Just
Desserts, who is covered in candy sprinkles
(can you say "yum"?). Two lesbian chefs made the cut too:
Top Chef's Jen Biesty (from Scala's Bistro) and Dominique Crenn
(from Atelier Crenn). This isn't just sexy snaps, though; each chef offers up
one of their favorite recipes, like Jake Godby's Salt and Pepper Ice Cream. Sure
to please the cooks in your life. ($20,
MOWSF.org)
Galloping Goodness
Sure, it may be obscure, but this one is a win-win for gay
horse lovers: Thoroughbred Racing Jockeys
features 12 professional and sexy jockeys from the world of competitive horse
racing. Javier Castellano, Garret Gomez, Edgar Prado and more -- some with their
horses and others solo with just ripped abs and sexy tattoos. Seven of these
guys rode in the Kentucky Derby last year, including John R. Velazquez, who won
for the first time. A portion of proceeds of the calendar, which was shot by
Barbara D. Livingston, go to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.
Giddyup. ($14,
Black Liner)
Men on a Mission
It's the final year for the sexy Men on a Mission calendar, the project that was started five years
ago and got its creator, Chad Hardy, booted from the Latter-day Saints church. Each year the
calendar features 12 Mormon men, each recently returned from their mission, and
modestly dressed with rippled abs aplenty. The calendar -- and a sister project
called Hot Mormon Muffins,
featuring sexy vintage pinup-style women -- lets the models each pick a charity
to which some of the proceeds are donated. ($16,
MormonsExposed.com)
Between the Stacks
Yes, most librarians are white women, and apparently tens of
thousands of them are going to reach age 65 in the next five years. These
aren't those librarians. The 2012 Men of the Stacks calendar features sexy male librarians from around
the country, all hoping to change
that stereotype. Von, the sexy Mr. June from Toronto, told
Filipino Librarian, "We can't just leave it to others to
tell the people who we are; that's why the stereotypes about librarians
continue to flourish. We have to
be the ones to go out there and tell people who we are. It's not enough to
complain about inaccurate images of librarians; we must be able to present
alternative, positive images in movies, books and, yes, blogs." Apparently
calendars too. Even better, all the proceeds from the calendar go to the It
Gets Better Project. ($16,
MagCloud.com)
