TRANSITIONS AND MILESTONES

What’s happening at your publication? Let us know. Email editor Fred Kuhr at editor@presspassq.com.

GAY CITY NEWS, based in New York City, celebrated its 15th anniversary with its October 27, 2016, issue.

Allison Davis Greaker

ALLISON DAVIS GREAKER, an advertising account executive at NYC COMMUNITY MEDIA — which owns GAY CITY NEWS, CHELSEA NOW and THE VILLAGER — died suddenly on October 21, 2016. She was 78.

LAVENDER MAGAZINE, based in Minneapolis, was named Magazine of the Year for 2016 at the 20th Annual Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association Excellence Awards. Lavender also won Gold Awards in the categories of Cover Design, How-To Article, Regular Column, Single Page or Spread Design, and Single-Topic Issue; Silver Awards for Feature Article and How-To Article; and Bronze Awards for Overall Excellence Editor’s or Publisher’s Editorial or Letter to the Readers, Regular Column, and Single-Topic Issue.

Matthew Breen
(Photo: Greg Endries)

LOGO announced that MATTHEW BREEN would be joining the network as editorial director. Previously, Breen worked at THE ADVOCATE and OUT magazines, where he served as editor in chief and deputy editor, respectively. He will be responsible for leading the editorial strategy for NEW NOW NEXT, Logo’s home for the latest in pop culture, music, movies, TV, news and more, as well as the network’s digital properties.

OUT IN JERSEY, based in Trenton, N.J., entered its 22nd year of publication with its December 2016/January 2017 issue.

THE WASHINGTON BLADE recently held its annual Best of Gay D.C. celebration, which included an appearance by Washington Mayor MURIEL BOWSER, who made news by saying the city government would completely support the city’s bid to host the 2022 GAY GAMES.

THE WISCONSIN GAZETTE, based in Milwaukee, entered its eighth year of publication with its November 17, 2016, issue.

TRANSITIONS AND MILESTONES

Volume 18

Issue 9

QVegas to become online-only QLife, serving Vegas, LA and NYC

by Fred Kuhr

At this month’s 17th Annual LGBT Travel and Hospitality Conference and LGBT New Media Expo, QLife, Inc. announced QLife Magazine and qlifemagazine.com, a new LGBT lifestyle and entertainment digital publication serving Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York launching January 1, 2017.

QLife Las Vegas will replace QVegas and Gay.Vegas as one of the city’s LGBT magazine and destination websites.

Final issue of QVegas: to be
replaced by QLife Las Vegas

“Since launching Gay.Vegas and going all-digital with QVegas in 2015, we’ve spent over two years in research and development,” said Russ White, publisher of QVegas magazine, co-founder of Gay.Vegas and publisher of QLife. “The QLife suite of media properties is built on top of a robust publishing platform that reimagines digital publishing in the new era of web, social media and mobile.”

With web, social media, flipbook, email, downloadable PDF and print-on-demand editions available for each market, QLife will forego the traditional print distribution model in favor of the digital model.

“Readers and advertisers alike love our digital platform. With so many delivery options available, we reach readers when, where, and how they want,” said Garrett Pattiani, associate publisher of QVegas, co-founder of Gay.Vegas and publisher of QLife. “Advertisers love our media rates. Without the high overhead cost of print, we’ve been able to pass those savings on to advertisers, reach more readers, and with our integrated publishing platform, provide detailed insights into ad metrics.”

White and Pattiani stress that QLife is not a single national publication. QLife Las Vegas, QLife Los Angeles and QLife New York will each be a part of the communities they serve. While initial editions will share overlapping editorial, each issue will grow to have a local feel, and over time they hope to expand the brand into additional markets across the country. “We’re committed to the communities we serve,” added Pattiani. “QLife will partner with local LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS non-profit organizations in each market, providing free advertising sponsorships.”

In a letter to Las Vegas readers, Pattiani and White wrote, “As we close out 2016, not only is our December issue our final issue of the year, but it’s also the final issue of QVegas. … QLife Las Vegas will encompass everything that QVegas brought to the community and more. …

“As we expand out, we retain our commitment to our communities through our non-profit sponsorships. We have already announced sponsorships with The Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada, Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Lambda Business Association, and Mondays Dark, with more announcements coming in the weeks ahead.”

The first issue of QLife will appear online on New Year’s Day 2017 at qlifemagazine.com and facebook.com/qlifemagazine.

TOP STORY

Volume 18

Issue 9

Bay Area Reporter mourns longtime editor, columnist Wayne Friday

by Joe Siegel

Wayne Friday, longtime political editor and columnist for the Bay Area Reporter (BAR) in San Francisco, died October 12.

Friday, who had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, committed suicide. He was 79.

Wayne Friday (Photo: BAR)

Friday covered San Francisco's political scene for decades in his "Our Man Friday" weekly column. He was also close to the late LGBT rights pioneer and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk.

“Wayne was a unique, gregarious character who was fascinated with politics,” said BAR editor Michael Yamashita. “He was in the right place at the right time on many occasions and ended up making history. His column was responsible for giving many gay and straight politicians their first introduction to the LGBT community.”

Milk was the newspaper's original political columnist. “When Harvey finally won his seat on the Board of Supervisors, Wayne replaced Harvey and soon his column became essential reading in City Hall,” Yamashita said. “Wayne’s connections and sources guaranteed a weekly dose of political gossip, blind items, and predictions. He was a San Francisco character from the old school and I’m going to miss him.”

According to the BAR, Friday grew up in Flint, Mich., and joined the Navy after high school. He eventually found a job on Wall Street in New York. In 1970, he moved to San Francisco and befriended Bob Ross, who co-founded the BAR in 1971 and named Friday its political editor.

Yamashita said Friday retired from his column in 2004 but remained active in the community and connected to the political establishment and the BAR, but did not maintain as public a profile.

But he remained “a friend and colleague to many of us,” Yamashita said.

IN THE NEWS

Volume 18

Issue 9

Former AfterEllen editor moves to GO Magazine

by Joe Siegel

Trish Bendix has been announced as the new editor for GO Magazine, a free New York City publication best known for its wide distribution and nightlife listings aimed at showcasing lesbian events across the country.

Bendix had previously served as editor in chief of popular LGBT blog AfterEllen.

"I’ve been a fan of GO Magazine since the beginning, when I used to pick up the magazine

Trish Bendix

at my favorite lesbian hang in Chicago, T’s," Bendix wrote on her Tumblr page. "T’s is gone now, as are so many of our spaces — bars, bookstores, festivals and publications — and so it’s more important than ever that our community rallies around those who have been committed to the lesbian cause and will continue to be. That being said, I am thrilled to be stepping into the position of editor in chief of GO Magazine, a philanthropic effort and longtime community resource from an out lesbian, the dedicated and driven Amy Lesser."

Bendix, who lives in Los Angeles, will continue to work from the West Coast.

Bendix plans to revamp the print publication and the website. "We’re going to bring lesbian and bisexual women content that they can’t find elsewhere, content that is for them, by them and focusing on members of their own community, including trans men, trans women, non-binaries and people who identify as genderqueer," she wrote.

Bendix has worked in LGBT media for years, creating a website for Chicago lesbians, then working for AfterEllen for a decade. Last month, the company that owns AfterEllen decided to shut it down after determining it was not able to make the site profitable enough. However, they did announce the site would be updated with freelance content.

IN THE NEWS

Volume 18

Issue 9