From The Editor: Men To Admire
Andrew Creagh on Robert Irwin, Pet Shop Boys, Boy Radio, Sascha Cologne, and the men in DNA #291 who make us admire, smile, and dance.
DNA #291 – Men To AdmireThis month, we bring you a selection of men who, for different reasons, we admire.
Robert Irwin grew up in public. As the son of Steve Irwin, the famous crocodile wrangler and media personality, we’ve known him since he was a baby. He’s now 20, has the same passion for conservation as his father and, like his dad, has cultivated a media profile. In the US, he’s appeared many times on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he’s been a guest judge on Drag Race Down Under, walked in Melbourne Fashion Week, and he’s currently co-hosting I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
He has great energy, enthusiasm and curiosity. So I asked Matt Myers, who writes the regular Our Straight Mates feature, to put out some feelers. The opportunity arrived, and he doesn’t disappoint! We discover that his best mates are gay and just married, he loves ABBA’s disco album Voulez-Vous, and doesn’t compromise on the quality of his underwear. Matt writes, Crikey! Is he our best Straight Mate yet?
Another Aussie we admire is singer/songwriter Greg Gould. His latest single, Who Gave You Permission? was written in response to his experiences of sexual abuse. Putting it into a song and releasing it publicly as a piece of art takes guts, so we applaud Greg’s bravery.
When it comes to admiring the career of Pet Shop Boys where do you start? For the last four decades, they have been flagbearers to the noble cause of gay pop, writes Marc Andrews in our feature on Neil and Chris and their 15th studio album, Nonetheless. Whether it’s a dancefloor anthem or one of their incredibly beautiful-but-sad ballads, there is always a gay sensibility. Sometimes obvious, as with It’s A Sin or Go West. Sometimes tantalisingly understated, as with Bet She’s Not Your Girlfriend or the delicious new single, Loneliness.
A newcomer to the music world is Boy Radio, who Marc describes as Lil Nas X’s older, raunchier brother. Being sex positive is a part of me that I honour! he says. My favourite part of the interview is when he says, I craved joy in my life. I needed it, and I was willing to define it, stand for it, and protect it. Joy! So I activated the pop star button in my life. That is truly admirable.
This month’s cover boy Ramon also finds joy in music. He says Mozart is his favourite composer, but really enjoys playing Franz Liszt’s La Campanella on the piano. Yes, Ramon is one of those amazing all-rounders. He paints, plays piano, skis and snowboards, programs software, is an architect and, on top of all that, looks the way he does! Most impressively, he takes his adventurous cat, Ton, paddleboarding.
The generation who have grown up without shame or guilt around gay sex has helped create beautiful, sex-positive men like Sascha Cologne. He’s a fans content creator, loved for his joyful bottoming. We asked him for some sex tips and he gladly obliged. More than just a babe, he’s a water polo player and the CEO of his own company.
Finally, if you’re looking for a lot of men to admire all in one place, probably with their shirts off and having the time of their lives, an all-gay cruise is the place for you! We sent Gary Nunn on the toughest assignment this issue to find out everything you need to know about cruising. With little more than a Speedo and some fancy dress costumes Gary did the hard yards. As always, thanks for reading, take care of yourselves and others, and your feedback is always welcome.
Photographer and filmmaker Jean-Daniel Cadinot is the subject of a new book that features many of his famous images. In the latter half of the 20th Century, he redefined how the male nude could be photographed by allowing his models to reveal their vulnerabilities and express their desires. We owe much to Cadinot’s vision, and we honour him with a feature in this issue.
I hope you enjoy everything in DNA #291 and, as always, I look forward to your feedback.
Andrew Creagh, Founding Editor
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