Queerly Creative

Finalists Announced for the 22nd Annual Lambda Literary Awards

2010-03-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The news you've been waiting for: after four months of reading, deliberating, and consulting, 87 dedicated (and eye-weary) judges, assessing 462 LGBT-interest titles nominated by almost 200 publishers and authors, have selected 113 finalists in 23 categories.

"This has been a record year for queer books," said the 2009 Lambda Awards Administrator, Richard Labonté, who has been associated with the Lammys since their inception in 1989 as a judge and consultant. "The number of titles nominated and the number of publishers represented is in both cases about 10 per cent higher than last year."

And, for the first time, the single catchall Bisexual category - after reaching a threshold of 10 nominated titles in both fiction and nonfiction - has matured into two distinct categories, Bisexual Fiction and Bisexual Nonfiction.

"In a year of challenge and change for writers and publishers - and for the Foundation - the hundreds of books submitted for nomination illustrate the continuing dynamism of our literature," said Lambda Foundation Board President Katherine V. Forrest. "This year's Lambda Literary Award Finalists and the quality of their work speak eloquently to the richness and range of our literature."

Reflecting the impact of self-publishing and publish-on-demand technology, more titles from non-traditional sources than ever were nominated, and several were selected as finalists, said Labonté. In addition, the Lammy contenders for 2009 continue the tradition of celebrating the best of both our community's specifically queer presses, and books from academic and more mainstream publishers.

Winners will be announced at the 22nd Annual Awards, May 27 in New York at the School of Visual Arts Theater, 333 West 23rd Street. Click here for tickets and information.

"To our finalists, I'm proud of your extraordinary talent and hard work," said Lambda Executive Director Tony Valenzuela. "I hope to see you all at the Awards. And to all the readers out there wondering what LGBT books to buy next, take a look at this stellar list of nominees - or check out the new reviews that are being posted on the revised and expanded lambdaliterary.org web site - and go shopping! Support our authors and publishers: they are to be congratulated."

Richard Labonté

2009 Lambda Awards Administrator

Tony Valenzuela

Executive Director

Lambda Literary Awards Finalists

LGBT Anthologies

Gay American Autobiography: Writings from Whitman to Sedaris, edited by David Bergman (University of Wisconsin Press)
Moral Panics, Sex Panics: Fear and the Fight Over Sexual Rights, edited by Gilbert Herdt (NYU Press)
My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them, edited by Michael Montlack (University of Wisconsin Press)
Portland Queer: Tales of the Rose City, edited by Ariel Gore (Lit Star Press)
Smash the Church, Smash the State! The Early Years of Gay Liberation, edited by Tommi Avicolli Mecca (City Lights)

LGBT Children's/Young Adult

Ash, by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown)
How Beautiful the Ordinary, edited by Michael Cart (HarperCollins)
In Mike We Trust, by P.E. Ryan (HarperCollins)
Sprout, by Dale Peck (Bloomsbury USA)
The Vast Fields of Ordinary, by Nick Burd (Penguin Books)
LGBT Drama

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles, by Kate Moira Ryan & Linda S. Chapman (Dramatists Play Service)
The Collected Plays Of Mart Crowley, by Mart Crowley (Alyson Books)
Revenge of the Women's Studies Professor, by Bonnie L. Morris (Indiana University Press)

LGBT Nonfiction

The Golden Age of Gay Fiction, edited by Drewey Wayne Gunn (MLR Press)
The Greeks and Greek Love, by James Davidson (Random House)
I Am Your Sister: Collected and Unpublished Writings of Audre Lorde, edited by Rudolph P. Byrd, Johnnetta Betsch Cole & Beverly Guy-Sheftall (Oxford University Press)
Ties That Bind: Familial Homophobia and Its Consequences, by Sarah Schulman (The New Press)
Unfriendly Fire:How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America, by Nathaniel Frank (St. Martin's Press)

LGBT SF/Fantasy/Horror

Centuries Ago and Very Fast, by Rebecca Ore (Aqueduct Press)
Fist of the Spider Woman, by Amber Dawn (Arsenal Pulp Press)
In the Closet, Under the Bed, by Lee Thomas (Dark Scribe Press)
Palimpsest, by Catherynne M. Valenta (Bantam/Spectra Books)
Pumpkin Teeth, by Tom Cardamone (Lethe Press)

LGBT Studies

Metropolitan Lovers: The Homosexuality of Cities, by Julie Abraham (University of Minnesota Press)
Moving Politics: Emotion and ACT UP's Fight Against AIDS, by Deborah B. Gould (University of Chicago Press)
The Queer Child, or Growing Sideways in the Twentieth Century, by Kathryn Bond Stockton (Duke University Press)
The Resurrection of the Body: Pier Paolo Pasolini from Saint Paul to Sade, by Armando Maggi (University of Chicago Press)
The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth Century America, by Margot Canaday (Princeton University Press)

Bisexual Fiction

Arusha, by J.E. Knowles (Spinsters Ink)
Holy Communion, by Mykola Dementiuk (Synergy Press)
The Janeid, by Bobbie Geary (The Graeae Press)
Love You Two, by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (Random House Australia)
Torn, by Amber Lehman (Closet Case Press)

Bisexual Nonfiction

Byron in Love: A Short Daring Life, by Edna O'Brien (W. W. Norton)
Cheever: A Life, by Blake Bailey (Alfred A. Knopf)
Leaving India: My Family's Journey From Five Villages to Five Continents, by Minal Hajratwala (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Map, by Audrey Beth Stein (Lulu.com)
Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood's Dark Dreamer, by Emanuel Levy (St. Martin's Press)

Transgender

Bharat Jiva, by Kari Edwards (Litmus Press)
Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show, by Lynn Breedlove (Manic D Press)
The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, by S Bear Bergman (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Transmigration, by Joy Ladin (Sheep Meadow Press)
Troglodyte Rose, by Adam Lowe (Cadaverine Publications)

Lesbian Debut Fiction

The Creamsickle, by Rhiannon Argo (Spinsters Ink)
The Bigness of the World, by Lori Ostlund (University of Georgia Press)
Land Beyond Maps, by Maida Tilchen (Savvy Press)
More of This World or Maybe Another, by Barb Johnson (HarperCollins)
Verge, by Z Egloff (Bywater Books)

Gay Debut Fiction

Blue Boy, by Rakesh Satyal (Kensington Books)
God Says No, by James Hannaham (McSweeneys)
Pop Salvation, by Lance Reynald (HarperCollins)
Shaming the Devil: Collected Short Stories, by G. Winston James (Top Pen Press)
Sugarless, by James Magruder (University of Wisconsin Press)

Lesbian Erotica

Flesh and Bone, by Ronica Black (Bold Strokes Books)
Lesbian Cowboys, edited by Sacchi Green & Rakelle Valencia (Cleis Press)
Punishment with Kisses, by Diane Anderson-Minshall (Bold Strokes Books)
Where the Girls Are, by D.L. King (Cleis Press)
Women of the Bite, by Cecelia Tan (Alyson Books)

Gay Erotica

Rough Trade: Dangerous Gay Erotica, edited by Todd Gregory (Bold Strokes Books)
Impossible Princess, by Kevin Killian (City Lights)
I Like It Like That: True Tales of Gay Desire, edited by Richard Labonté & Lawrence Schimel (Arsenal Pulp Press)
The Low Road, by James Lear (Cleis Press)
Eight Inches, by Sean Wolfe (Kensington Books)

Lesbian Fiction

Dismantled, by Jennifer McMahon (HarperCollins)
A Field Guide to Deception, by Jill Malone (Bywater Books)
Forgetting the Alamo, Or, Blood Memory, by Emma Pérez (University of Texas Press)
Risk, by Elena Dykewomon (Bywater Books)
This One's Going to Last Forever, by Nairne Holtz (Insomniac Press)

Gay Fiction

Lake Overturn, by Vestal McIntyre (HarperCollins)
The River In Winter, by Matt Dean (Queens English Productions)
Said and Done, by James Morrison (Black Lawrence Press)
Salvation Army, by Abdellah Taia (Semiotext(e))
Silverlake, by Peter Gadol (Tyrus Books)

Lesbian Memoir/Biography

Called Back: My Reply to Cancer, My Return to Life, by Mary Cappello (Alyson Books)
Mean Little deaf Queer, by Terry Galloway (Beacon Press)
My Red Blood: A Memoir of Growing Up Communist, Coming Onto the Greenwich Village Folk Scene, and Coming Out in the Feminist Movement, by Alix Dobkin (Alyson Books)
Likewise: The High School Comic Chronicles of Ariel Schrag, by Ariel Schrag (Simon & Schuster/Touchstone Fireside)
The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith, by Joan Schenkar (St. Martin's Press)

Gay Memoir/Biography

Ardent Spirits: Leaving Home, Coming Back, by Reynolds Price (Scribner Books)
City Boy: My Life in New York During the 1960's and 70's, by Edmund White (Bloomsbury USA)
Deflowered: My Life in Pansy Division, by Jon Ginoli (Cleis Press)
Once You Go Back, by Douglas A. Martin (Seven Stories Press)
The Pure Lover: A Memoir of Grief, by David Plante (Beacon Press)

Lesbian Mystery

Command of Silence, by Paulette Callen (Spinsters Ink)
Death of a Dying Man, by J.M. Redmann (Bold Strokes Books)
From Hell to Breakfast, by Joan Opyr (Blue Feather Books)
The Mirror and the Mask, by Ellen Hart (St. Martin's/Minotaur)
Toasted, by Josie Gordon (Bella Books)

Gay Mystery

All Lost Things, by Josh Aterovis (P.D. Publishing)
The Killer of Orchids, by Ralph Ashworth (State Street Press)
Murder in the Garden District, by Greg Herren (Alyson Books)
Straight Lies, by Rob Byrnes (Kensington Books)
What We Remember, by Michael Thomas Ford (Kensington Books)

Lesbian Poetry

Bird Eating Bird, by Kristin Naca (HarperCollins)
Gospel: Poems, by Samiya Bashir (Red Bone Press)
Names, by Marilyn Hacker (W.W. Norton)
Stars of the Night Commute, by Ana Bozicevic (Tarpaulin Sky Press)
Zero at the Bone, by Stacie Cassarino (New Issues Poetry & Prose)

Gay Poetry

Breakfast with Thom Gunn, by Randall Mann (University of Chicago Press)
The Brother Swimming Beneath Me, by Brent Goodman (Black Lawrence Press)
The First Risk, by Charles Jensen (Lethe Press)
Sweet Core Orchard, by Benjamin S. Grossberg (University of Tampa Press)
What the Right Hand Knows, by Tom Healy (Four Way Books)

Lesbian Romance

It Should Be a Crime, by Carsen Taite (Bold Strokes Books)
No Rules of Engagement, by Tracey Richardson (Bella Books)
The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin, by Colette Moody (Bold Strokes Books)
Stepping Stone, by Karin Kallmaker (Bella Books)
Worth Every Step, by KG MacGregor (Bella Books)

Gay Romance

Drama Queers!, by Frank Anthony Polito (Kensington Books)
A Keen Edge, by H. Leigh Aubrey (iUniverse)
The Rest of Our Lives, by Dan Stone (Lethe Press)
Time After Time, by J.P. Bowie (MLR Press)
Transgressions, by Erastes (Running Press)

Lambda Literary Foundation Launches Literary Website

2010-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

By Jason Boog on Mar 01, 2010 12:23 PM

Today the Lambda Literary Foundation launched a literary website and
community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered readers and
authors--Lambda Literary.

