Dreamboat Marine-turned-underwear model Alex Minsky is appearing on the cover of Rebel Ink magazine this month for a feature that shows just how sexy “non-traditional” bodies can be.
As you know, Minsky sustained serious brain injuries and had to have his right leg partially amputated in 2010 after his vehicle ran over an IED while serving in Afghanistan. He was later discovered by a photographer at his local gym and was thrust into fame as an underwear model, posing in campaigns for several different companies including Jack Adams.
Minsky has previously explained that he began getting tattoos during rehabilitation because they served as his inspiration. “When I struggle, I need something, and I find inspiration from other things,” he tells Rebel Ink. “I’m glad people are finding inspiration from other things, and if it’s my picture, then that’s a good thing.”
“We chose Carrie Jewell Dugo and Alex Minsky as our cover models to show the world two tattooed individuals who exemplify courage and used tattoos for their own healing process,” said Rebel Ink Editor-in-Chief Paul Gambino. “We hope it opens the eyes of others to the world of tattoos and how this form of personal expression is an art form like others to be admired…and inspire others.”
Check out more shots of Minsky’s beautiful body artwork below, and try not to shed tears over his heterosexuality:
BudsYourUncle
Even with his explanation, there will still be countless people here *still* complaining about the tattoos. Queens will complain about anything.
Kieran
Oh Alex. Why? There are better ways to deal with emotional trauma than this.
marc sfe
@BudsYourUncle: 1. I am not a queen and how rude of you to imply that anyone who does not like tattoos is one. 2. I personally find them very unattractive. 3. You don’t get to tell me what I like and what I don’t like.
Ben Dover
@BudsYourUncle: On the contrary! This story makes the count:
1) One Marine with tattoo explanations
versus
2) Several million white trash millennial morons without any explanation for their hideous tattoos.
But it’s interesting that the ink enthusiasts are so-o-o-o defensive now that you come up with pre-emptive insults before anyone can even comment!
litper
She’s “straight”. Yawn.
Merv
That’s great, but it doesn’t change my opinion of tattoos. They’re ugly, disfiguring, and ill-advised.
Charlie in Charge
@marc sfe: Conversely though, you don’t get to tell him he can’t tell you he doesn’t like it when you say you don’t like something. But then of course you can. And he can.
Chico
I think he’s sexy, tattoos and all. Still, at the end of the day, he shouldn’t have to explain why he has covered himself in ink.
sejjo
Never figured Queerty readers to be a bunch of self-righteous prudes! People express themselves in their own ways and whether you think it’s pretty or not is none of their concern.
mikehipp
It’s fairly rude to tell somebody that the way they express themselves is hideous or ill advised, if that mode does you nor the practitioner no harm.
Tackle
I don’t understand why Queerty keeps shoving this straight guy down our throats? It just gives the false notion that straight men are the object and desire of gay men. There are many “out” gay models that can be displayed instead of him. (For me), the whole novelty thing has worn off.
Ben Dover
@mikehipp: It’s fairly rude to inflict your hideous tattoos on everybody else’s eyeballs. But of course, that’s the entire point of having tattoos in the first place.
It’s really getting weird how you people twist this around! And you’re starting to do it with such a self-pitying, pseudo-persecuted attitude. Awwwwwww.
James Hart
I remember when having tats were considered low rent. I can still hear my mom saying: NO facial hair; NO long hair; NO tats; NO pinky rings; NO earrings(on men). I guess anything goes these days. Is anyone still refusing to wear white after Labor Day??? I guess that also went out the window.
lew1004
Regardless of his sexual orientation, Alex is an extremely good looking guy and I absolutely love his tattoos. I think it’s great that he used his body as a canvas to help himself heal and recover from his horrific accident!
J. B.
Why do so many people find it necessary to tear each other down based on what people find attractive and what people don’t? Seriously, nobody cares at the end of the day except whomever you’re sleeping with or wishing you were.
And for f*ck’s sake! This is a soldier who “sustained serious brain injuries and had to have his right leg partially amputated in 2010 after his vehicle ran over an IED while serving in Afghanistan.”
Show some goddamn respect!
LubbockGayMale
As a group, GLBTQs have been explaining themselves for years, trying to avoid discrimination. Give the tattooed the same respect and love YOU demand, and don’t sweat the small stuff. (no, I’m not tattooed, and don’t plan on getting any, but it’s not a threat to me!).
