Celebrate body positivity with a trip to Puerto Rico!

8th December 2021 BWM Staff

The Social Media Algorithm tries to tell us the ideal gay man is chiseled, veiny, white-skinned, smooth-bodied, and spends twenty hours a week in the gym.

For anyone who doesn’t fit in this tiny Adonis-shaped box, be they chubby bears or fuzzy twinks, it’s hard to love and celebrate the body we’re born into. Zach Panzeca built his body-positive photography business, THE MALE COLLECTION, to help everyone see they are beautiful, sexy, and all-around awesome regardless of their body shape.

Now, Panzeca is launching The Unapologetic Body Society, the first-of-its-kind body-positive retreat for men, which takes place May 21–28, 2022 — and all of us are invited, no matter what we look like! Join Panzeca in Puerto Rico for an amazing, uplifting, and seriously fun experience!

“My job as a photographer is to help you feel empowered and strong,” says Panzeca. “Most body-positive media is focused on women, but men struggle just as much and it’s harder to talk about. It’s time to change that.”

With this event, Panzeca is creating a space where men can put aside their insecurities and celebrate life in their own skin. “A day at the beach can be nerve wracking for bigger guys, but by going as a group, we build confidence and enjoy ourselves without worrying what anyone else might say. I dare anyone to try to mock a group of sassy gay bears,” says Panzeca.

Zach Panzeca (left) and friends
Zach Panzeca (left) and colleague Jordan

And in that life-affirming context, the event has a bunch of inclusions that make it a huge bang for the buck. Plus, interest-free payment plans are available to help with your budget. Included in the event:

Seven-night stay at a swanky beachfront hotel
Private photoshoot with Zach, plus beautiful candids from the whole trip
Kayaking in a glowing, bioluminescent bay, one of only five in the world
A boat and beach day at the beautiful Flamenco Beach
Swimming in waterfall-fed pools of the El Yunque National Rainforest
New friends made through meaningful and open-hearted conversations

Puerto Rico is the perfect place for the Unapologetic Body Society’s first retreat. The weather is always 70°–80°, the nightlife is vibrant and exciting, the food is divine, and it’s exceptionally welcoming as the LGBTQ+ Capital of the Caribbean—there’s even a bear bar in San Juan!

No passport is required when traveling from the mainland United States. And with the high vaccination rate in Puerto Rico, this could be the perfect getaway to break out of the winter and pandemic doldrums!