Prince William: Attitude Magazine Has First Royal Cover Star

Even as America's Republican leaders remain akin to Neanderthals when it comes to the acceptance and treatment of LGBT individuals, "across the pond" in the United Kingdom, attitudes are changing much more rapidly for the better.  Indeed, Prince William, second in line to the British throne, is on the cover of the latest issue of Attitude, a gay magazine.  The BBC looks at this milestone.  Here are excerpts (note William's pro-LGBT and anti-bullying statements):

The Duke of Cambridge has become the first member of the Royal Family to appear on the cover of a gay magazine.

He spoke to Attitude about the issue of homophobic bullying, saying: "No-one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason."

The duke invited the magazine to bring members of the LGBT community to Kensington Palace to discuss bullying and its mental health repercussions.

Kensington Palace said William had been "moved" by the stories he heard.  William said that "no-one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives".

The duke told the magazine: "The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now.

"Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it.

"What I would say to any young person reading this who's being bullied for their sexuality: don't put up with it - speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need.  "You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of."

The photograph of a smiling prince on the cover of a gay magazine is a sign of William's willingness to embrace the diverse nature of British society. It's also a reminder that the monarchy is an institution that can evolve.

In the late 1980s, Diana, Princess of Wales would visit people who had Aids or leprosy. Her former bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, told the Diana inquest that the Queen had asked why the princess didn't get involved "with something more pleasant".

Three decades on, her son is highlighting the work being done against bullying and in support of removing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Another striking aspect of this interview is that William is a future king. As things stand, one day he'll be head of state of the UK and 15 other countries - some of which discriminate against gay people. 

 Kudos to William!

Model Sues Over "Gay Attention"

One would think that a guy who has photos taken of him that look like they are right out of an Under Gear catalog or an issue of Out magazine - see below and judge for yourself - would realize that he might find himself gaining the attention of gays who, after all, are the most discerning of anyone when it comes to enjoying a nice looking male. Not so, model Ben Massing, who is suing Genre and photographer Rick Day to court, claiming invasion of privacy. I find it somewhat hard to believe that Day did not secure a release from Massing to use his photos. If such is the case, then I'm not sue what grounds Massing has to stand on. In any event, here are some highlights from Queerity:

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Ladies and gentleman, meet the new Josh Peters. You remember our former Morning Goods selection, who complained about "finding myself on these stupid gay sites"? Now Genre magazine is facing a similar scenario with straight model, aspiring actor, University of Central Florida student, and former Queerty Morning Goods choice Benjamin Massing, who was featured in the magazine's March/April issue and says the "cruel and vulgar" shot has subjected him to unwanted advances and harassment from gay men. So he's taking Genre and photographer Rick Day to court, claiming invasion of privacy.

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Supposedly, Massing wanted the photos for his personal portfolio, and never expected to see them published. Except, as is the case with most model-photographer relationships, if Massing signed a standard release form, he's got no case, since he would have signed off on allowing photographer Day to use the pictures.

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Of course, this isn't really a case about Massing being displeased that his photo was published. It's that his photo was published in a gay magazine, and that the gay readers liked what they saw.