Gay-Friendly Late Fireman Immortalized in Beefcake Calendar

Nation's Bravest: Firefighters Unite, the firstnational firefighter calendar, which debuts this month, features a bevy of hunky, brave men, including the late John "Jack" Slivinski,Jr. Dubbed Mr. Philly, Slivinski was a member of the prestigious Rescue 1, an elite, FEMA-certified firefighting unit that conducts daring rescues throughout the city. But controversy surrounded Slivinski in early 2011 after Philly's fire commissioner, Lloyd Ayers, demoted the fireman for posing for the beefcake calendar, which creates funds for widows and children.

At that time, the LGBT community in Philadelphia -- always fans of shirtless men -- came to Slivinski's rescue. According to the Philadelphia Weekly, Slivinski's parents, Gerry and Jack Slivinski Sr., took to Equality Forum's SundayOUT! -- the region's largest LGBT street festival -- to get petitions signed supporting their bronzed and beefy son. "It's ridiculous. We shouldn't be having this conversation over a picture for charity," Gerry Slivinski told the paper in April. He was later reinstated with just a verbal warning.

Sadly, Slivinski committed suicide in June. But he's immortalized in the new calendar along with 11 other hunky men from Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Francisco, St. Louis, Seattle, and Tampa.