Bill
I think Alex is beautiful, tattoos included. He and/or his tattoo artist obviously considered his body art carefully, and I think the ink really compliments his good looks!! And if he helped himself emotionally by getting tattooed, more power to him!!
psa67
@J. B.: Well said, J.B.
nature boy
why did he tattoo “don’t laugh” above his crotch ?
Plugz
These are the kinds of Tattoo’s i love, the ones that are not overtly randomly placed in the body.
And kudos for Minsky that he appreciates his gay fans, you can’t say the same to other handsome chiseled straight guys with no tattoos.
litper
@Tackle: exactly, what is so special in this trash? Let’s celebrate proud beautiful gay guys not some trailer park trash!
hotshot70
I preferred the nudes of him.
Danny
@litper – How dare you call a fellow brother in arms trash simply because of your petty politics. This man not only deserves our respect, he’s earned it. Complain all you want but I and many others enjoy seeing him and reading about him. If there were a hell you should rot in it.
Desert Boy
Handsome man and a great body. Why did he turn his beautiful body into a public bathroom stall wall? I detest ink.
litper
@Danny: I don’t care about politics. He’s “straight” that’s enough to not be interested in him…
DickieJohnson
@litper: Being Str8 and tattooed does not make Alex “trailer trash”, by any means! While serving his country, he was gravely injured, lost a leg, and damn-near died. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, or pissin’ & moaning, like so many [email protected] who comment here, he chose to get up and live. Seriously, I doubt any of our opinions mean sh!t to him, including yours.
litper
@DickieJohnson: you sound like a homophobic straight-worshipping trans woman…
Beachman
Alex is a beautiful man….gay or straight. But all the ink…and the reasoning he provides is just weak. He states that while rehabilitating he found ‘inspiration’ from tattoos and they motivated him. But motivated him to do what? Add more? And what exactly have they done to him INTERNALLY? Nothing…which is why he needed to get more, and more, and more. H
Tattoos are so superficial and external…and do nothing to change or address the deep issue(s) inside which led to them. For me, they scream ‘I hated myself so much that I had someone insert ink into me in a desperate attempt to change’. Message received!
How immature and tragic…
imperator
@Ben Dover: “it’s fairly rude to ‘inflict’ your hideous tattoos on everybody else’s eyeballs”
Do you even read this pompous, witless shit before you post it? “Rude?” Let’s consult a dictionary, shall we? Rudeness is defined as “offensively impolite or ill-mannered.” Synonyms include “ill-mannered, bad-mannered, impolite, discourteous, uncivil, ill-behaved, unmannerly, mannerless.” (And yeah, you betcha’ I’m on a full hellbent rudestravaganza right now, clutch your pearls if you must.)
So, “offensively impolite”– explain how someone else decorating their skin with images that mean something to them, or even images that mean nothing to them, is “impolite.” Explain how it “offends,” unless the images are lewd and displayed prominently. Go ahead, tell us all what makes someone else’s tattoo “rude” other than your delicate sense that, oh, it looks unattractive– it offends your aesthetic sensibilities.
Never mind, actually, because here’s the thing– you possess no ‘right’ not to be offended. Whether it’s by what other people say, or by other people’s choices for their own bodies, to be insulated from offense is not your right. No one has legislated the supremacy of your feelings.
You can assert that tattoos are unattractive if you like, that’s subjective and that’s your prerogative. “Rude,” however, has more objective social meaning; what’s “rude” is a matter of consensus, you don’t get to define it unilaterally and “impose” that on everybody else. And what a grandiose fucking sense of entitlement it demonstrates to make pronouncements as if you do.
Bodily sovereignty not only enshrines the right you *do* have not to be savagely punched in the face (no matter how much you might provoke someone by offending their feelings) but it also says nobody gets to tell you what to do with your body– even dead, your organs can’t be harvested without your consent. We extend more respect to corpses than you would appear to afford the living with your pretentious claims to know what’s best for other people.
I never even thought I’d get so riled up over such a non-issue as tattooing but wow, seriously, fuck you. Smug, patronizing fuck.
imperator
So riled up, in fact, that I said “patronizing” when I meant to say “paternalistic.”
jonjct
we did the Minsky thing a few months ago, so we’re bringing him back, why?