The website was built in six weeks by an international team of
designers living in New York, Los Angeles, and British Columbia. It
will publish new material, interviews, stories, reviews, and aggregate
links from around the literary Internets. The site opened with a
variety of content, including Is There, or Should There Be, Such a
Thing as 'Trans Lit?'" by Cheryl Morgan and a new column about "news
and noteworthy tidbits from the LGBT writing and publishing community"
by John Morgan Wilson.

The entire release follows after the jump. Lambda Literary Foundation
board member Nicola Griffith had this statement: "We're here; we're
queer; we read. And on March 1st, we'll be even more visible to the
world and to each other ... We're a community that loves books. We
need books. All kinds of books: yaoi and high lit, graphic novels and
celebrity tell-alls, heart-wrenching memoir and YA fantasy. We read to
save our lives. We write, we edit. We publish, distribute, review,
sell, advertise, lend, and buy. And Lambda Literary will now be home
for the whole of the brilliantly diverse community that creates and
supports our literature."

Originally posted on Media Bistro.

Get BOUND

2009-11-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

BOUND, a new lesbian magazine is about to hit the global market this December.

The new glossy touts itself as the “world's first international magazine for lesbians and women with a connection to the gay and lesbian community” aims to delight queer women with the spice of life with the tagline "Different culture, same lifestyle". Inspired by the success of Sex and the City and The L Word, Australian-based Avalon Media, publishers of LOTL, a long running gay and lesbian magazine, believe there is a market for BOUND.

Editors plan an “innovative” glossy magazine focused on women who have “broad horizons regarding lifestyle, travel, culture and sexuality” with global content driven by a unique pool of contributors from around the world including Europe, North America, South Africa, the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

BOUND will offer in-depth features, celebrity interviews, travel editorial, fashion spreads and previews of the latest lifestyle essentials. The publication will be available on newsstands and through subscription.

Lesbian magazine in Beijing raided by police

2009-08-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

by News Editor

Les Plus (http://www.lesplus.org), a magazine published by a group of lesbians in Beijing, had their distribution outlet - the Beijing LGBT Centre - raided and copies of the magazine confiscated by the police last week, says report.

Xtra, a Canadian gay newspaper, quoted Les Plus publishers Eva, Tatou and Gogo (all pseudonyms), who were attending a human rights gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark - following the main Outgames human rights conference, as saying that the magazine's distribution centre was raided while they were away.

[Caption]

The lesbian-oriented magazine which has been in publication since 2005 is said to contain political commentary alongside articles and news of LGBT interest. The magazine has operated underground since then as all media (both digital and print) require a license which is known to only be granted to state-owned companies.

Two other civil rights groups Yirenping (益仁平), a group that advocates on behalf of people infected with hepatitis B and Gongmeng ((公盟) (or Open Constitution Initiative), described by the New York Times as "the country’s pre-eminent legal rights center" have also been raided in recent weeks. Gongmeng has been shut down and its founder Xu Zhiyong, has not been heard from since being taken into police custody on Jul 29. At Yirenping, officials confiscated stacks of literature which they claimed had been printed without official permission.

China will mark the 60th anniversary of the Communist Revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

Courtesy of Frieda: http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/2009/08/12/8770.lesbian-magazine-in-beijing-raided-by-police 12 Aug 2009

New York Gay Newspaper Suspends Publication

2009-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

By JENNIFER 8. LEE

The New York Blade, one of the two major gay and lesbian newspapers in New York City, has laid off its editor in chief and suspended publication, the chief executive of its publishing company said on Wednesday.

“Everyone was let go, but the people on The Blade know that they may come back if The Blade is coming back,” said the executive, Matthew Bank, of HX Media, which was formed in 2005 by the merger of The Blade and HX Magazine.

The moves came on Tuesday after HX was sold to undisclosed buyers. The Blade, a biweekly paper with a free circulation of 22,000, was left with an uncertain future.

“It doesn’t have an issue scheduled until a week from Friday.” Mr. Bank said. “There are a lot of things that can happen between now and then.”

The decision to suspend publication comes at a particularly active period for journalism concerned with gay issues: the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the gay pride parade on Sunday, the proposed same-sex marriage bill in the State Senate and discontent over the Obama administration’s performance on gay-rights issues.

“It is an incredibly exciting time for gay journalism,” said Kat Long, who had been editor in chief of The Blade since February. “It’s important that gay papers are around to document it.”

Paul Schindler, editor in chief of Gay City News, the rival New York City gay newspaper, said The Blade had “made good contributions over the years.”

While a minority owner in HX Media has gone into receivership, Mr. Bank said that had little to do with the decision to sell the magazine.

Instead, he pointed to the advertising climate: “The economy and the future of print media being more difficult was definitely weighing on us.”

The Blade’s recent gay pride issue had been a relatively slim 28 pages.

“Gay pride is to gay publications what Christmas is to retail,” Mr. Schindler said. “When I pick up The Blade and it’s in 28 pages, then this is a business that is in serious problems.”

Published by the New York Times, July 2, 2009

NLGJA Announces Michael Tune as New Managing Director

2009-05-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Tune to lead premier LGBT journalist group beginning May 4, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Today the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) announced that Michael Tune has assumed its top staff post and will oversee its efforts to support newsroom diversity and ensure fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. As managing director, he will also lead NLGJA’s flagship programs, including its annual convention, scheduled to take place in Montreal in September.

“The nation’s journalists face unprecedented challenges and opportunities in their careers, and we’re excited to have Michael’s energy and experience behind finding new and innovative ways of supporting and promoting LGBT journalists,” said NLGJA National President David Steinberg. “In addition, with LGBT issues such as same-sex marriage equality so much in the news today, LGBT journalists play a unique role in ensuring fair and accurate coverage, both in their reporting and by educating their colleagues in the newsroom.”

Tune comes to the NLGJA from Appleseed, a nonprofit network of public interest justice centers, where he was a member of the senior staff, overseeing finance, human resources, and operations. Michael served during a great period of growth for Appleseed, while revenues rose from $1 million to $2.5 million in three years’ time. He has been active in the city’s nonprofit world for the past eight years.

Founded in 1990, NLGJA is the leading professional organization for LGBT journalists with 22 chapters nationwide, as well as members around the globe. Tune takes over from David Barre, who has led the organization since 2007.

“NLGJA is on the front lines, accomplishing its vital mission of fair and accurate news coverage every day – a cause I am proud to join in advancing. Each day we will ask ourselves, ‘How do we make the greatest impact?’” added Mr. Tune. “We will maintain and build strong programs and resources, from our convention to tools on new and social media. In so doing, NLGJA will move the country toward fairer news coverage and more diverse newsrooms, all while helping LGBT journalists thrive in a changing world.”

NLGJA will host its 2009 National Convention and 6th Annual LGBT Media Summit in Montreal on September 10-13. Information is available at: http://nlgja.org/convention/

About the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association:

NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.

Media Contact: David Steinberg, 510-708-7004 or president@nlgja.org

Amazon blames ‘glitch’ for labeling gay lit as porn

2009-04-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press
04.13.2009 8:51am EDT

(New York City) A “glitch” on Amazon.com has caused the sales rank to be removed from gay- and/or lesbian-themed books by James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and others.

“There was a glitch in our systems and it’s being fixed,” Amazon’s director of corporate communications, Patty Smith, said in an e-mail Sunday.

As of Sunday night, books without rankings included Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room,” Vidal’s “The City and the Pillar” and Jeanette Winterson’s “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.” The removals prompted furious remarks on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online.

Craig Seymour, author of the gay memoir “All I Could Bare,” wrote on his blog Sunday that his sales rank was dropped in February, then restored nearly four weeks later, after he was told by Amazon that his book had been “classified as an Adult product.”

New Ownership Brings Changes To Gay Monthly 'Advocate'

2009-03-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF

The Advocate's new owners are as eager to change the drapes at American'sonly national LGBT news magazine as President Barack Obama was aboutchanging his at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Here Media has clearly taken over the magazine, its content and direction. And the changes are more than mere window dressing.

Several bloggers last week took exception to the fact that the magazine's website featured a story concerning another Here Media property. The siteheadlined a story about Beau Breedlove's forthcoming big reveal (we'reoptimistic) in an upcoming issue of Unzipped, a gay porn magazine.Breedlove achieved his 15 minutes by having sex with Portland's openly gaymayor, Sam Adams. Adams has been fighting to remain in office sinceadmitting to the affair he originally dismissed as a “nasty smear.”

“A known dude's decision to show his weeny in another gay magazine shouldprobably not be the top story for America's award-winning LGBT newsmagazine,” wrote Jeremy Hooper on the gay activism site goodasyou.org.

Then there was the story of the big Oscar win by Here Media-owned RegentReleasing. The Best Foreign Film win for Departures was mentioned on themagazine's website, but the film, whose protagonist is straight and married,does not deal with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender issues, themagazine's target audience.

Other changes include a move to monthly publication, a new editor and theaddition of here! television video content on the website.

Yet, Regent Media Executive Vice President Stephen Macias recently said Here Media is a mere caretaker of America's most distinct gay voice.

In an exclusive interview with OUTTAKEOnline.com CEO Charlotte Robinson,Macias said: “I think that with The Advocate in particular, myself I seeus as caretakers. Caretakers of the brand and the voice and the platformthat [resulted from] forty-two years of hard work.”

PlanetOut, the parent company of The Advocate, Out, Gay.com and PlanetOut.com, agreed to be acquired late last year after announcing it haslost nearly $100 million and faced possible Nasdaq delisting.

Listen to the entire audio interview at voices.OUTTAKEOnline.com.

Courtesy of On Top Magazine: http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=3353&MediaType=1&Category=26.

Genre to suspend publication

2009-03-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Recession takes toll on gay magazine

Washington Blade staff reports Mar 20, 3:55 PM

Genre magazine will temporarily suspend publication, due to the ongoing recession, company officials announced today.

