August 3, 2014
Naked Rowers Raise Money to Fight Homophobia
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
The Warwick University rowing team in England is helping to eliminate homophobia in sports by raising money in an interesting way.
The team strips for a good cause as they raise money by selling calendars depicting the team nude and in various poses. They set up a crowd-funding page to raise money to produce the calendar.
The producers depict the boys, who all look like Abercrombie models, their bodies molded by training in one of the toughest sports in the world, having fun in the nude, outdoors. The boys also sell t-shirts, hoodies, a signed poster and video.
The calendars will sell for about $17, funds that will go to an organization called Sport Allies, which fights homophobia and bullying.
"I've had the chance to meet people from the LGBT community that I might not otherwise have met," said Laurence Hulse, a 2014 centerfold and one of the calendar organizers, according to Outsports. "I've been able to hear about their experiences of being bullied, and struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. I hope that this is something our calendars and our films can help to address. Not just by funding our outreach work, but by making a statement. We don't mind who enjoys the calendars and films. We have fun creating them and we want everyone to have fun looking at them. It's all good!"
The boys don't mind and are glad to help fighting against homophobia. They'll be attending Manchester Pride in August.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
