Whenever I travel, I love to pick up a local magazine as my souvenir. It’s a great way to remember a vacation instead of magnets, shot glasses or other tchotchkes IMHO. This way I can recall the exact month and year I visited a particular country.

As I was doing a little Spring cleaning, I came across a few gay publications I’ve picked up over the years, which brings me to this post. I corralled the covers of a few gay mags from this month and put them all in one post. Check them all out below and cast your vote on which cover stands out the most. Enjoy.

check out the other covers after the jump

The annual “Naked Issue” from Gay Times Magazine is out, featuring four collectible covers with super sexy blokes in the buff. The four covers consist of Luke Campbell (an Olympic Boxer), Chris Mears (an Olympic Diver), Ashley McKenzie (an Olympic Judo Competitor & Big Brother UK 2012), and PJ Brennan & Kieron Richardson (Hollyoaks British Soap Opera).

The models were photographed by world-renowned photographer, Dylan Rosser and they are hot, hot, hot. The Naked Issue, which features all naked celebrities, will help raise money for the HIV organization, Terrance Higgens Trust. Throughout the issue, readers are encouraged to text donations with the numbers provided.

Check out the sexy cover photos below. I’ve also included a couple extras that I’m sure you’ll appreciate as well. Be sure to get the issue when it comes out and text your donations in to help support a good cause.

Check out the four covers after the jump…

Not that I don’t appreciate a cute guy shirtless wearing only Speedos (because I DO), but the cover of GT’s latest issue seems to contradict one of the interviews featured in the publication. Finn Jones plays Ser Loras Tyrell on the HBO series Game of Thrones. The 24-year-old English actor discusses his experience portraying the gay character on the show. Here’s his response:

“In terms of the gay community, I’ve got a very strong reaction that people are happy with it, happy that gay characters are being portrayed but not in a sensationalized or stereotyped way, and they’re being put into a world that is a very masculine, hard world. I hope that they think that we’re not stereotyping them.”

I wonder if the stylist for the Gay Times cover read the above before giving an orange winter coat and a banana hammock for Finn to wear. Because that’s not stereotypical at all ;) From my experience, I see at least five guys in that very get-up within the first ten minutes of hitting the village of any gay ski event in North America. I kid. Jones certainly is packing some heat in those tiny orange Speedos.

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The UK’s longest serving gay magazine, Gay Times, is celebrating it’s 400th issue with four celebrity covers for the landmark issue. The four celebrities are: Sir Ian McKellen, Lady Gaga, Joe McElderry, and Matthew Mitcham. The special feature will be in the December Issue and will highlight these celebrities who have each played their role in gay culture.

Actor Sir Ian McKellen, who came out to the general public in 1988, has done a lot for the gay community over the course of his career and continues to do so. “I have been reluctant to lobby on other issues I most care about – nuclear weapons (against), religion (atheist), capital punishment (anti), AIDS (fund-raiser) because I never want to be forever spouting, diluting the impact of addressing my most urgent concern; legal and social equality for gay people worldwide,” Mckellen has said in the past.

Preview the covers after the jump…

Earlier this week, I shared Rihanna’s new blond look on the cover of British Vogue and Kate Winslet’s mod-tastic Harper’s Bazaar one. Obviously, there not the only celebs gracing the cover of magazines this November. All you have to do is take a quick glance at your local newsstand to see that. So, I decided to pick a few of my favorite celebrities pimping themselves out on magazine covers this month and ask you, which one is your favorite. I’ve chose publications ranging from British GQ to Gay Times Magazine featuring Kellan Lutz, Taylor Lautner, Darren Criss, Kristin Stewart, Johnny Depp and Nicki Minaj. Take a quick look at all of them and cast your vote.

Kellan Lutz

Lutz talks about what he’s up to now that filming “Twilight” is over. Here’s what he’ll miss the most about the franchise. “The best part of being a part of the franchise was hanging out with the fans at the premieres and the fan conventions and all the signings.” More of Kellan Lutz at http://www.nylonguysmag.com/.

see the other magazine covers after the jump

If you live in the UK, then chances are, you are probably obsessed with one of it’s biggest TV shows: Merlin. This medieval fantasy thriller began captivating audiences when it first launched in 2008 and has become one of Britain’s biggest telly exports with the show now being seen in over 183 countries. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t underestimate the power of Merlin’s magic.

Three of the Knights of Camelot were gracious enough to model for Gay Times Magazine (GT) without their kit. Who knew knights could be so sexy? The three men pictures above are Rupert Young who plays Sir Leon, Eoin Macken who plays Gwaine and Tom Hopper who plays Sir Percival.

If you’re an avid reader of GT but don’t watch Merlin, you may recognize Tom. He’s graced the magazine’s cover before and apparently during the shoot had everyone staring when he stripped down to his Armani briefs. Eoin (pronounced Owen) also used to be an Abercrombie & Fitch model and Rupert is just a joker. When the photographer asked him what character he played he said, “Character? I’m not in Merlin. I was just standing outside… I was coming in for a meal.”

The four grace the cover of this mag’s Style Issue and as you can see the stylist for the shoot had fun playing with the fall’s trends and utilizing them in a fun way like the shield with a pocket square on it and the kit armor made up of suit fabric. Check out the full cover and a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot with an interview below.

Check out the GT full cover after the jump…

Ben Cohen is probably the gayest straight man in sports, next to David Beckham that is. No one can out metrosexual that guy, but Cohen is certainly giving him a run for his money. Let’s do a quick rundown on why he’s one of the gay community’s biggest ally. He was named sports personality by UK’s Gay Times in 2008, then appeared on the cover of gay magazine, Attitude in 2009. A year later, he signed a jockstrap and auctioned it off to support the gay man’s health charity, GMFA.

If that wasn’t enough, he decided to embark on the “Ben Cohen Acceptance Tour 2011” which took him around the UK and the US to bring awareness to homophobia and stop the bullying of youth in schools. It’s part of his Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation which he created after retiring from rugby. Coming off his gay meet-and-greet tour, the former rugby player has once again bared his sexy furry chest for another gay magazine. This time Ben is gracing the cover of Gay Times Magazine’s July 2011 issue. Not bad for a happily-married straight man and father of two. Glad his wife doesn’t have a problem sharing her sexy man meat for the gays. Check out the full cover and another pic from inside the latest issue below.

check out the cover and another hot pic after the jump

Having working in media buying for an international gay brand, I have come across some awesome gay magazines that are just not readily available in North America and thought I would share! Definitely check them out and all do international subscriptions too!

Winq

My first pick is Winq Magazine, based out of Amsterdam! I love working with these guys and think this magazine is really well done! It’s a lifestyle magazine geared specifically to Dutch and Belgian gay men, which I find makes the fashion and styling a lot more edgy than what you see in North American mags. Best part, they have just launched a North American edition in English! Yahoo! www.winqmagazine.com Read the rest of this entry »