As a teenager growing up in a traditional Asian family who didn’t yet understand my homosexuality, I constantly found myself searching for gay Asian male figures to look up to. I wanted a glimpse of the life I could have — someone who looked like me and could understand my struggle. But all I saw plastered in magazines and on TV screens was the supposed prime specimen that I just couldn’t relate to: the chiseled, white, square-jawed pin-up. I wondered if that’s who I needed to be, or at least be with. It was what gay society told me was the pinnacle of male beauty.

On Tony: Ambush trousers.

On Shiao: Kenzo turtleneck. Yuasa Swim swim brief.

For a long time, I thought that coming out would open doors to a place where I could be open about my identity without judgement. As gay men, we all go through an emotional journey to discover a sense of self; to allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to come out and let our lives fall into place. And while I found acceptance in innumerable ways through friends, coming out also meant entering a world brimming with a distinct, ubiquitous form of discrimination — where racism runs rampant and everyone is boxed into manufactured stereotypes.

On Andrew: John Hardy necklace. Sean Suen pants. Space Cowboy boots.

I learned quickly that some of the most blatant racism in the gay community is pointed at Asian men. “Not into Asians” or “no Asians please” can be found in personal ads (in the pre-internet days) or dating app profiles today. It’s a mystery to me how such a blanket statement can be used, but it’s become pervasive to the point of acceptance. If anyone does show interest in an Asian man, they may be pursuing a submissive Asian stereotype. Other gay men want to dominate and discard us. We’re seen as objects that can be fetishized and collected.

On Frankie: Stylist's own hat. Sacai shirt. Yuasa swim brief. Space Cowboy boots.

On John: Opening Ceremony visor. Opening Ceremony x Aloha Blossom shirt. Model's own necklace.

In my 25 years of being out, going to bars and talking to people who found no issue in telling me to my face that they don't date Asians felt like the norm. When I moved to New York in the late ‘90s I went with my Asian friends to The Web, a gay Asian bar that seemed like an oasis where like-minded people could meet, congregate, dance, and share experiences. Little did I know that it was a place of division — a place where Asians competed with each other for the attention of non-Asian men at the club. Nearly every gay Asian friend of mine has experienced some sort of racism within the gay community, and I can’t even fathom how many around the world have felt it too.

On Andrew: Gauntlet Cheng pants.

On Garrett: Stylist's own hat. Yohji Yamamoto coat. CFGNY shirt. Yuasa Swim briefs. Kenzo boots.

For some time, I’ve wanted to create a statement that shows the broad spectrum of Asian men I have met and known in New York — perhaps to respond to the many false, internalized stereotypes that still haunt us today. I wanted to help show an array of modern gay Asian men, an underrepresented group in the media, the way we exist today.

On Jin (left): Kenzo hat and trousers. Space Cowboy boots. On Dylan (right): Opening Ceremony tank. Kenzo trousers. Space cowboy boots.

On Tony: Ambush suit.

The men in this portfolio come from a diverse set of backgrounds: Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporean, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, multiracial. They are not models; they are designers, chefs, drag queens, architects, filmmakers, and teachers. They are powerful, intelligent, sexual, and provocative. They are nuanced and do not fit into boxes like submissive and dominant — they express desire in ways distinctive to them. They shatter the idea that Asian male sexuality is taboo.

On David: Custom Opening Ceremony hat.

On Alika: Gauntlet Cheng dress. Zana Bayne choker. On Garrett: Stylist's own hat. Yohji Yamamoto coat.

Photographer 223, who traveled from Beijing to collaborate on this project, captures bold, masculine, feminine, sexy, gorgeous men who represent the strength of Asian men, but are only a fraction of our huge population in the gay community. 223 was integral in bringing this series to life because his work celebrates male sensuality and beauty in the most authentic way possible. This portfolio was also made with the help of an entirely Asian crew: photographer, stylist, hair stylist, makeup, videographer. All of the clothing you see was created by a designer of Asian descent.

On Patrick: Custom Opening Ceremony hat. Yohji Yamamoto coat. Sean Suen pants.

On Andrew (left): Opening Ceremony T shirt. On Alika (right): Sacai dress. Gauntlet Cheng Sweater.

For every Asian man like me, there’s a kid somewhere trying to figure out how to come out; who doesn’t know what it feels like on the other side. We can’t fight for LGBTQ+ equality without fighting against racism, and we need to start within our own communities. You’re looking at the modern gay Asian male, who doesn’t need to live up to Western beauty standards and stereotypes.

On Daniel: Black Eye Patch shorts.

On Daniel: Black Eye Patch shirt and shorts.

Photographed by 223

Creative Director, Humberto Leon

Fashion Editor, Mark Jen Hsu

Hair, Takashi Yusa

Makeup, Grace Ahn

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