I've read that Weider was homophobic, too, which in his time was considered "necessary" when dealing with men who were sexualized.
The bigger question to ask now, in 2018, is why whenever the male form is or was presented in a sexual way, is it "gay". That concept in and of itself is misogynistic in the sense that it means that women are incapable of having sexual desires. And it also shoots down any man, gay or straight, who might see himself as a sexual being. What is left in the end is the notion that all pictures, photos, etc. are created for the viewing of the straight man, irrespective of the fact that the majority of people are female or that the person being photographed is a real individual, too.