These Gorgeous Arab Men Stripped Down for Arab Heritage Month and Have Us Feeling A Way!

April is Arab Heritage Month, and to celebrate it, some of the most prominent Queer, Arab men we can think of have graced us with their nearly-nude bodies for Out Magazine. Los Angeles-based photographer James Barton, known better by his professional account @James.Has.Friends, aimed to capture the Queer experience for Middle Easterners that often goes uncelebrated. Photographing beauties Omar Sharif Jr. (@omarsharifjr), Zak and Michael Zakar (@zakartwins), Kenny (@theyoungdadd), Amrou Al-Kadhi (@glamrou), and others, Barton did exactly that.

 

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What's so great about the photo is the beautiful juxtaposition of what is assumed to be the Middle Eastern experience against how these Queer, Arab celebs actually exist. Let's check out the hot, gay Arab models and some of their coolest photos.

Michael Zakar

 

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Whewwwww Michael Zakar is genuinely one of the hottest men out there. And baring nearly-all in the desert, I love that this pic leans into the expectations of the Middle East Desert, but immediately challenges that with this out gay man who is proudly declaring that he is "Made in Iraq." Beautiful!

Omar Sharif, Jr.

 

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Omar Sharif is one of the most famous Arab men in history. Considered one of the greatest Egyptian actors to ever grace the screen, Sharif also gifted the world with an absolutely gorgeous and gay son, Omar Sharif, Jr. This pic of Sharif, Jr. is so wonderful to me because it marries modern Queer fashion with classically Middle Eastern fabrics and architecture. And to be the son of such a prominent figure gave Sharif, Jr. the voice he was born to use. "I came out publicly in the Middle East to bring visibility to an often invisible community, made to hide in fear of persecution. It’s time we had our faces and voices broadcast more broadly; it’s time we no longer remain faceless." Bravo.

Kenny - AKA: @TheYoungDadd

James.Has.Friends for Out Magazine.

This pic of Texas-based model Kenny (@TheYoungDadd) is one of my favorites of the bunch. When someone thinks of the Middle East, they likely conjure up images of heavily-garmented men in the desert. And the nonsensical gay standards of bodies? Forget it. This beefy, Queer Arab is showcasing everything he's got, and he's doing it against the backdrop of a big, beautiful body of water. Two big, beautiful bodies in one pic? What more could I ask for?

Glamrou

 

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If you didn't know who Amrou Al-Kadhi was before reading this, then allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite Queer celebs out there. Better known to most for their drag persona Glamrou, Al-Kadhi is a gay, non-binary, British-Iraqi who also embraces their Muslim faith. But more than all of that, I love what an absolutely brilliant mind Glamrou is, particularly because of how they lean into Quantum Physics (my fave subject). If you've never seen them talk about how Quantum Physics - specifically the dual position of subatomic particles - helped them better understand their Queer identity, then do yourself a favor and watch it now. And as they put it: "Representation means seeing examples of hope in a world that often feels hopeless."

Zak Zakar

 

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Zak Zakar, the other half of the Zakar Twins, showcases everything he's got in this gorgeous photo. He's quite literally pulling himself up with his Queerness in this pic and I'm absolutely living for it. The body; the hair; the bulge. I may be an atheist, but whew I'd have my heels to Allah for this one.

Happy Arab Heritage Month to all our Arab readers!

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