"We thank all of our readers, advertisers and editorial staff for their support throughout our more than 16-year history and hope that we can re-establish our relationship when times are better," company CEO David Unger said in a statement.

He noted that the decision to suspend Genre does not have any impact on other publications produced by HX Media, Window Media or Unite Media (which merged with Window Media in 2004), which include the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, South Florida Blade, New York Blade and HX magazine.

"Those publications will continue to publish and support their local communities," Unger said.

Genre’s suspension didn’t come as a surprise to Gay City News, which revealed that Avalon Equity was forced into receivership by the Small Business Administration early February. Queerty.com, followed up reporting on the troubled gay media enterprise March 14, as well as Towleroad March 21.

Could Window Media be the next queer publishing entity to be taken down by mismanagement and the economic crisis?

Courtesy of the Washington Blade: http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24600

"Underground" Author James Purdy Dies

2009-03-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Author James Purdy, whose obscure but highly regarded works include Cabot Wright Begins and the gay-themed Eustace Chisholm and the Works, died Friday morning at a hospital in New Jersey. Though his exact age is unknown, he was in his mid 80s.

Gore Vidal, Dorothy Parker, and Tennessee Williams were among his biggest fans, but outside literary circles, Purdy was a relative unknown. According to the Associated Press, for the past several years he lived in a one-room walk-up apartment in Brooklyn, outside what he considered "the anesthetic, hypocritical, preppy, and stagnant New York literary establishment."

Purdy’s early works were given a critical lashing, considered "fifth-rate, avant-garde soap opera." The criticism caused him to leave official literary establishment -- the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

But his works would later be regarded as “genius,” particularly for his comic phrasing. Though many of his works have fallen out of print, several have been reissued in recent years.

Purdy told the Associated Press in 2005 that growing up he had been "exposed to everything.” He said his books reflected his deep understanding of sex, violence, race, class, familial cruelty, and romantic longing.

His works sharply divided critics. Of Cabot Wright, New York Times book critic Orville Prescott wrote that it was a “sick outpouring of a confused, adolescent, and distraught mind."

Days later, Susan Sontag countered, saying the book was a “fluid, immensely readable, personal and strong work by a writer from whom everyone who cares about literature has expected, and will continue to expect, a great deal."

A few years later, Eustace Chisholm became known as one of his landmark works, prompting the Times to write that it walked “that line of homosexual fiction which announces itself not by subject matter but by tone."

Courtesy of the Advocate.com: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid75196.asp.

PlanetOut’s accounting firm doubts the company’s ongoing stability

2009-03-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

By Heather Cassell

San Francisco – Once robust, PlanetOut Inc., the leading LGBT lifestyle and entertainment media company, has given its independent registered public accounting firm “substantial doubt” about the company’s ability “to continue”.

PlanetOut, based in San Francisco, announced in a news release Wednesday, the audit report conducted by the unidentified accounting firm which wrapped up 2008 and was published in the company’s Annual Report, made its decision based on PlanetOut’s “continuing net losses and accumulated deficit”.

The accounting firm completed its audit report on December 31 of that same year and filed it with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 4, according to the news release.

PlanetOut announced its ongoing financial woes and troubled relationship with the SEC in compliance with the Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4350(b)(1)(B).

In spite of PlanetOut’s declining health, the company continues to assess and adjust its operating plan in order to survive during the next 12 months, according to the news release. Some of those changes include: PlanetOut reduced its workforce by approximately 33 percent January 16 and it is in the process of merging with Here Media, Inc. and “certain other parties”, which commenced January 8 and is anticipated to be completed sometime during 2009’s second quarter, according to the news release.

PlanetOut insists that its current situation “does not represent any changes or amendment” to the company’s “fiscal 2008 financial statements or to its Annual Report” for its year ending December 31, 2008.

For more information, visit http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=LGBT or www.planetoutinc.com.

Atwood boycotts book fest over gay censorship

2009-02-20T23:06:00.000-08:00

By The Associated Press
02.20.2009

(Dubai) Author Margaret Atwood has pulled out of an international Dubai literary festival after organizers banned a forthcoming novel by a British author because it contains references to homosexuality.

In a letter addressed to the festival’s director, Atwood said she could not attend Dubai’s inaugural International Festival of Literature next week because of the “regrettable turn of events surrounding” the book “The Gulf Between Us.”

Atwood was referring a novel by British author Geraldine Bedell who said the festival banned it because of references to homosexuality. The book, set in the Persian Gulf, is scheduled to be published in April.

“I was greatly looking forward to the Festival, and to the chance to meet readers there; but, as an International Vice President of PEN - an organization concerned with the censorship of writers - I cannot be part of the Festival this year,” Atwood said in the letter, posted on her Web site.

Festival director Isobel Abulhoul described Atwood’s decision not to attend the Feb. 26 to March 1 festival as “regrettable.”

The festival has not given a specific reason for why it banned Bedell’s forthcoming book. But Abulhoul said decisions can be driven in many cases by “simple attendance imperatives.”

“I would hope that anyone informed and interested in the differing cultures around the world would both understand and respect the path we tread in setting up the first festival of this nature in the Middle East,” she said in a letter posted on the festival’s Web site late Wednesday.

Dubai has struggled over the past year to merge its glitzy international appeal with its conservative Muslim values. The UAE has also come under intense pressure this week after it barred an Israeli women’s tennis player from a lucrative Dubai tournament. On Thursday, it announced that an Israeli men’s doubles player would be allowed entry into the country to play in next week’s men’s tournament.

Other well-known authors such as Frank McCourt, Louis de Bernieres and Jung Chang are also scheduled to attend the Dubai festival.

On Monday, Bedell, a journalist for the British Observer newspaper and the author of several novels, said the organizers had first discussed launching her book at the festival because of its Gulf setting. But later, Abulhoul wrote to Penguin, saying Dubai didn’t want the “festival remembered for the launch of a controversial book,” Bedell said.

According to Bedell, who lived in Bahrain for five years in the 1980s, the book was not acceptable because one characters, Sheikh Rashid, is assumed to be gay. Homosexuality is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The author also said festival organizers complained that “it talks about Islam and queries what is said.”

Courtesy of 365Gay.com: http://www.365gay.com/news/atwood-boycotts-book-fest-over-gay-censorship/.

Gay Ad Network Sets New Traffic RecordsExtends Top Ranking in Gay/Lesbian CategoryMarketWire

2009-02-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, NY - Gay Ad Network, the category leading gay media network, today announced that its group of gay and lesbian web sites set new traffic records in December. comScore Media Metrix reports that in December, Gay Ad Network's US reach surpassed 1.18 million unique users, which is greater than the unduplicated reach of PlanetOut, Gay.com, Logo Online and Regent Media sites combined. Moreover, Quantcast tracked 4.2 million unique monthly users worldwide on Gay Ad Network sites during this period.

Traffic trend analysis shows that the gay and lesbian online audience is shifting away from gay portals to niche LGBT sites and mainstream social networking services. The current audience metrics and redistribution are helping Gay Ad Network expand its category leadership.

"Marketers are discovering that LGBT consumers are resilient and focused online -- one of the bright spots in a weak economy," said Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, a leading LGBT marketing company. "In research we conducted last year, we saw that gay men in particular are less likely than others to cut back on their discretionary spending. And while not more affluent than others, gay households often are healthy indicators of smart shopping and spending."

Gay Ad Network's recession-resistant audience boasts a high disposable income and tremendous purchasing power. Compared to all other sites in the Gay and Lesbian community category in December 2008, comScore reports that Gay Ad Network reached more people with household income over $100,000 and more households without children.

New advertisers include Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Showtime, Florida Keys, Air New Zealand and MGM Mirage.

Gay Ad Network is one of the first of the now 150+ networks created on Adify. Adify is the pioneer and leading provider of technology to power vertical networks, outsourced services to manage them, and expertise to guide customers to success.

About Gay Ad Network

Gay Ad Network (http://www.gayadnetwork.com) is the category leading gay media network, reaching over 4 million unique users per month. Gay Ad Network is a division of Family Powered Networks LLC, a privately held company that provides advertising and marketing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender publishers and companies targeting the LGBT market.

About Adify
Adify Corporation (www.adify.com) is the premier vertical ad network management company and an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Cox TMI Inc., part of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, one of the nation's leading media companies and providers of automotive services.

© MarketWire 2009URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28861090/

Regent Media Assumes Majority Interest in PlanetOut

2009-02-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Regent Entertainment Media, publishers of The Advocate and Out magazines and owner of the here! TV network announced Thursday that it has signed a merger agreement with PlanetOut Inc. The combined company will be known as Here Media Inc, 80% of which will be owned by the owners of Regent Entertainment Media.

In addition owning here! TV, The Advocate, and Out, Regent Entertainment Media also publishes HIV Plus magazine and Alyson Books. Its online presence includes Advocate.com, Out.com, HIVPlusMag.com, OutTraveler.com, and SheWired.com. PlanetOut runs two of the longest-established gay sites on the Web, PlanetOut.com and Gay.com.

“This business combination will unite a powerful broadband video solution with an iconic brand and a leading URL in the LGBT community,” said Paul Colichman, CEO of Regent Entertainment Media. “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to leverage this exceptional collection of assets to expand our audience, grow our revenues, and increase stockholder value.” (Advocate.com)

Courtesy of The Advocate.com: http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70389.asp.

Besen: The future of gay news media

2009-02-19T11:26:00.000-08:00

By Wayne Besen, columnist, 365gay.com
02.18.2009 3:08pm EST

In one of the most important articles of the year, Walter Isaacson wrote in Time Magazine about the shredding of the newspaper business. With free content available online, people are dropping daily subscriptions and newsstand sales are declining. The only way for newspapers to remain profitable is through advertising revenue in the print and online editions.

The problem with this business model, however, is that it leaves newsrooms beholden to advertising interests instead of readers. And, if the economy goes into a tailspin, precipitous drops in advertising can quickly lead to ruin. Isaacson says the way to save the news business is to move to a paradigm where newspapers go completely digital and readers pay directly for online content. For example, a web surfer who wants to read an individual story online can pay a nickel – or pay a larger fee for a weekly e-subscription.

The main obstacle is creating technology that makes reading e-news as pleasurable as the newspaper experience. Within a few years, however, new technology will make this possible, with several products scheduled to hit the market.

If mainstream newspapers are having a difficult time, it should be no surprise that gay and lesbian publications are disappearing faster than a rabbit at a magic show. There is a long list of venerable GLBT publications that have recently vanished.

Earlier this month, Gay City News reported, “the investment fund that owns the Washington Blade, the Southern Voice, Genre magazine, and other gay publications has been forced into receivership by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA), which will sell the fund’s assets and distribute the proceeds to investors.”

