EDITOR- IN- CHIEF’S LETTER
Y“As well as being a source of conflict, our bodies can give us immense pleasure”
ou’re born into it — and exist in it until you pop your clogs — but the relationship you have with your body is often problematic. It doesn’t begin that way, however. Little children might ask why they have curly, red hair while a friend’s is straight and jet black but they rarely see themselves as looking imperfect.
It’s not until they are older that kids begin to compare their physicality with that of other people. Puberty is a challenge emotionally, mentally and physically, not least because our outward appearance is what people notice fi rst. By the time they hit their teens, this self- conscious awareness of image extends to how they dress, what phone they have and even the friends they socialise with.
When you factor in a burgeoning sexuality and the gay feelings that begin to stir inside, it’s no wonder that many young gay men go on to have a complicated relationship with their body. The desire we feel towards men’s bodies goes against what society tells us is appropriate.
For trans kids, their feelings are exasperated by a body that begins to develop in a way contrary to the gender they identify with — and is why trans kids need support and protection. ( Thank you Don Cheadle for your beautiful gesture on Saturday Night Live in February, and Harry Brewis, aka Hbomberguy, who raised more than $ 340,000 (£ 263k) for trans children’s charity Mermaids.)
This month, Kenny Ethan Jones, a trans man, shares part of his journey and how the gym became a place where he once felt othered, but which more recently brings him calm and inner peace.
In our lead story for this year’s Body issue, we look at a group of people with one common trait — they have all used their bodies as a canvas. Whether messages of spiritual or mental growth, or simply the result of whimsy, tattoos are one of the most common ways we personalise our bodies. Each inking tells a story and, starting on p58, we have 13 people sharing theirs.
Elsewhere, Neil Dunk explains how living a full life with cerebral palsy has been challenging in its own way. Meanwhile, Tom Quinn, of the charity Beat, tackles the Big Issue page to highlight the disproportionate number of gay and bi men suff ering from eating disorders.
As well as being a source of confl ict, our bodies can give us immense pleasure. I don’t think there’s a gay man out there who doesn’t have an idealised image of who their dream man is. I’ve always had a soft spot ( OK, technically a hard spot) for Matthew Camp, so it was entirely my pleasure to welcome him to the UK for his cover shoot.
Aware that all our bodies are commodities whether we realise it or not, Camp ( yes, that’s his real name) started his career in New York, using his fi ne form to earn dollars on stage as a go- go dancer, before moving to Instagram, and more recently launching himself on Only Fans. His next goal? To create a gay sex cult. Sign me up.
When it comes to thirsty images, it’s a noisy world in which the social apps on our phones, media we digest, fi lms we watch, and porn we jerk off to are spilling over with hot guys and near unattainable physiques. It took me years to fi nd my comfort zone and realise that as much as they look pretty on others, I didn’t need a six- pack to complete me if it means damaging my mental health.
And that’s really the point here: acknowledging the distinction between fantasy and reality. Look around you; no two people on this Earth are alike. ( Yes, even those hot gay twins have diff erences.) The same goes for your body: stay healthy, look after it, and love the one you’re in. To quote Queen RuPaul: “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”