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Before the explosion of photos, memes, and Alex Minsky fan clubs, I recall seeing Alex at the gym one day.
I work out in the gym across the street from my office every morning, not the super exclusive Equinox gym next door, but cozy, working man's L.A. Fitness. It's a great gym catering to everyone and I love that there are women who show up with curlers to work out.
Then Alex appeared one day. Yes, notably an amputee, but what really stood out was the thick glasses, the goofy grin, and the glorious tattoos on marble-white skin. What also got my attention is that half the guys in the gym were asking to take selfies with Alex. His reputation preceded him.
Then suddenly my Facebook feed was being invaded by the muscular vet posing in, well, nothing.
What happened next was that on my trips into West Hollywood a few times a week, I would inevitably run into Mr. Minsky being hustled about by some of the more notable photographers in town. He looked like he was having a great time. Why was Alex invading my life? What did he want from me?
Alex has shot to stardom now, and I am sure his memories of our wonderful mornings together, while I imagined that he was spotting me, are but but a faded memory for him. But the good news is that one of those notable photographers, Eric Schwabel, has shot a beautiful 2016 calendar starring Alex. Eric is a longtime contributor to The Advocate, having shot more that a few covers, and now has the pleasure of creating a cottage industry out of his wonderful images of Alex. Check out this link for the calendar and other products featured here. And happy 2016.
—Christopher Harrity
