(Cross-posted from EmpressMaruja.com, with updates added here.)
You may have probably heard about Ben Massing, one of the Random Hot Men in the Empress Maruja blog who has an impressive body and an equally impressive educational background if you ask me. Well, he's on the limelight these past days, and it's not because he did something impressive.
Queerty reported that Massing is suing Genre Magazine and high fashion photographer Rick Day for "bringing him unwanted attention by publishing a 'cruel and vulgar' picture of him nearly in the buff." The model further claimed that the snapshots even included where he lives and "provided viewers an online avenue to reach (him), subjecting him to advances from strangers who solicit him for homosexual sex."
The model and aspiring complained that his photos were published in the March/ April issue of Genre magazine, on a page filled with ads for gay chat lines and sex toys.
"He's not gay," Massing's lawyer stressed. Fine. We know, but at least be appreciative of you fans. I know of several male models, damn straight male models, who are being admired by fans of any race, age, gender, and sexual preference. If some pervert tries to hit him up, he could simply say, "Sorry, I not into that." Believe me, a lot of gay fans know the boundaries between admiration of the male body and just being freaky. I'm more of the former.
So Ben does not want to have gay fans? That's fine by me. I might as well update my Random Hot Men and look for hot male models and aspiring actors who love to have dedicated fans.
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UPDATE: Massing just released this following statement...
"Last week I filed a lawsuit in New York based on the unauthorized use, distribution, and publication of my image. One of the photographs was cropped and altered to make me look nude and included my contact information.
Numerous media outlets focused on the fact that the images appear in a publication geared toward the gay community. Based upon these reports, some have mischaracterized me as homophobic, which could not be further from the truth.
The real issue is that I never signed a release or gave permission to use or alter my pictures for adult-themed media. No matter what community the publication attracts, the use of my image in a sexually explicit way without my permission violated my rights."
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