When the technology reaches fruition, the GLBT media should embrace Isaacson’s model. The gay community’s top reporters do a superior job covering the news and offer in-depth analysis that can’t be duplicated. I am willing to bet that people will pay for such content.The question is, will the publications themselves actually survive or will the GLBT media become a collection of enterprising freelance reporters who sell by the story? While most items would not bring a large bounty, there would likely be a couple of breaking stories that would pay the bills. For example, a blockbuster story with 250,000 downloads at a nickel per purchase would yield $12,500.

Of course, new technology would also have to make it more difficult to cut and paste more than one paragraph per story. And, much like cameras that take pictures of those that run red lights, an electronic surveillance system that imposed small penalties – perhaps a dollar per infraction - would have to be developed. There would always be ways to get around the system. But, one would hope that enough people would have the decency to pay for good reporting to make it work.

GLBT bloggers should also welcome changes where they would actually get paid for their labor. It is disgraceful that some of our leading lights are posting during lunch breaks at their day jobs. Given their influence and size of their audiences, it is absurd that they have not reaped enough wealth to blog full-time.

Fans may balk, but they must realize they are also getting shortchanged. Imagine how much better most blogs would be if the writers had another 8-10 hours a day to conduct research? The products would be infinitely superior and be of greater value. Ultimately, the axiom, “you get what you pay for” rings true.

People must also realize that the status quo will soon lead to burnout among the best bloggers. Without a financial incentive commensurate with their work, don’t be surprised when your favorite bloggers choose relationships over readership. If you don’t pay, many will fade away – which would be a great loss to the GLBT community.

In order for this business model to work, the leading bloggers, gossip sites and journalists will have to create a new type of union – where they jump off the cliff all at once. There would also be an initial loss of readers, but who cares? The writer would still make more money by retaining a subset of paying readers. And, many of the dissenters would come back when they realized the true value of a product they once viewed as their birthright.

On a similar note, the continued improvement of E-book technology may save the GLBT publishing industry. On March 29, the legendary Oscar Wilde bookstore will close in Greenwich Village, citing economic trouble. This follows the demise of the famed bookstore Crossroads Market in Dallas.With few venues to sell books and fewer publishers, it is a tough time for gay authors. While the major retailers have GLBT sections, rarely do these books receive prime shelf space. E-books may be a way to cut out the middleman, save on printing costs and let gay authors sell directly to the reading public. Best of all, no more hand cramps from book signings!

The article in Time Magazine showed that the very concept of a magazine was a relic beyond its time. In the end, the tumultuous changes forced by the recession may be what resuscitates and revolutionizes the GLBT publishing industry.

Courtesy of 365Gay.com: http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-the-future-of-gay-news-media/.

PlanetOut to be de-listed from exchange

2009-01-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

PlanetOut, the once venerable LGBT media company and the first to be publicly traded, will be de-listed from NASDAQ due to its merger with Here Media.

The San Francisco-based company had traded under the ticker symbol LGBT since its debut in October 2004. It marked the first time a business focused exclusively on the LGBT market was sold and bought on a major stock exchange.

As part of a $4.7 million merger deal it has signed with L.A.-based Here Networks LLC and Regent Entertainment Media, PlanetOut is set to become a subsidiary of the newly named Here Media. The companies announced the deal in early January.

The new company will be majority owned by Regent Entertainment CEO Stephen Jarchow, who will serve as chairman of the combined company, and Here Networks CEO Paul Colichman, who will serve as CEO of the new company. During the first year, both men will receive $1 in salary.

But the two executives will control the company through ownership of 80 percent of its preferred shares. PlanetOut shareholders will receive one common share and one special share in the new company for each share of PlanetOut they own.

"The company is effectively facing de-listing. It doesn't qualify for listing on a stock exchange at the moment because of this reduction in value," said Jarchow during a conference call with investors and reporters Monday, January 26.

The new company, however, will remain a publicly traded and publicly reported company.
"It will be traded over the counter. You will have the ability to buy and sell stock," said Jarchow on the call.

Due to the merger, PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its staff this month, and the new executives said more layoffs are possible as it reduces duplicative positions.

"I can't say there won't be more staff reductions. There may be other ways to reduce costs. There may also be ways to redeploy people within the company," said Colichman, who also did not rule out purchasing other companies to add to Here Media's ever-expanding empire. "We will make more acquisitions when it makes sense."

The executives said they hope to be "cash profitable" by the end of the year and have Here Media re-listed on the stock exchange as soon as possible. The deal, which still must be finalized by PlanetOut's stockholders and approved by federal regulators, will be a benefit to shareholders, argued Jarchow.

Current PlanetOut CEO Karen Magee agreed, saying on the call that, "Given the evolving media landscape, the proposed merger is absolutely the right move. It is a win for our stockholders and a win for the LGBT community."

Should the company be sold or liquidated during the next four years, the first $4 per share will go to each of the PlanetOut shareholders' share of stock, said Jarchow.

"It leaves you with a much stronger company," he said. "It is designed not only to protect you but give you a confidence level that we mean business on this. We plan to work diligently and hard to make this a success."

Here Networks is primarily made up of the cable subscription service Here TV, which offers original LGBT movies and series on a pay-per-view basis, while Regent is its publishing arm. Regent had already scooped up PlanetOut's publishing business – it once held title to national LGBT publications the Advocate, Out , and HIVPlus – on the cheap last year for $6 million.

Prior to the sale of its magazines, PlanetOut offloaded its cruise ship business, RSVP Vacations, in late December 2007 to competitor Atlantis Events Inc. for $2.1 million as it teetered on collapse due to its ballooning debt load. By the end of 2008 the company's accumulated debt had reached $100 million.

The downsizing of the company was meant to help it focus on its core online brands Planetout.com and Gay.com. But the rollout last fall of a redesigned Gay.com was marred by technical glitches.
In the eyes of the Here Media execs, the Gay.com site is still under-used. They intend to rework the Web site to create a gay version of Hulu, the Web site that carries advertiser-supported entertainment content viewers can watch for free.

"We have always been producers and content developers, we are not a tech company," said Colichman. "We are a content company that uses many, many technologies."

Through the merger, Colichman said advertisers would be able to better reach LGBT eyeballs through Here Media's vast array of television channels, publications and Web sites. It will also better serve viewers, particularly Web and tech savvy LGBT consumers, who want to watch movies and TV shows on their computers and mobile devices without having to also watch numerous commercials.

"Let's move to where the audience is going and be part of the next wave of success as opposed to crying about how things are changing," he said. "The exciting aspect and main reason we want to do this particular venture is it is the next real step in the integration of social networks with content."
Colichman envisions LGBT people chatting online through Gay.com while at the same time watching Here Media's shows and movies, that they then can blog about in the chat rooms or e-mail clips to friends.

"The stage is set to allow this powerful and adverse tool to do its job. To do it, you need professional content produced by our own community to give it full value and life," he said. "We are literally tapping into today's Zeitgeist with what is happening with today's media."

01/29/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3675

Other related stories:
Breaking news: PlanetOut to sell off magazines
PlanetOut, Olivia tout good news
Cash infusion lifts PlanetOut's prospects
Cruise business, ad declines sink PlanetOut
PlanetOut buys Advocate, Out magazines

Gay papers retool online

2009-01-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

As their printed products shrink, gay publications are retooling how they use their Web sites to better serve readers as well as advertisers.

Most gay news outlets have been on the Web for years and expect readership online will continue to grow. But they are changing how they use their Web sites to deliver the news and make more money.

Instead of merely posting downloadable editions, monthly magazine's like San Jose's OutNow and Sacramento's twice monthly newspaper Outword are now uploading articles to their Web sites that can then be linked to by bloggers, news aggregator sites, and online search tools.

"The question is how to do that and support that without creating another job and revenue to support that," said Fred Palmer, Outword's publisher.

Not having a web presence can hurt a gay paper's advertising, said LGBT marketing expert Bob Witeck, as many companies want to reach readers both online and in the hard copy. Not only do online ads bring in another source of revenue, but also many advertisers are basing where to spend their money partly on a publication's Web site, he said.

"If you didn't have a sophisticated presence online, it would raise the question if you are competitive in advertisers' minds," said Witeck.

The Bay Area Reporter's Web site ebar.com, now just over three years old, is being redesigned this year. Along with the printed edition's articles, many stories with a national focus are posted solely online, and each Monday brings a new online-only Political Notes column. Breaking news stories are also posted online.

Advertisers can also bundle their ad buys, purchasing space not only in the printed paper but banner ads online.

And despite earlier fears of the Web site decreasing readership of the paper, it has not cannibalized readership of the printed edition. To the contrary, general manager Michael Yamashita said it is growing somewhat as more papers are now being distributed outside the Castro to target readers who no longer live in the gayborhood.

By making use of the city's new mounted news racks, the B.A.R. has made inroads into Union Square, South of Market, and Fisherman's Wharf. Each week, only between 8 percent to 10 percent of the 30,000 printed papers remains on newsstands.

"We now have a dozen locations in Union Square," said Yamashita. "We don't have to decrease the amount of our print run. The papers are being picked up but in more locations outside the Castro."

The B.A.R. is also one of several local gay papers that have teamed up with Bay Windows to create online Web sites called Edge. Now in 16 markets, the Edge Web sites pay local gay news outlets to carry their articles and share in advertising revenue.

"We hope that benefits them. It benefits us," said co-publisher Sue O'Connell. "It is like a national television network with local affiliates."

At her paper, which is now 26 years old, the paper is always looking for new ways to survive economically, said O'Connell.

"We view the Baywindows.com site as a way to make incremental revenue," she said.

With her competitors closing up shop, she and her co-publisher Jeff Coakley, launched a new publication called Out at Night that covers New England gay nightlife and brings in money from bar, club, and restaurant ads. And they are also using e-mail as another way to increase ad buys.

"E-blasts are a great tool. I think they don't bother the person who receives them and are a great value for the advertiser," said O'Connell. "At this point, online is where you want to put your resources."

O'Connell said she can see the day when gay papers in certain markets cease printing and publish solely online.

"We just need to be open-minded about that," she said.

In fact, the Divine Providence newspaper in Providence, Rhode Island, sent an e-mail January 16 saying it was now only publishing online except for special issues such as Pride.

San Francisco resident Cheryl Mazak decided that was the best route to take when she and three friends launched the online lesbian magazine http://www.GoGetYourGirlOn.com last September. Mazak, an out lesbian, serves as the site's creative and artistic director.

A photographer and visual artist, Mazak said she had a wealth of material from shooting various celebrities and leaders within the lesbian community but nowhere to publish it.

"It started off with me needing an outlet for this creatively," said Mazak. "It became over time a really great source for news and entertainment and really sensitive interviews to people."