Mezaien
Alex, anytime babe, on the face of the D.E.K.C.U.F UP republican white Christian Asssss Holessss.
Ben Dover
The ink people are so much FUN to mess with!
They have such a weird combination of whiny, mawkish self-pity and sputtering, self-righteous indignation.
Reading some of these comments, you’d think tattoo people were “born this way” and had no choice about it at all. It sounds almost like the tattoos just happened by accident (sort of like running over an IED in a decades-long, pointless, meaningless war?) and you have no control over the tattoo artist Taliban, I mean those mysterious ink forces that apparently just happen to you like a terrorist attack.
Uh… isn’t the whole POINT of massive ink a permanent, giant “middle finger” to everyone who has to look at you???
Tattoos are supposed to say, at least, that you are tough.
So what’s with all the whiny self-pity? 🙂
But okay, I guess I should let up now – wouldn’t want any of the ink people to have a meth-induced aneurysm!
@Beachman: You have the most interesting comment here. I know you’re right and I should be nicer, it’s just that the ink people are so much FUN to mess with!
biguy
Some tattoos are good and some aren’t. I really don’t understand the hatred for good ink though. Big difference between hipster hodgepodge and a unified piece of art that flows across the body. Minsky also has permanent disabilities from his service and the hate in here towards him is disgusting. I have found long session tattooing to be very helpful in dealing with chronic pain and can only imagine how much the process helped Alex in reclaiming his body. There are pros and cons to having visible tattoos but they are very good at helping judgmental douchebags identify themselves when they spout off. No one who sits for hours and deals with everything that goes into getting a serious tattoo is going to care anyhow. Some people are going to have zero range of aesthetic appreciation the way others can’t see or hear or smell, but why be strident about personal shortcomings?
Ben Dover
@biguy: Thanks for proving my point!
Whine, whine, whine.
And where in this comment thread is there any “hate” directed at Alex? Where are you imagining that? At least most of his tattoos would be under his shirt, if he wore one.
“There are pros and cons to having visible [!] tattoos but they are very good at helping” employers to weed out the whiny, defensive, self-pitying losers who apply for minimum-wage jobs.
Now get back to your meth lab!
(Like I said, you guys are so much FUN to mess with! What a bunch of whiny, defensive b1tches.)
biguy
@Ben Dover: Troll all you want bud your type is only tough online
Ben Dover
@biguy: And your type can’t even be tough online.
A joke or two about ink, and you guys start to cry. Well actually if you read the whole thread it’s worse than that. You guys started to cry right at the beginning even before anyone said anything.
crowebobby
Gotta love the “DON’T LAUGH” tattoo. Don’t ya?
vive
When did gay people become traitors to our principles in favor of human rights and become cheerleaders for war?
biguy
@Ben Dover: It isn’t crying buddy it is just pointing out how your reactive hatred towards certain aesthetic expressions is a bias that is no different than the ones that drive hatred of LGBT lifestyles. Calling an injured vet white trash isn’t a joke. You know as well as I do you keep your mouth shut in person.
James Hart
@Danny: I agree with you. This young man went to war against terrorism so that we can be safe. He did sacrifice his leg for our nation, hence, whatever brings him happiness is fine by me.
jonjct
wait, Iraq was a BS war with no purpose, and Minsky got maimed because he was trying to pay for college not protect the country in some patriotic orgasm. keep it real, the guys who went there didn’t go for bush, they went for themselves.
Danny
@ jonjct – Sorry but you obviously know little about service. Every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine makes an oath to serve their country, obey their commanders, and sacrifice themselves to protect those in need at home and abroad. Service members may have joined for school or travel but that quickly changed after the make a serious and life changing commitment. They make an oath to protect freedoms that even include the disgusting, disparaging, discriminating hate speech above. They leave their families and risk life and limb to serve our interests while most Americans are lounging around casting stones at the lies they see on Fox News and CNN…and without any real knowledge about the organizations they are questioning. Many of you should follow their lead and reflect on the values you hold as important and consider if your words or actions are ethical or fair. By calling someone “trash” you are not just attacking his tattoos you are attacking his character. That here is the problem…so let’s keep it real and not distract further.
