Elska, a project dedicated to sharing the bodies and voices of LGBTQ communities around the world, has put the spotlight on Salt Lake City for its latest edition. Inside, readers can get to know a selection of everyday queer men from the world headquarters of the Mormon Church, revealing how one of America’s most religious and conservative cities is also one of its queerest.
“For many years I’ve toyed with the idea of making an issue in Salt Lake City, but I had a difficult time weighing the potential pros and cons.” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “On one hand, it would be an excellent opportunity to show what life is like for gay Utahns and to know how the legacy of the LDS church affects their lives. On the other hand, I feared that too many potential readers would expect us to fetishise Mormon boys, and would be disappointed when we inevitably failed to publish an mag full of horny elders in their white garments.”
“Ultimately I found that my hopes and fears converged in a way that proved I’d satisfy both those who eschew and those who desire stereotypes,” continues Liam. “I found that Mormonism played a huge role in this edition, especially in the stories the men contributed, but also in the photography, which featured not one but two men who opted to do a scene wearing their missionary ‘uniform’ but with the trousers off, or even wearing nothing but their elder badge.”
Inside ‘Elska Salt Lake City’ and the companion zine ‘Elska Ekstra Salt Lake City’, readers are introduced to eleven men from the local LGBTQ community. Each was photographed in their city and in nearby mountains and canyons, revealing how important nature is to Utah life. Each participant was also photographed at home, revealing their everyday environment, as well as their diverse, beautiful bodies. For the second issue in a row, following the previous release ‚Elska Melbourne’, every one of the participants opted to bare all in their photoshoots, surprising anyone who thought a Utah issue would be buttoned-up.
In addition to a photoshoot, each of the subjects contributed a personal story. Some of the stories here include: Scott S’s story about following his therapist’s advice to embrace his sexuality by forcing himself to have more sex; Johnny H’s text on how good he is at painting his town red; Daniel R’s tale of running from a bear in the woods; and Tyson C’s account of hooking up one night just to avoid ending a party, and then discovering love.
‘Elska Salt Lake City’ is available in a collectible print format or in a downloadable e-version. Both are available for order online from the Elska website as well as from a select group of shops around the world. In addition, the companion e-zine ‘Elska Ekstra Salt Lake City’ is available, containing hundreds of pages of outtakes and behind the scenes tales, plus two more Utah men who weren’t included in the main mag. The list of stockists and details of the subscription service can also be found on the Elska website: www.elskamagazine.com.