Having taught herself how to manage the Web site, Mazak is now trying to branch out and bring on other writers from around the world. This month she and her co-founders, who have worked on the site for free, began trying to attract advertising.

"We are just gearing up and finalizing our business plan," said Mazak, noting the company became a legal entity on December 23.

She doesn't see her venture as being in competition with other lesbian magazines, like Curve and Sacramento-based Jane and Jane, but working in tandem.

"I love Curve magazine. I think that this is going to be how people find their news immediately, but I think there is something very soothing and relaxing having that tactile magazine and smell of the paper," said Mazak. "That is something people love. They love to flip through the pages. There is something lost in that experience when you are online. I think people like to have access to both."

Many publishers are not ready to make the jump to only being on the Internet. The B.A.R's Yamashita does not foresee the day when the paper would transition to being only available online.

"I don't think we are in that position right now," said Yamashita. "I think there are a lot of other possibilities to explore before you stop printing the paper."

It will be up to readers to decide if they want the B.A.R. to remain a printed product or solely become an online news source, he said.

"It depends on the gay community itself and if they feel we are providing a valuable need, which I think we are," he said.

Palmer agreed that there would always be a need for the gay press.

"There is some feeling out there of do we even need gay newspapers anymore? I disagree. We will always need a voice of our own and an outlet of our own," he said.

Those gay media companies that are run well will survive, said O'Connell.

"Those that focus on what we do best, which is covering our community, and focus their budgets on their editorial staff and are not afraid of the Internet, that are able to embrace and be creative and smart on how the Web can enhance the paper, will survive this economy," she said.

01/22/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3656

Ad declines lead gay media to cut back

2009-01-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

by Matthew S. Bajko
m.bajko@ebar.com

The staff layoffs and downsizing plaguing mainstream news outlets is also hitting gay media newsrooms as advertisers pull back due to the faltering economy.

The financial woes have led many LGBT media outlets to reduce page counts, lay off writers, and scramble to find new sources of revenue. One paper, the New England Blade owned by HX Media, shut down last October.

"I know some papers are more stretched than others. Some are victims due to the economy," said Bob Witeck, the owner of an LGBT-focused marketing firm based in Washington, D.C. "It is worrisome."

This month, San Francisco-based PlanetOut laid off 33 percent of its workforce as it prepares to merge with Los Angeles-based Here Networks, which acquired an 80 percent stake in the faltering online LGBT company for reportedly $5 million.

It was just the latest announcement of an LGBT media company's woes. Gay publications across the country have instituted various cost-saving measures in order to survive.

Chicago paper Windy City Times closed down it newsroom, and reporters and editors now work from home. The Advocate went to being a monthly instead of every other week, and folded its OutTraveler into the magazine. Cleveland's Gay People's Chronicle went from being weekly to twice a month.

"I would say that the publishers I have talked to are very conscious of their budgets and running their businesses and are being as lean as they can be," said Chuck Colbert, who covers gay media for Press Pass Q, a newsletter focused on the LGBT press. "I don't hear any panic. I hear concern, and people say in terms of the recession, they will pull out of it and the goal is to remain standing."

The National Gay Newspaper Guild, made up of gay-owned publications across the country, is also facing its own troubles. The group is in a "retooling mode" as it figures out how to operate in a new media landscape, said the guild's president, Sue O'Connell, who co-owns the Boston-based weekly LGBT paper Bay Windows and the Edge-branded LGBT Web sites.

"We are trying to figure out what direction the guild is going to go in," said O'Connell.

LGBT newspapers throughout California have been hit especially hard, as local governments struggle to balance their budgets and state lawmakers remain deadlocked on how to deal with a $42 billion deficit. The economic uncertainty has impacted many of the papers' loyal local advertisers.

And with the passage of Proposition 8, which eliminated same-sex marriage in California, the advertising bonanza from wedding-related businesses that LGBT news outlets in the state saw beginning in mid-2008 dried up after the November election.

Car dealers, once a major source of ad dollars, have also disappeared from the pages of local gay papers. Hurt by the ongoing woes besieging both Detroit's Big Three automakers and foreign car companies alike, local dealerships can no longer afford to advertise or have closed up shop.

The lost revenue is taking a noticeable toll on gay publications. San Diego's 20-year-old Gay and Lesbian Times reduced the size of its weekly editions and cut its staff last year. To further save money, the remaining employees are taking staggered unpaid leaves throughout January and February.

"We've trimmed expenses, and we're publishing a leaner product – but you'll find we have not sacrificed our news content and value," wrote the paper's publisher, Michael G. Portantino, in an editorial in the January 1 issue. "Our team members are all in, and they are convinced this magazine is a viable, valuable community resource. As a team, our staff will weather the storm, and our sales staff will assist clients in doing the same."

San Francisco-based lesbian magazine Curve let go five people last year. The publication's founder and publisher, Frances Stevens, said she had informed her staff of the magazine's financial problems prior to the layoffs.

"I will lay off people before we can't make payroll. It wasn't a surprise to them," said Stevens, who launched the magazine in 1990 under a different name.

The magazine has dropped down to 70 pages each month from 100 last year, and Stevens also shaved a quarter-inch from the magazine's page size, a savings of some 20,000 pounds of paper over the next 10 months. Along with reducing her paper costs, the shrinkage cuts down on what she pays for ink and postage, said Stevens.

Troy May, publisher of San Jose LGBT magazine OutNow , said the state's budget problems have led to two of his ad contracts being canceled. Santa Clara County pulled its HIV prevention campaign, and the city of San Jose canceled its ads aimed at attracting gay people to move downtown.

"It's been really tough. We are just barely keeping our head above water," said May, though he added he has "no fears of going under any time soon."

Another blow came when the American Musical Theater of San Jose, a major advertiser, went bankrupt. The company had renewed its ad buy, and still owes May several thousand dollars for past ads.

"We likely will not see that money," said May, who took over the monthly magazine three years ago. "Luckily, we just got a contract with the San Jose Rep for 2009. It is a brand new account."

To make ends meet, May lowered his rates this year to entice advertisers to remain and is using fewer freelancers. His printer reduced May's rate, and the magazine has scaled back from 48 pages down to 40 in January, and most likely to 32 for the February issue.

"It is going to be a tough year, I think. We will be scrambling for every ad we get," he said.
The Bay Area Reporter has not been immune from the economic downturn. Beginning with its January 8 edition, the 38-year-old weekly cut its page count down to 32 pages and has kept the smaller size for the last two weeks. It was the lowest number of pages for the paper since the early 1990s.

General manager Michael Yamashita, who has worked at the B.A.R. since 1989, said the paper's advertising has declined across the board. National advertising and local ads began decreasing in 2007 but the falloff escalated in recent months.

Last year the paper was able to capitalize on the state's same-sex wedding boom, publishing a special 16-page insert filled with ads from florists, jewelers, and caterers. Should the state Supreme Court throw out Prop 8 this summer, Yamashita said he would expect those advertisers to return.

Until then, rather than cut staff, the paper is keeping its page count down and did not raise its ad rates this year.

"We are willing to work with all of our advertisers to see what we can do to be mutually helpful for each other," he said. "I don't think it is a gay phenomenon. It is a phenomenon that impacts anybody who has any dealings with this economy."

In Sacramento, local LGBT paper Outword , which comes out twice a month, dropped down to 24 pages from 40 this month. It let go several contract writers and is publishing with just three full-time staffers.

With a print run of 10,000 that is distributed as far north as Reno, Nevada and to Fresno in the southern portion of the Central Valley, the paper sponsors many events in the LGBT community. It still plans to provide free advertising, but will no longer run full-page ads.

"Everyone looks to us for free ads. We are trying to keep an eye on those," said Fred Palmer, the paper's publisher. "We can't sponsor every event. We are asking those organizations to support us and buy ads in the gay paper so we are around next year."

Unlike other gay papers that attract national ads, the 14-year-old paper's advertising is largely reliant on local businesses. Last October, many advertisers began pulling out and have yet to return.

"We got hit with a triple whammy. The economy hit so everybody in the mainstream media is down and the alternative press is down. Then the lack in holiday ads hit us," said Palmer. "A large majority of our community donated to Prop 8 and that hit people in November."

Palmer, who is also a founder and president of the Capitol region's Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, said similar to gay business owners who buy ads in his paper, he was distracted by the fight against Prop 8.

"I spent a good chunk of my November doing post-Prop 8 stuff as an activist and was not selling ads like I normally do," said Palmer.

OutNow's May said he prays same-sex couples will soon be saying "I do" again in California.
"If gay marriage was allowed in this state, then gay and lesbian publications would just be filled with advertising," he said. "We are really looking to the court to overturn Prop 8. We know that will help keep us afloat through 2009."

Colbert noted that the winter months are always slow in terms of advertising for gay papers.

"When summer picks up it may be a better indicator of how people are weathering this," he said.
Many gay papers make the bulk of their money off their annual Pride issues, when an onslaught of advertising triples the size of the papers, or with specially themed issues on travel or health issues. Publishers are holding out hope the same increase in ads around those special editions will be seen this year.

"A large portion of our revenue is based on our romance, travel, and Pride issues," said Palmer.
New revenue streams.

To make up for the lost ad money, many gay publications have taken various steps to bring in more revenue. They are sending out e-mail newsletters readers subscribe to online that come with ads in addition to links to the latest edition's stories.

Last year, San Diego's paper instituted online coupons for local businesses that readers can download. OutNow started a business directory it promotes in each issue and on its Web site. It also launched its own online store to sell clothing and other merchandise branded for its readers in Oakland, San Jose, Palm Springs, and the Santa Cruz area.

"It is another way to not only earn revenue but give something to the community that they don't already have," said May.

In an effort to bring in more cash, some publications host their own events, such as Outword, which hosts happy hour events, and Curve, which is holding parties in San Francisco and Sacramento this month to celebrate the final season of Showtime's The L Word .

"A lot of us are trying to be creative for our clients. They are all asking for more bang for their bucks," said Palmer.

As companies slash their marketing budgets, Palmer said he is trying to point out their ad dollars will go farther in the gay press compared to daily newspapers or glossy magazines.
"Our rates are much, much lower than daily and weekly alternative papers," he noted. "Even with the economic downturn, gay couples will still travel, eat out, and do a lot of things where we spend money."

Witeck said gay media continues to be one of the more affordable ways for advertisers to reach consumers.

"The cost per eyeballs in the gay media is much less compared to most other print media around," he said. "I am hopeful local advertisers will see the value."

Stevens with Curve said she is pushing to increase her subscriber base as a way to makeup for decreased ad revenues.

"They will make sure we are still around another 20 years," said she of her readers. "When the dust settles Curve will still be on top and a lot of other magazines won't be around."