Ben Dover
@vive: Agreed! I’m a veteran but I’m sick of all the cheerleading for this endless, pointless, meaningless war, and all the rah-rah, “thanks for serving your country” barf-inducing jingo garbage. Continuing in Afghanistan has been Obama’s biggest mistake. Sure I get that someone injured there would want to pretend to find some meaning in it, but in reality, there isn’t any.
@jonjct: Although you have some facts wrong (such as he was injured in Afghanistan, not Iraq), IMO you’re basically on the right track.
@Danny: Nobody called him “trash” including jonjct (or me). Read the whole thread – didn’t happen.
Ben Dover
@biguy: “You know as well as I do you keep your mouth shut in person.” That’s the weirdest thing you’ve said yet. Of course I avoid you guys in person; I assume you might be mentally unstable, possibly ex-convicts and/or easily enraged meth addicts.
Even if those are unfair stereotypes, that’s exactly the response you wanted!
Your “aesthetic expressions” were a giant “FUCK YOU” to the world.
You wanted a response of “reactive hatred.”
So why does it upset you now when you GET that reaction? Why do you guys now want us all to lo-o-o-o-ove you? Make up your minds! 🙂
Tackle
For those of you who are defending Alex, keep in mind that less than a year ago he was disrespectful and dismissive of gays in telling the story of the
photographer who discovered him. He did soon apologize after gays called him out about his words. Was he sincere?? Only Alex knows…
About him going to war against terrorism, so that we can be safe. And sacrificing himself for our nation: I call BS to this. America was never at risk or in danger from Afghanistan. In the beginning of 2010, David Petraes & the CIA stated that there were only 50-100 of Al Qaeda left in Afganistan.
A only a couple of months before that statement Obama added an additional 30,000
troops to Afganistan, bringing the combined US,Nato and Mercenaries to approximately 150,000. To fight 50-100 of ALQaeda, and out numbering them
1000 to 1. This doesn’t make any sinse.
But it starts to make sinse when you look at the whole Pat Tillman story. After 911 Pat left the NFL to join the military (Army). Once he got to Afghanistan, he discovered that it was all about protecting the Opium & Poppy fields. He started to write home to family and friends about the deciption, and said he wanted to expose this. He never made it home, and died under mysterious circumstances. The Afgan minister of counter narcotics(at that time) General Khodaidad said that the majority of drugs were stockpiled in two provinces controlled by troops from the US, UK and Canada. We are there to produce, distribute and TAX opium. Just like the Iraq war was about oil, the Afgan war is about opium. Which is a multi billion dollar a year business.
ChgoReason
My only question is why is his right arm so much larger than his left one? Cute/femenine face.
Dxley
Please, Queerty. Stop throwing straight guys in our faces all the time. I dunno if you feel obligated to always report on him because of his very unfortunate disability, but he’s still straight. This was supposed to report on gay people and what they do, as the straights would say “the gay lifestyle”. That’s what we need you to tell us about. Not some straight men and stuff… Got it? Good!
Danny
Wow, I’m amazed at the bizzare an uneducated comments. Some of then are just plain crazy. Debating with a conspiracy theorist is very similar to debating with a religious zealot or extremist. All I can do is pray for you all and hope for the best. Also, I really don’t care if Minsky has made mistakes in the past. I’m not here to judge him or anyone for that matter. I’ve served in the military for a long time now. I joined for 100% paid tuition. But what I got was more than that. I found brotherhood with people who shared my values in an organization that believes in those values. I was surrounded by caring intelligent/people who wanted to do help others. It’s an ominous feeling I had, after graduations from basic training and leaving base for the first time on pass. The feeling you get when protesters are yelling at you and spitting at you, protesting your service. Or when someone asked you about your service, dismisses your hardships and experiences, and points the focus at some conspiracy theory. It’s unsettling, hurtful, and frankly a little abusive. But it’s okay. I will stand with Minsky because I know that even though he’s an imperfect human capable of mistakes, I know that he is also a being of strength, character, and commitment, and that he knows what it takes to do what’s right. It will be difficult to go abroad and learn some of the harshest life lessons. And then much more difficult to come home to people who will only break your heart. But I understand.
Ben Dover
@Danny: “The feeling you get when protesters are yelling at you and spitting at you, protesting your service.”
