Now that you've read about Ben Massing's homophobia-laden lawsuit against Genre magazine — for supposedly using his picture and depicting him as gay, the horror! — how would you rule if you were the judge overseeing this case?

After reading about Massing's lawsuit, be sure to go here and vote how you would rule in the case.

Model Ben Massing sent us a note this week insisting he's not a homophobe, charges he incurred after suing gay magazine Genre for running sexually suggestive pictures of him without his permission. Wrote Massing via an attorney:

Numerous media outlets focused on the fact that the images appear in a publication geared toward the gay community. Based upon these reports, some have mischaracterized me as homophobic, which could not be further from the truth.

We were beginning to feel a bit bad about this Massing business, but then we obtained a copy of his lawsuit against Genre and photographer Rick Day and it's one of the most blatantly homophobic documents we've read in a long, long time.

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Ben Massing, the model suing gay rag Genre, released the following statement this morning:

Last week I filed a lawsuit in New York based on the unauthorized use, distribution, and publication of my image. One of the photographs was cropped and altered to make me look nude and included my contact information.

Numerous media outlets focused on the fact that the images appear in a publication geared toward the gay community. Based upon these reports, some have mischaracterized me as homophobic, which could not be further from the truth.

The real issue is that I never signed a release or gave permission to use or alter my pictures for adult-themed media. No matter what community the publication attracts, the use of my image in a sexually explicit way without my permission violated my rights.

It seems to us Massing should center his lawsuit around the publication of his personal information. Aside from copyright issues, the image matter becomes a bit hazy: someone who poses in their undies should expect to be objectified - especially when said person looks so good!

Not all the gays are hating on Ben Massing, the model who's suing Genre magazine for their "lewd" portrayal of his rippling body and revealing personal details.

Jeff Woodward, the association publisher for New York bar rag Next, sent us the following note yesterday:

Ben's a friend of mine… and straight… but as far as you can get from homophobic. I met him a few years ago. He is a Florida friend of Next's owner's boyfriend who is also from Florida. He would always hang around the Next offices when he was up in NYC doing shoots and auditions and all the boys here loved him.

I haven't spoken to him in a while, but can assure you he's not the idiotic homophobe he's being portrayed as. He's a sweet funny kid who is going to go far. He knows the gay boys like to look at him and could care less about how that is perceived.

That's good, because a lot of people are mad at him at the moment.

New York-based fag rag Genre's trying to boost its national presence with a commercial currently running on gay cable network Logo. And, well, let's just say they don't stray very far from their vapid path, but that's exactly why we love them…

Genre's Neal Boulton gets more scandalous press today.

When we last saw the lady-loving fag-rag editor, he defended himself against rumors that he was spending time with a buxom Penthouse model. Boulton admitted chilling with the chick, but insists his heart lies with his recently reconciled wife, Claire, who bore him two children.

Today, however, some "sources" tell Page Six that Boulton's been carrying on with his children's nanny, who's shacked up in Boulton's former bachelor pad. Boulton denies he's diddling the help, and points the fingers at his coworkers at HX magazine, whose corporate owner, Window Media hopes Boulton can help save from certain doom.

I do think I have annoyed gay folks, even though I have been riskily honest about all of my proclivities, including women… And I was recently hired as a consultant to re-launch HX, a small free bar magazine, which shares Genre offices. I made major changes there and believe I may have p-ed off some HX people because their spies saw me out with her.

Boulton goes on to again reiterate that he's been honest about his "very David Bowie life" and reassures readers that if he were fucking his nanny, we'd know all about it: "…I never had a relationship with her of any kind. If I had, I'd have bragged about it."

Ain't that the truth!

Someone really wants to stick it to Genre editor Neal Boulton. An anonymous source sent out a little blurb yesterday and places Boulton at the Penthouse club sans his wife, with whom he recently reconciled: …Boulton was there with a blond women who is NOT his wife Claire. He kept the money and booze flowing well enough so that they had women all over them the entire time." Scandal!

We, too, received this message and asked Boulton for a reply. Here's what he had to say:

I can't help it if the Penthouse girls, no matter what you're into, are hot—and worth all the fists of bills I stuff into their g-strings. I have eyes for everything beautiful. Why live any other way? Plenty of cute boys swooning on tabletops over the years have profited from me in much the same way.

Boulton's an equal opportunity employer, apparently.

Genre editor Neal Boulton never fails to cause a sensation!

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HX Media continues to - um - evolve…

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We're told there were no survivors from Genre's Michael Lucas cover shoot.

EIC Neal Boulton explains his decision, "America loves Michael Lucas—I am just giving the people what they want." Which America?

The evidence continues to build against Genre and its editor, Neal Boulton.

This morning we told you about how the gay glossy used straight models to portray queer domestic bliss. Now former Genre editor Andy Towle informs us that publisher William Kapfer approached him for press last month and included this note from Boulton:

Everyone wants—someone. But when you get them, how do you keep it going. Genre's new service journalism and -how to- editorial direction made it easy for us to provide our readers with the **50 top ways to stay together forever.** This is not your typical list.

We delve into the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects that if addressed can actually enhance the way people relate to each other. We acknowledge that not every is monogamous, but some are—and we even address how to manage life in either scenario.

On the cover this month, Genre bravely put forth a reality couple, and not the typical models who hold perfection over our heads.

Yeah fucking right. We haven't heard such a pile of horse shit since Pat Buchanan called Keith Kerr a coward.

Gay glossy Genre finds itself immersed in scandal once again.

The New York-based monthly recently released an issue examining long-term relations. The cover, as you can see, shows two hunky men who are presented as a couple. An astute reader, however, informs us that one of the models, Julian Fantechi, once appeared in Playgirl and, in fact, likes ladies. Writes the reader:

Inside the magazine, they are stripped down, appear to be into each other, and are allegedly, discussing their physical relationship, emotional, sexual and spiritual relationship. This is not reality, here!!!!! The guy on the left is Playgirl's Man of the Year. The link is to his website and his Inside Hollywood interviews. He even puts Genre on his resume.

Fantechi also appeared on a recent episode of Ugly Betty.

We asked EIC Neal Boulton and publisher William Kapfer to explain their gay selves….

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Magazine publishers know exactly who to thank before digging into their turkey this Thursday. Just ask William Kapfer, who praises advertisers for investing in gay glossy Genre.

…In keeping with a theme of gratitude and thanksgiving, I would like to take a moment to thank both our loyal advertisers—those brands who have continued to support Genre through its early beginnings, and to applaud our new advertisers—those products, services and destinations that have chosen to partner with the industry’s fastest growing gay men’s magazine.
…
We poll our readers regularly about what they want from a gay-lifestyle magazine and their response has always comes back to a “strong emotional connection” with the products, services and destinations that affect their lives. As a result, Genre readers come back again and again because they know that only Genre can provide the integrity and inspiration to make that connection.

Kapfer must have forgotten to thank all the nameless, faceless, penniless bloggers who give Genre press. Sure, it's not always good press, but that's hardly important, right?

Media watchdog GLAAD has been making some intriguing business arrangements.

A source tells us that the DC-based non-profit either sold or gave Genre a list of their donors. Genre, in turn, used that list to send out free copies of the recently revamped gay glossy. Those unrequested issues are then tallied as part of the magazine's subscription data, thus boosting the monthly's standing with potential advertisers. Sneaky, huh?

At first we didn't believe this tale, but a Genre sales employee confirmed the rumors, but didn't seem to know whether GLAAD took money for the list or if they shared it out of the goodness of their homo hearts. Said this employee, whom we've decided to call Informative Irwin: "I don't know if they purchased it or if they just gave it to us." Right…

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