Portantino also sounded a positive note for the future of his publication.

"In 20 years – 20 years from this date today – the Gay & Lesbian Times will continue its record of fair and accurate reporting, generous giving, and providing resources to members of our community," he wrote. "We are not going anywhere."

Full disclosure, Matthew S. Bajko is a freelancer for OutNow in San Jose and had his monthly column in Sacramento's Outword dropped at the end of December.

01/22/2009
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=3655

Lammy nominations are pouring in

2008-12-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

The Lambda Literary Foundation started posting Lammy nominations in all 22 categories Dec. 10. Not all nominees have been processed as of this posting, according to the Lambda Literary Foundation Web site.

Some of 2008’s hottest, controversial, and best fiction and nonfiction titles that made the list are:

Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love & Desire, Lisa M. Diamond, Harvard University Press

Labor of Love, Thomas Beatie, Seal Press

Transgender History, Susan Stryker, Seal Press

Cool Thing: The Best New Gay Fiction from Young American Writers, edited by Blair Maustbaum & Will Fabro, Running Press

Latina Lesbians, edited by Juanita Ramos, Sinister Wisdom, Inc

Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry, edited by Emanuel Xavier, Floricanto Press

Gay America: Struggle for Equality, Linas Alsenas, Amulet Books

My Life: The Musical, Maryrose Wood, Random House Children's Books

What They Always Tell Us, Martin Wilson, Random House Children's Books

Radical Acts: Collected Political Plays, Martin Duberman, The New Press

Out Plays: Landmark Gay & Lesbian Plays of the 20th Century, Ben Hodges, Alyson Books

Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws in America 1861-2003, William N. Eskridge Jr, Penguin Group

Courting Change, Kimberly Richman, NYU Press

Straight Acting, Angelo Pezzote, Kensington

Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades, Catherine Lundoff, Lethe Press

The Stone Gods, Jeanette Winterson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

How the Religious Right Shaped Lesbian and Gay Activism, Tina Fetner, Univ of Minnesota Press

Greetings from the Gayborhood, Donald F. Reuter, Abrams Image

Respectably Queer: Diversity Culture in LGBT Activist Organizations, Jane Ward, Vanderbilt University Press

Passing for Black, Linda Villarosa, Kensington

Made for You, Geneva St. James, Alpha World Press

As Far As Far Enough, Claire Rooney, Bella

Lipstick on Her Collar, Sacchi Green and Rakelle Valencia, Pretty Things Press

Babies, Bikes & Broads, Cynn Chadwick, Bywater Books

Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy, Susan Griffin, Shambhala Publications

The Decade of Blind Dates, Richard Alther, I-Universe

The Distance Between Us, Bart Yates, Kensington

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr, Michael Seth Starr, Applause Books / Hal Leonard

Hiding in Hip Hop, Terrance Dean, Simon and Schuster

To find out if your book is one of the contenders click here.

Press Pass Q founder clashes with gay activists, journalists

2008-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Freelance writer David Benkof, founder of Press Pass Q and Q Syndicate, has a knack for ruffling feathers. First, he underwent a transformation from David Bianco, the gay activist, to David Benkof, the Orthodox Jew. For religious reasons, he told the Washington Blade in a 2003 interview, Benkof had given up sex with men, or as he put it, “having all kinds of Internet hookups and doing the urban gay male lifestyle.”

This summer, Benkof advocated passage of Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. And in his new column “Fabulously Observant,” he urged gays and conservatives to find common ground on a number of social issues, including adoption, abortion, and support for troops in Iraq.

But that's not the whole of it. “He seems to have an ax to grind against our community, writing about some very ugly, negative stereotypes that are harmful,” said Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that counters right-wing propaganda and exposes the “ex-gay” myth.

Perhaps the worst stereotype perpetuated, Besen said, is Benkof's tying the gay community to NAMBLA [North American Man Boy Love Association]. In his recent column, “Anything but Straight,” Besen challenged Benkof for saying, “I have tons of data that shows how a significant subset of the gay community in America has always supported adult-child sex.”

But Benkof said Besen has taken that comment out of context. “I've never said gays are pedophiles,” Benkof said. Historically, however, “some leaders,” Benkof said, namely “Harry Hay and Frank Kameny, have linked gay liberation with lowering the age of consent laws.”

Earlier this year, “Fabulously Observant” ran in a few LGBT publications, including the Tampa Bay Gazette, Columbus Outlook, Tulsa Ozarks Star, and Dallas Voice – but not for long.

Take the Dallas Voice, for instance. “David Benkof submitted several freelance columns to us in the spring of this year,” said Voice editor Tammye Nash. “We ran two, maybe three of them. However, we got no reader response to the content of his columns and felt his work was not a good fit for our mission. So we have not published any since early June.”

Meanwhile, Benkof took his message to mainstream media [USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Post, and Los Angeles Times] and the Jewish press. In an op-ed, Benkof argued that George W. Bush is the best president on AIDS.

In September, Benkof was appointed the first openly gay columnist for the Jerusalem Post, where “Fabulously Observant” will run weekly.

So why pay any attention to Benkof? “He's a very good writer with a knack for getting published in major publications,” said Besen. “He's using a national platform to hurt our community.”

A good role for LGBT media, Besen added, is “to talk to Benkof and see where he is coming from and find out where his relationship with the gay community soured so much that he writes in a very public fashion some derogatory things that have hurt people.”

At the same time, Besen applauds Benkof for breaking with backers of Proposition 8. “That's a step in the right direction.”

In fact, Benkof shut down his blog GaysDefendMarriage.com, he said, “because of homophobia and anti-Semitism among the organizers of that campaign. I no longer support Proposition 8 in California.”

What's more, “I do not have a vendetta against the gay community,” he said. “I don't want to hurt people I care about.”

Benkof also said he harbors no animosity toward gays and gay media. “My separation from Q Syndicate and Rivendell Media [which now owns Q Syndicate and Press Pass Q] was quite amicable,” said Benkof, who attributes his distancing from the community and gay press to a “religious transformation.”

In moving to Orthodox Judaism, “I came to the conclusion through study and fellowship with like-minded people that the Torah comes from God, and I needed to work my life around that fact,” he said. “I found my belief system and values to be inconsistent with my primary work in the gay press. It was a very gradual move, mostly from my religious transformation.”

Next year, Benkof, who self-identifies as gay or bisexual, but not ex-gay, intends to relocate to Jerusalem. — Chuck Colbert

Couretsy: PressPassQ (www.presspassq.com)

LGBT Publishing News

2008-12-11T17:14:00.000-08:00

ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES, the only LGBT radio show in Atlanta, has received a $5,000 grant from the LLOYD E. RUSSELL Foundation. Russell is a former activist and gay bar owner who died in 2006. The show airs Tuesday evenings on WRFG 89.3.

DIANE ANDERSON-MINSHALL has been promoted from executive editor to editor in chief of CURVE magazine. This is the first time in the magazine’s history that someone other than founder/publisher FRANCO STEVENS has filled that top editorial position.

JACOB ANDERSON-MINSHALL, who writes the syndicated column TRANSNATION, and REBECCA NAY, of TRANNYWRECK RADIO, launched a new radio show called GENDER BLENDER on Portland, Oregon’s KBOO 90.7 and online at KBOO.FM. The show addresses transgender issues and other gender-related topics.

BRUCE H. JOFFE, author of “A Hint of Homosexuality?: Gay and Homoerotic Imagery in American Print Advertising,” has won the best book award in the Gay/Lesbian: Non-Fiction category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards. Joffe is a professor of communications at Carthage College [Kenosha, Wis.], Cardinal Stritch University [Milwaukee, Wis.], and Mary Baldwin College [Staunton, Va.] focusing on gay and lesbian studies.

JUST OUT, an LGBT newspaper based in Portland, Ore., celebrated its 25th anniversary on Nov. 22. OURCHART.COM, a social networking site founded by “The L Word” creator ILENE CHAIKEN and SHOWTIME, was shut down last month.

QVEGAS, a gay destination magazine based in Las Vegas, redesigned both its print edition and website under the stewardship of editor and creative director M. CORY BURGESS.

INGA SARDA-SORENSEN has been named acting director of communications by the NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE. PEDRO JULIO SERRANO is now the communications coordinator handling Spanish-language media.

SPORTS OUT LOUD, the world’s only gay sports magazine, will relaunch on Jan. 15 under the new name COMPETE.

MIKE WILKE, founder of the COMMERCIAL CLOSET ASSOCIATION, was terminated by the non-profit’s board of directors on Nov. 4. The move came as part of its merger with the GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION.

Courtesy: PressPassQ (www.presspassq.com)

Genre sued by model over beefcake photos

2008-12-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

A model for Genre magazine has filed a lawsuit against the publication and a photographer, alleging a series of “cruel and vulgar” photos printed in the publication without his permission have subjected him to unwanted advances and harassment from gay men.

The invasion of privacy lawsuit, filed recently in Manhattan Supreme Court by Benjamin Massing, 20, a microbiology major at the University of Central Florida, alleges he has been subjected to strangers “who solicit him for homosexual sex,” according to the New York Daily News.

The beefcake shot of him tugging on a snug pair of gray briefs also included contact information, including Massing's first name, where he lives, and ways to reach him online.

The model and aspiring actor alleges that Genre's March-April issue's photo spread, which is bordered by advertisements for sex toys, lubricants, and chat lines, has damaged his career.

According to the complaint, Massing says the pictures were for his private portfolio use, and he never expected photographer Richard Day to sell them to a magazine to make him look “lustful and sexually promiscuous,” according to the Daily News.
The rub for Massing: “He's not [gay],” said Liah Catanese, his attorney.

Additionally, the beefcake pictures of Massing have surfaced on websites for gay men, where readers make comments such as “Super sexy!” and “Love those hairy little legs … yummie.”

“It's definitely put him in a class where he's going to have difficulty obtaining contracts for family-related shows,' said lawyer Catanese in the Daily News.

During his modeling career, Massing has appeared, nearly in the buff, in an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue. The model has also posed for a spread in Playgirl magazine in an issue highlighting eligible college men.

It is not clear whether or not Massing signed a release agreement with the photographer, allowing Day to use the photos. If the model did not sign one, then he may have a case regarding the pictures being used without permission. It is also not entirely clear whether the case is about the unauthorized use of the photographs or the publication of personal contact information, or both.

William P. Kapfer, vice president and publisher of Genre magazine, said he had not seen the lawsuit and therefore declined to comment.

— Chuck Colbert

Courtesy PressPassQ.com (www.presspassq.com)

LGBT bloggers learn the ropes at summit

2008-12-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Keen
Bay Area Reporter, 12/11/2008

In a sterile conference room on the 11th floor of a non-descript office building in Washington, D.C., more than two dozen LGBT bloggers listened intently last weekend as their more veteran peers instructed them in the art of "blog swarms," "astro-turfing," and "cross-posting."