Oh come on. Get real. Talk about conspiracy theories! That never happened, even if for some reason you went in uniform to a radical vegan lesbian social*st poetry reading.
Danny
@Ben Dover – Unfortunately it absolutely did happen. Upon graduating basic at Lackland we were released for pass with our families in town. And yes, we were warned about protesters and instructed on how to handle them. When I arrived there were a strung of protestors yelling, screaming, picketing, and spitting. I agree that it’s absurd, but it’s reality. I’ve never known anyone who joined the military to hurt people. But I’ve encountered plenty who hate our service and are quite vocal about it. Protest the war all you want, debate your politics, but focus it in the right direction. Do a little research and you can easily find the truth in this. Trust that it only serves as a lesson to service member and will only be a mark if embarrassment for those poor confused people protesting new recruits. It again shows how uneducated people fail to understand the organizations or even simply how the government works. But that’s the culture I suppose. And it seems you are all content with that. Which is okay, because I know I’ve never done anything to hurt anyone. But I can’t exactly say the same for others because when your countrymen treat you like that it certainly does hurt. Especially when you look at the big picture. Nothing more to say really. We must pick our battles. And I opt not to live in misery and hate. Why even waste your time hating something that doesn’t personally affect you…tattoos? Really? I think understanding people is the key here.
Danny
@Ben Dover – he was called “trash” by @litper wise comment I was referring to. That is the main reason I responded as I believe the comment is unfair. See comment above. He says “what is so special in this trash”, referring to his tattoos.
Ben Dover
@Danny: You accused “jonjct” of making the “trash” comment. Guilt by association? But yeah, I see it now – the inimitable “litper” – sorry I overlooked it.
Re: Lackland, were they protesting the Iraq war? (Wouldn’t you admit there was a little “conspiracy theory” with that one?) I’m not sure I believe you, and I’m not sure why you’ve adopted the exact same plaintive, self-pitying tone that the ink people here have.
Since I personally have a “white trash” background, generally speaking – I have many relatives who actually do live in trailer parks – I’m puzzled why some here fixate on the supposed awfulness of that term. I’ve learned that one way to avoid having people consider you “white trash” is to avoid getting yourself plastered with tattoos.
Ben Dover
At any rate, I think I’ve figured out the ink people’s oddly self-pitying tone here. They sincerely regret getting so many tattoos!
In their 20s when they first started getting them, they loved the “bad ass” stereotype that went along with them. But as they got older, they realized that for most of the world, it’s more of a “dumb ass” stereotype. Now it’s too late and they’re stuck with them.
Hence the plaintive self-pity mixed with weird insults. Pompous recasting of the self-inflicted problems of ink people as EXACTLY THE SAME as the totally involuntary problems of LGBT people – a particularly insulting analogy.
But yeah, I guess I’m somewhat sympathetic, after all, because it’s too late and they’re stuck with them.
DickieJohnson
@litper: and, here’s a juvenile comment for you too: you sound like a douchey A$$hole.
Tackle
My comments can be called bizzard, uneducated and crazy. But they sure are NOT wrong. People like to throw out words like conspiracy theorist, and other names, when they don’t have a come back, and cannot dispute what someone is saying. And all one has to do is go online, and you can find the newspapers, articles, pressreleases and links that will verify what I wrote. They should take their advice( Do a little research and you can easly find the truth in this)But I can clearly see that they cannot handle the truth. And I don’t need or want your prayers. You need to pray for yourself. Pray that you grow and mature, and learn to accept the truth: No matter what it is. And do ask for wisdom. So you wont be so foolish as to defend a man you dont know. Unless you know him personally, you have idea if he is (a being of strenght,character and commitment. And knows what it takes to do what’s right.)
The military does not make anyone a moral elitsts…
And dude you need some serious help. Bizzare & crazy describes you to a T. You say that you “opt not to live in misery and hate”. Yet you say one of the most evil, hateful things of anyone on this post. You told a poster@litper: ” If there were a hell you should rot in it”. Calling someone “white trash” is worthy enough for them to rot eternally in hell. Hell Really?? Again take your own advice: Why even waste YOUR TIME hating someting that doesn’t personally affect YOU… hell? Really? I think understanding YOURSELF is the key here. When you as an adult. Wish someone to hell, for calling someone (who you don’t even know) a name (white trash) you have a lot of darkness in your heart.