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Susan Norfleet
QueerSighted Showcases the 'Men of Laguna Beach' Calendar
What do Brad Pitt, George Clooney and 20 hot, shirtless guys have in common? They're all part of an inventive campaign by a committed group of volunteers known as "Save the Boom" who want to preempt Laguna Beach's historic gay bar, the Boom Boom Room, from being leveled to make room for new development.
In its latest effort to save the Boom, the group launched a calendar contest chock full of Laguna's hottest eye candy. From auditions of the beach community's sexiest guys, 20 men (including a few straight men) were selected by a panel of judges as finalists. Next, judges will narrow that down to 12 for a 2008 calendar the group plans to sell this fall. Proceeds will benefit Save the Boom and local charities in Laguna Beach.
QueerSighted is the exclusive host of the online Men of Laguna photo gallery where you can get a peek at the Laguna Beach beach boys. We also have a poll where you can vote on which 12 guys YOU think should grace the pages of January to December. A panel of judges will decide the final results, but I'm sure they want to know what you guys think, so cast a vote for your favorite. The photos were all gorgeously shot, by the way, by celebrity photographer Cristopher Lapp who donated his time and services.
Since the property on which the Boom Boom Room (and the adjoining Coast Inn) sits was sold a year and a half ago, Save the Boom has been able to keep the bar on life support by helping to get its leased extended. The group has pulled out all manner of imaginative stops to persuade the new owner to keep this important bit of Laguna gay life (and history) intact, not torn down to make way for something high-end and glamorous -- which is what's happened to most all of Laguna Beach already. The future is very much in jeopardy now as the current lease will expire again in about three weeks. Save the Boom is hoping for a buyer to step in who will want to preserve the bar.
Save the Boom is the brainchild of Laguna resident Fred Karger, a retired marketing/PR guru who has used his expertise to get attention for the cause. This spring, Save the Boom took out a full page ad in Variety asking George Clooney and Brad Pitt to "Save the Boom!" -- an attempt to leverage rumors that the Hollywood hunks had bought the property. Although the rumors were false, the ad did what is was meant to do: get people talking about the Boom Boom Room, including TMZ who led with the headline 'Pitt & Clooney Mixed Up in Gay Bar Fight.'(more, plus photos, after the jump)
Karger believes that the Boom Boom is more than just a gay bar. Aside from its historical significance, the place is viewed as an anchor for gay life in the picturesque seaside town. Karger says that if the Boom Boom Room goes, Laguna will lose a big part of its gay identity and sense of a gay community (not to mention gay tourism dollars).Save the Boom hopes the 'Men of Laguna Beach' can bankroll some more goodwill and interest in keeping the gay in Laguna Beach. Click on one of the hotties below and see if they pique your interest. I have a feeling they will. Oh, and don't forget to exercise your right as a gay American and vote for your favorite fella.
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