Bloggers, said one, can enable a minor event to "take on a whole new life" in the mainstream media by spreading news about it across 10 or 15 different blogs (a.k.a. the blog swarm). Lone bloggers can acquire the clout of large groups by assuming a moniker that makes them appear to be a "national" entity when, in fact, they are "a fake grassroots organization" (a.k.a. astro-turfing). And bloggers can increase readership for their views by posting them not just on their own sites but on other, more widely read, sites (a.k.a. cross-posting).

Blogs, said Mike Rogers, organizer of the summit, can be used to "drag people out of the closet" and persuade a corporation that has donated to an anti-gay cause to make amends to the LGBT community.

Rogers gained considerable notoriety in 2007 after he posted blogs about Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho) being arrested for solicitation in an airport men's room. A Washington Post headline that year referred to Rogers as possibly "the most feared man on [Capitol] Hill" because he's made clear he's willing to use his blog – http://www.blogActive.com – to out closeted politicians who vote against the rights of LGBT people.

"I'm an angry gay man," quipped Rogers to a workshop Saturday on "Fighting Back" against anti-gay institutions and people. He urged LGBT bloggers to "take it to the next level" in their postings against anti-gay entities and people.

This first National LGBT Citizen Journalist Bloggers Summit attracted about 60 LGBT bloggers. The conference was separate from, but simultaneous to, the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, and bloggers and the more conventional leaders met in a few joint sessions.

The conference included such topics as how bloggers can contribute to political campaigns, how to enhance their work with investigative reporting skills and practices, and what federal laws might have an impact on their blogging. Conference sponsors included political activist Jonathan Lewis and the Microsoft Corporation. Rogers said Lewis contributed $50,000 toward the meeting and Microsoft contributed a free copy of Microsoft Office Professional to eager attendees.

"I think Microsoft's contribution shows the impact a small group of bloggers can have and the corporation's commitment to working with us," said Rogers.
Most of the bloggers at the summit appeared to be in their 20s, about two-thirds were men, and a few were people of color. There were well-known political bloggers, such as Pam Spaulding of http://www.PamsHouseBlend.com, Bil Browning of http://www.Bilerico.com, Nan Hunter of http://www.HunterforJustice.com, and Ramon Johnson of About.com's "Gay Life."

One attendee, Eric Leven of New York (at http://www.Knucklecrack.blogspot.com), described the conference as empowering.

"For me there was something in those rooms, something in those workshops," he blogged after the meeting, "maybe it was the sense of community or the downright simple feeling of being empowered by teachers, writers, techies and activists but something in that room made me feel as though we were all on our digital surfboards, in this new world of ours, riding the crest of the wave of this new movement."

"I think it's important that we provide the tools to successful and new and emerging bloggers," said Rogers, "so they can be more engaged in their community."

Although Rogers said he was not sure he had time to turn the summit into an annual event, he said it was part of an overall initiative that will provide grants to help bloggers (a.k.a. citizen journalists) with specific projects or to attend other conferences.

"A small grant to a blogger today," said Rogers, "can help develop tomorrow's effective citizen journalist."

Call for Submissions: Journal of Bisexuality

2008-11-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL SPIRITUALTIES ISSUE – Journal of Bisexuality

Special Journal of Bisexuality issue on bisexualities and spiritualities; intersections, inquiries, stories, visions.

What are the connections/correlations between bisexuality as sexual orientation and the spiritual tradition(s) one is born into and/or chooses for oneself?

Are certain spiritual philosophies/practices more/less likely to include bisexuals?

In a pastoral sense, what are the sources of pain and suffering, of comfort and hope, for bisexuals in contrast to non-bisexuals?

Are there distinctive religious practices and beliefs characteristic of bi people?

What importance, if any, do bi-identified people put on bisexually-oriented representations of deity, cosmology?

What are the experiences of bi clergy – rabbis, ministers, imams, shamans, priestesses, priests, nuns, etc. – in terms of training/credentialing, job searches, congregational dynamics, interactions with gay, lesbian, trans, intersex and heterosexual peoples?

What are the ways in which non-binary thinking -- growing out of and/or grounding-rooting bi-epistemologies -- shape religious/spiritual practices?

What are the ways in which they are complexified and how/when do they move beyond the usual modes of thinking re: gender/gender expression?

What are the ways in which they challenge fictions of religious purity (i.e. – how do bi and/or trans epistemologies create space for people of multiple (usually seen as ‘conflicting;) or fluid religious identities?

Lastly, how do these beyond-binary modalities open up spaces/new horizons for conceptualizing creation stories, parables, wisdom texts, ways of naming the divine … for everyone?

Send queries to Dr. Loraine Hutchins, lorainehutchins@starpower.net

Proposals for articles due December 1, 2008.

Full drafts of requested articles due February 1, 2009.

Call for Submission: Best Gay and Lesbian Love Stories 2010

2008-11-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

Alyson Books is having a submission call for our Best Gay and Lesbian Love Stories 2010 anthologies

True love is daunting, a journey so excruciating that it becomes legendary to those who hear the tale.

Tell us the story of your true love and why it still resonates in your heart till this day. Did you live happily ever after? Was your love marked by brevity and bliss? The sky is the limit. You pick the theme and how you want to tell the story.

Stories must be 2,000-5,000 words in length.

Please submit all stories to paul.florez@regentmedia.com

Deadline is January 1, 2009.

DORSET POETRY PRIZE $10,000

2008-11-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

Open to All Poets Writing in English

Again this year, the Dorset Prize includes a cash award of $10,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press (in paper and hardcover editions), a book launch at Poets House in New York City, and national distribution through Tupelo Press and Consortium Book Sales and Distribution, Inc., Ingram and Baker & Taylor.

The 2008 Dorset Prize will be judged by Ilya Kaminsky. All finalists will be considered for publication. Personal friends as well as current and former students of Ilya Kaminsky are not eligible for this year’s Dorset Prize.

Full Guidelines are available on the Tupelo Press Website https://www.tupelopress.org/dorset.shtml.

The Gatewood Prize

2008-11-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Gatewood Prize is Switchback Books' annual competition for a first full-length (48-80 pp.) collection of poems by a woman writing in English between the ages of 18 and 39. It is named after Emma Gatewood, the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Our definition of woman" is broad and includes transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, and female-identified individuals.

2008 Judge: Denise Duhamel2008 Reading Period: July 1 - October 1, 2008

Prize: $500 and a standard publication contract with a print run of 1000.
For complete guidelines, go to The Gatewood Prize.

Call for Submission: SWELL Stories Wanted

2008-11-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

Deadline: Janaury 1, 2009

Seeking original short stories focusing on LGBT themes from LGBT writers and their allies. Cash prizes plus publication in NewTownWriters ’ e-zine SWELL and print publication OFF THE ROCKS.

5000 words max.

$8.00 entry fee per story.

Full guidelines, submissions at http://www.newtownwriters.org/Fiction.html11th Gival Press Poetry AwardPostmark Deadline: Dec. 15, 2008 Prize of $1,000 plus author's copies for best original poetry manuscript in English of at least 45 pages; reading fee $20 per entry (by check or credit card).

Judge: Richard Carr, last year's winner.

For complete guidelines, visit website: www.givalpress.com and email: givalpress@yahoo.com.

Call for Submissions: BEST LESBIAN ROMANCE 2010

2008-11-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

BEST LESBIAN ROMANCE 2010

Editor: Radclyffe

Publisher: Cleis PressDeadline for Submissions: April 1, 2009

Guidelines for Submissions

Published or unpublished short stories or novel excerpts Previously published material will be considered, provided it was or will be published between September 1, 2008 & December 31, 2009

Word count: 5000 words maximum

Electronic submissions only to: radclyffe.bsb@gmail.com. E-mail header: BLR 2010_Author_Title (BLR 2010_J Doe_Lovestory) MS Word doc attachment (story) E-mail body: list story title, author name, pseudonym, address, phone/fax, e-mail address, word count, where previously published (anthology title/publisher/Pub date), 75-100 word bio

Story Format. Header: story title/author name/page number (each page); Times New Roman 12 pt; double-spaced; standard paragraphing; no HTML; file name: BLR 2010_Author_Title (BLR 2010_J Doe_Lovestory) General Info: The anthology is scheduled for publication from Cleis Press Fall 2009. Submission decisions will be provided by e-mail in September 2009. Erotic content is welcome as long as the emotional/romantic elements are focal.

Please send questions to: radclyffe.bsb@gmail.com

Announcing the launch of COLLECTIVE FALLOUT: A Literary Magazine of Queer Genre Fiction & Poetry

2008-11-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

Collective Fallout is a literary magazine dedicated to queer-themed sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and mystery fiction and poetry. It will be a print journal published 2 or 3 times a year.

The Collective Fallout blog is where readers will find reviews, interviews, and other editorial content, and is where readers are encouraged to comment on and reply to the forthcoming print journal.

Short Story submissions must be queer-related, and fall into one or more of the the science fiction, fantasy, horror, or mystery genres. Stories may not be longer than 10,000 words.

Poetry submissions must be queer-related, both form and free verse, and of a surreal, metaphysical, or similar nature. Up to 5 poems per submission, no more than 450 total lines. Simultaneous submissions accepted. We will not accept submissions of blatant erotica or pornography.

Contributors will receive one contributor copy of the magazine. Collective Fallout acquires and retains First North American Serial Rights. Submit content for the print magazine electronically to collectivefallout@gmail.com. Please attach files in DOC, RTF, or PDF formats.

Last Call: Lambda Literary Awards Guidelines 2008 Submission Form

2008-11-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

The submission form is available as a PDF. If you would like one faxed or emailed to you, please send a request to awards@lambdaliterary.org or contact us at 323-936-5876.

2008 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR THE 21ST LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS

These guidelines focus on determining a book’s eligibility for the Lambda Literary Awards, the process of submitting a book for consideration by the judges, the parameters of the categories, and an approximate timeline for the awards cycle.

Each year, the Award Guidelines Committee of the Board of Trustees receives feedback from authors, publishers, and others in the literary community and informed with this feedback, the Committee assesses and revises the Guidelines with the goal of making the Lambda Literary Awards the most prestigious, competitive, and comprehensive awards offered to LGBT books and authors.

