STRIPPING away prejudice, King’s College London’s Men’s Rugby team and student newspaper Roar News have teamed up to shoot a naked calendar to raise money for charity.
The calendar sees the Men’s 1st team posing totally naked with only cleverly placed objects hiding their dignity. All the photographs were shot at various locations at the university’s flagship campus on the Strand.
The proceeds raised from the venture will be donated to Broken Rainbow UK – a domestic violence and abuse charity for LGBT communities. The charity helps over 5,000 people per year.
At least one in four lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experience domestic violence.
The project has been endorsed by King’s College London and took under a month from the initial idea to the calendar being printed.
CLICKÂ HEREÂ TO BUY THE CALENDAR
Photos include ones taken outside the university on the Strand, in the College’s oldest anatomy lecture theatre, and in the Maughan Library on Chancery Lane.
Broken Rainbow UK are currently facing closure of their helpline due to government cuts. They were recently the subject of a call for continued support by Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion.
The calendar comes amid the explosion in ‘lad culture’ awareness after the infamous LSE Men’s Rugby scandal.
Head of the Men’s first team, Barney Lynock, said: “It is the greatest passion of so many people across the world, and yet issues of exclusivity continue to cast a heavy shadow over sport, be they related to gender, race or sexual orientation.
“It is a problem that cuts across all levels of sport, from the professional to the amateur, from the lifelong fan to the curious explorer.”
Photos from the calendar will be released each day next week in the run up to London Varsity.
A spokesperson from Broken Rainbow said: “We are so pleased to hear that Roar News has chosen to donate proceeds from the King’s College London Men’s Rugby Calendar this year to Broken Rainbow UK.
We think it’s a brave step taken by Roar to choose us as their charity of choice, as the issue of domestic violence and abuse within LGBT communities is often overlooked and made hidden even within the LGBT community itself.
We have many young LGBT callers and we hope that by buying the calendar, students will become aware of the issue and that our helpline is there for them if ever they, or someone they know, need it.â€
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