For January’s issue, Cosmopolitan UK decided to go for a different approach in their image.
Jonathan Van Ness is this month’s cover model and we can see why.
Where are all the feminists at? It really hasn’t taken very long for gay and trans men and drag queens to steal the limelight from women all around the “woke” world. Now, Cosmopolitan UK has featured the first “non-female” (a.k.a. a man, the only other option than female) on their cover in 35 years.
Van Ness is perhaps best known as the grooming expert on the Netflix series Queer Eye, a show that features 5 experts in their own categories transform people to make their lives easier and happier.
Queer Eye star Jonathan van has made history by becoming the first solo, non-female Cosmopolitan UK cover star in 35 years.
The grooming expert revealed his cover on Twitter and Instagram, thanking the publication for “showing more variations of beauty for young LGBTQ people”.Van Ness has previously stated that he identifies as non-binary and gender non-conforming, saying that his preferred pronouns are “he/him/his”.
The last non-female-identifying individual to appear as a solo cover star in Cosmopolitan UK was singer Boy George, who landed the coveted spot in 1984, while boy band One direction was featured on the cover as a group in 2012.
In the cover image for the January 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan UK, Van Ness wears orange and pink tulle gown by American fashion designer Christian Siriano, accessorizing with Nike trainers and striped socks.
Several of his social media followers have praised him for his “stunning cover”, some of whom drew parallels between his gown of choice and the 1895 painting Flaming June, by Sir Frederic Leighton.
In an interview with Amy Grier, Jonathan Van Ness discusses life, the stigma surrounding living with HIV, politics and more.
He explains the latest drama surrounding the US presidential elections, how difficult it can be to balance people’s expectations, especially in the current climate where people might struggle to differentiate between his TV/online persona and his role as an LGBTQ+ activist.
The magazine’s editor in chief Claire Hodgson described Van Ness in a statement as “warm, funny, opinionated, kind and brave.”
“Cosmopolitan has always tried new things and we are all for challenging the status quo,” she also said. “We want to represent our diverse and beautiful readership, spark conversation and shake things up.”
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