This Calendar Is Destroying Notions That Asian Men Are 'Unsexy'

This Calendar Is Destroying Notions That Asian Men Are 'Unsexy'

There is a pervasive misconception out there that deems Asian men undesirable and unattractive. Maybe it's because of Western society's emasculation of them. Or maybe it's because they're virtually invisible in mainstream media. Whatever the case, the reasons for this myth are extremely racist—and extremely wrong.

But Haikus with Hotties, and their third annual calendar Haikus for Hotties, is seeking to destroy that myth by proving that in many forms, Asian men are already sexy as hell.

"I think it’s super important for Asian men to have people in media that look like them so that they are able to love themselves," actor Yoshi Sudarso, who is featured on the cover of this year's Haikus with Hotties calendar with his brother and fellow actor Peter, told PRIDE. "If all they see in media are people who don’t look like them, and the few people that DO look like them are just the butt end of the jokes, it will damage their self-image. In the same sense there are MANY stories of the Asian American men, so let all those stories be told and don’t be upset if the story you see isn’t yours. If you wanna see your story, go write one and make it happen."

"If you have never seen yourself in the leading role, the savior role, or the protagonist, you start to believe you don’t exist and that your being has no place in this world," said An Rong Xu, one of the photographers behind Haikus for Hotties. "What Haikus with Hotties does is create a space for Asian men to be beautiful, to be unapologetic about their sexuality, and to have the building blocks towards making room for themselves, rather than wait to be invited to the table. 'We don’t want a slice of your pie, we want to bake our own.'"

Purchase the 2018 Haikus for Hotties calendar here, and follow Haikus with Hotties on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Cover: Yoshi & Peter Sudarso, and Anna Akana

Purchase the 2018 Haikus for Hotties calendar here, and follow Haikus with Hotties on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! 

January: Lewis Tan

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February: Ilram Choi

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March: Saagar Shaikh

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April: Kevin Wang

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May: D'Lo

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June: Daniel K. Isaac

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July: Dominic Rains, Asif Ali, & Sunkrish Bala

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August: Chris Pang

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September: Desmond Chiam

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October: Simu Liu

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November: Jason & Justin Rodjanapanyakul

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December: Keone Madrid

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