It’s beauty beyond skin deep, but still in the eye of the beholder.
A group of tattooed moms behind a pinup calendar raising money for charity in Texas have had its proceeds thrown back at them after being called too sexy for their chosen non-profit.
The 32 “unconventional moms,” part of a 700-member group called the Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas, hoped to share the proceeds of their two-year calendar with the Children’s Advocacy Center in Denton.
Courts Griner
The two-year calendar features just a small portion of the group’s 700 members.
Despite the non-profit’s need for funds, after taking one look at the women’s 1950s styled photos, they said “no thank you” instead.
“The money was raised with a pin up calendar that could be perceived by some as sexual in nature and our Children’s Advocacy Center’s mission is to provide justice and healing for children who are the victims of sexual abuse,” said the center’s Executive Director, Daniel Leal in a statement.
To some of those hard working mammas turned models, they described themselves as “appalled” and “disappointed” by the charity’s decision – and perception of their photos.
Courts Griner
The women originally hoped to donate proceeds from their calendar to the Children’s Advocacy Center in Denton which helps victims of sexual abuse but their offer was rejected while called too sexual in nature.
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“We don’t get to dress up as moms. Normally we don’t wear makeup, we don’t get fancied up where we feel beautiful,” the organization’s founder, Stacy Willingham told the Daily News.
“We might not understand the way they called the pictures sexual because we don’t think they were sexual in nature,” she said, but added that at the same time, “we never meant to earn them negative publicity.”
Courts Griner
Some of the women expressed their upset of the charity’s decision. The group’s founder, Stacy Willingham, said they’ll simply find another charity to take its place.
An email by the Advocacy Center rejecting Willingham’s anticipated $ 3,000 to $ 5,000 in funds from the $ 30 calendars commended the mothers for “just being you,” but described their organization as having a “highly conservative nature.”
The man behind the calendar’s lens, photographer Courts Griner, disapproved with the charity’s take on the photos as well.
“It was a real big honor to work with these moms and make them feel like cover moms,” he told the Daily News. “They were all sweet as can be. A lot of them have never had a like a glamour type photo taken of them.”
Courts Griner
The calendar’s photographer Courts Griner described the women as an honor to work with. He particularly emphasized its boost in the mothers’ confidence with the photos turning out beautifully.
“I always try to see a topic like this on both sides,” he said, but “we really don’t feel that these images are too risque.”
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Griner argued claims the non-profit previously accepted funds from other organizations like the Dallas Maverick’s cheerleaders and shirtless firefighters.
Courts Griner
The calendars are on sale for $ 30 and are expected to raise $ 3,000 to $ 5,000 in funds.
“I find those calendars a little more sexual than what I did,” he said.
Leal called claims like that, allegedly spread on social media sites like Facebook, unfounded.
“We don’t get any proceeds from any calendars, nothing like that,” he told The News.
Courts Griner
Two of the three charities voted on by the women, four of which pictured, are the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the White Family from DeSoto, Texas whose family was tragically broken by a gunman.
“People were really stretching, comparing it to some other donations that we’ve received from other organizations, like the Dallas Mavericks, but we don’t have a dancers calendar.”
Willingham, a mother of two, said it was the second year her organization came out with a calendar featuring some of their members but said they expect this year’s to be the most successful.
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Courts Griner
Willingham, the group’s founder, expressed her group as an incredible opportunity for ‘women supporting one another.’
They plan to donate money raised to two of their original three charities that their members previously voted on.
Those two are the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the White Family from DeSoto, Texas whose family was tragically broken by a gunman this year.
As for the pinups, Willingham and Griner both described themselves as extremely proud of the photographs and the self-esteem that resulted from their work.
Griner reflected on one particular mother who posed as a welder in her shots – shots he said came out positively stunning.
“She had commented that she had never felt that beautiful in front of a camera, ever,” he said. He described her shoot as one of his favorites, though added: “obviously I enjoyed working with all of them.”
Willingham expressed the same.
“I’m so happy that we were able to come together and feel that support and bond,” she said. “More moms need that … incredible women supporting one another.”
ngolgowski@nydailynews.com
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