Changes to this year’s guidelines include the following:

Reprints of previously published paperback, hardcover or electronic books are not eligible. Second (or later) editions of a book are not eligible for consideration. A book that has been republished by a different publisher after its initial publication is not eligible. A book can be submitted in only one category, with two exceptions. Bisexual and Transgender books may be submitted in their respective categories, as well as a second LGBT category. This exception is intended to bring more visibility to the most under-published segments of our LGBT community.
If the Bisexual category receives ten (10) submissions of fiction and ten (10) submissions of nonfiction, the category will be separated into Bisexual Fiction and Bisexual Nonfiction. If the Transgender category receives ten (10) submissions of fiction and ten (10) submissions of nonfiction, the category will be separated into Transgender Fiction and Transgender Nonfiction. The awards committee reserves the right to split a category along sexual orientation or gender if the number of submissions received in a category warrant such a distinction.
Questions may be directed to awards@lambdaliterary.org.

TIMELINE

Submission period for books begins October 1, 2008 and ends December 1, 2008. A shortlist of five finalists for each category will be announced no later than March 15, 2009. Winners will be announced at the 21st Annual Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony, to be held on Thursday, May 28, 2009, in New York City.

ELIGIBILITY

In determining whether a book should be submitted for consideration, the Lambda Literary Awards are based principally on the LGBT content of the work. The sexual orientation of the author is secondary. The book must be published and distributed (i.e. available in bookstores) in the United States during 2008. Self-published books are eligible. Reprints of previously published paperback, hardcover or electronic books are not eligible. Second (or later) editions of a book are not eligible for consideration. A book that has been republished by a different publisher after its initial publication is not eligible. The book must be published in English. Translations from other languages into English are accepted, as long as the U.S. publication occurs during 2008. E-books are not eligible.

HOW TO SUBMIT A BOOK

Books submitted for consideration will be accepted between October 1, 2008 and December 1, 2008. A book can be submitted only by its author or by its publisher. To submit a book for consideration, please provide a completed submission form, an administrative fee of $20, and four (4) copies of the book. If the book is submitted for two categories (Bisexual or Transgender, plus a second LGBT category), please send eight (8) books instead of four. Only one administration fee ($20) is required. For books being published in late 2008 (especially December), bound galleys or bound manuscripts are accepted in lieu of finished copies of the book. Please note: electronic versions of books (PDFs) are not accepted.

CATEGORIES

Lambda Literary Awards are presented in twenty-two (22) categories (see below). If you have any questions about which category would be most appropriate for a book, please email us at awards@lambdaliterary.org. A book can be submitted in only one category, with two exceptions. Bisexual and Transgender books may be submitted in their respective categories, as well as a second LGBT category. This exception is intended to bring more visibility to the most under-published segments of our LGBT community. If a category receives less than ten (10) submissions, the category will not be active in this awards cycle. The submitted books will be reassigned to another category if appropriate, and the administrative fee will be refunded if the book cannot compete in another category.

If the Bisexual category receives ten (10) submissions of fiction and ten (10) submissions nonfiction, the category will be separated into Bisexual Fiction and Bisexual Nonfiction. If the Transgender category receives ten (10) submissions of fiction and ten (10) submissions of nonfiction, the category will be separated into Transgender Fiction and Transgender Nonfiction.
The awards committee reserves the right to split a category along sexual orientation if the number of submissions received in a category warrant such a distinction.

2008 CATEGORIES

LESBIAN and GAY CATEGORIES (14) LESBIAN: Books eligible for this category are those that feature a lesbian main character. The gender and orientation of the author are not considered in determining the book’s eligibility.

GAY: Books eligible for this category are those that feature a gay main character. The gender and orientation of the author are not considered in determining the book’s eligibility.

Betty Berzon Prize for Debut Fiction—Novels, novellas, or short story collections by authors who have not previously published a book of fiction. Anthologies are not eligible. Authors who have appeared in anthologies are eligible, as long as they have not published a volume identified as theirs alone.

Erotica—Anthologies, novels, memoirs, short story collections whose content is principally of an erotic nature.

General Fiction—Novels, novellas, and short story collections. May include historical novels, graphic novels, cross-genre works of fiction, and other styles of fiction. Anthologies are not eligible.
Memoir/Biography—Posthumously published authors or those with co-authors are eligible. Anthologies are not eligible.

Mystery— Novels, novellas, and short story collections that adhere to the criteria of a “mystery,” as defined by the Mystery Writers of America: “A mystery is considered to be any novel in which a crime, or a series of crimes, are an integral part of the story." Anthologies are not eligible.

Poetry—Single volumes, selected and collected poems are eligible. Chapbooks are not eligible.

Romance— Novels, novellas, and short story collections that adhere to the criteria of a “romance.” As defined by the Romance Writers of America: “A romance is defined as a work of fiction with two critical elements: a central love relationship and a positive ending stating or implying a commitment between the two characters.” Anthologies are not eligible.

ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES (2)

Bisexual—Fiction and nonfiction: novels, short story collections, anthologies, poetry, memoirs, cultural studies, public policy, law, history, spirituality, gender studies, etc.

Transgender—Fiction and nonfiction: novels, short story collections, anthologies, poetry, memoirs, cultural studies, public policy, law, history, spirituality, gender studies, etc.

LGBT CATEGORIES (6)

LGBT Anthology—Collections of fiction, poetry, and/or nonfiction are eligible.

LGBT Children’s/Young Adult—Fiction, nonfiction, picture books, poetry, and anthologies—whose intended audience are young readers—are all eligible.

LGBT Drama—Plays that have been published in book/script form during 2008. Collections of plays and anthologies of plays are eligible.

LGBT Nonfiction—Books and subjects for the general reader, e.g. histories, politics, community organizations, humor, parenting, religion, spirituality, relationships, psychology, travel, etc.

LGBT Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror—Novels, novellas, short story collections, and anthologies are eligible.

LGBT Studies—Scholarly work oriented toward academia, libraries, cultural professionals, and the more academic reader.

PLEASE NOTE NEW ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Lambda Literary Awards
5482 Wilshire Blvd, #1595
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Gay Writers Respond to Proposition 8’s Win in California

2008-11-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

By Wendy Werris -- Publishers Weekly, 11/6/2008 7:42:00 AM

California’s Proposition 8, the controversial anti-gay-marriage measure that was fought furiously on both sides for several months and included Tricycle Press’s children’s book King & King as a negative spin in supporters’ TV commercials, won a stunning victory on November 4 in the state’s election. Gay writers responded to the win with outrage, concern and heartbreak.

John Rechy, the Los Angeles-based PEN International Award-winning gay author expressed a sense of outrage and betrayal by the passing of Prop. 8. Noting what he called fear tactics used by its backers in their ads, Rechy said, “Of course it helped Prop. 8 to use a harmless children’s book (King & King) about gay marriage in its campaign of minority intolerance. My fear now is that all of gay literature will be more closely scrutinized, and that free speech will become even more endangered.” Rechy and his partner of more than 30 years were recently married.

Although the head of the California Teacher’s Association stated on many occasions during the campaign that marriage is not taught in schools, Prop. 8’s supporters seemed to state otherwise in their ads that used King as an example of what information children would be privy to if gay marriage was not banned in California. Charles Flowers, executive director of the LAMBDA Literary Foundation that supports the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender book communities, noted the complexities that lie ahead because of this misinformation. “The use of a children’s book definitely worked in Prop. 8’s favor,” he said. “Now that it’s passed, these people have instilled a lot of fear in the minds of parents about text adoptions and gay-themed books in schools. This will put gay teachers under much more scrutiny as well.” Flowers is also concerned about the legal limbo the passing of Proposition 8 has put California’s 22,000 married gay couples in.

Novelist Christopher Rice, president of the board of the LAMBDA Literary Foundation, is well aware of the power of the written word. “The image of a kid holding a book (about gay marriage) is profound. Unfortunately, the backers of Prop. 8 used King as an example of how a young mind can be corrupted, rather than how it can be opened.” Rice also blames the measure’s backers for using the book in a dishonest way, saying it’s opened a “psychic wound” in gay writers everywhere who are on the frontlines of unfiltered and candid information about the way they live their lives.
Only children who are signed up for Comprehensive Sex Education in California schools are taught about gay relationships and sex. “This decision is entirely up to the parents,” Rice continued. “The backers of Prop. 8 distorted the truth about this.”

Another gay California writer, novelist Dorothy Allison, married her longtime partner on November 1.

“My heart is breaking,” she said. “The way the pro-8 spokespeople concentrated on how gay marriage could be a threat to kids... that was the big thing. They propagandized the loving theme of King by turning it into a fearful message to parents.”

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6612061.html?nid=2286&source=link&rid=1392992134

TRANSITIONS AND MILESTONES

2008-11-15T01:23:00.000-08:00

MATTHEW BAJKO, assistant editor at San Francisco-based BAY AREA REPORTER, won two 3rd place awards at the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club’s 31st annual awards dinner.

CURVE, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, launched its newly redesigned website – CURVEMAG.COM – last month.

DANN DULIN, senior editor of A&U magazine, was a guest on the 4th annual POZ Cruise last month, embarking on a 7-day journey through the Caribbean. Dulin will be writing a story about the cruise and its founder, PAUL STALBAUM.

GAY LIST DAILY, an online publication available at GAYLISTDAILY.COM, launched a new localized Los Angeles edition last month. City-specific editions already include New York and Dallas.

GARETH KIRKBY, former associate publisher and managing editor of Ottawa, Ont.-based CAPITAL XTRA, has shifted responsibilities within Canada’s PINK TRIANGLE PRESS. He is now the editor in chief at THE GUIDE, the company’s U.S.-based gay travel and politics magazine. He continues his work as producer and editor in chief of XTRA.CA. MARCUS MCCANN, former news editor of CAPITAL XTRA, has been promoted to associate publisher and managing editor.

OUTHISTORY.ORG, a new website on LGBT history, made its official debut on Oct. 21.

POLITICAL IQ is the new name of the syndicated column LESBIAN NOTIONS. The name change reflects that the column is an LGBT-themed op-ed, and not lesbian-specific. Distributed by Q SYNDICATE, co-publisher of PRESS PASS Q, the column is written by veteran journalist DIANE SILVER.

POSITIVELY AWARE magazine has released its special World AIDS Day edition, which includes an interview with former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa STEPHEN LEWIS.

DAMON ROMINE, director of entertainment media at the GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION [GLAAD], wed CHARLES ROBBINS, executive director of the TREVOR PROJECT, on Nov. 2 in Palm Springs, Calif., after nine years together. It was a double wedding with Romine’s father and his partner of 16 years.

SHEWIRED.COM, a new website for women, was launched last month by REGENT MEDIA, parent company of GAYWIRED MEDIA.

[Editor’s note: Are there important changes going on at your publication? E-mail the information to editor@PressPassQ.com.]

Courtesy: PressPassQ (http://www.presspassq.com/ppq.cfm)

PRESSING QUESTIONS: Jane and Jane magazine

2008-11-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

PRESSING QUESTIONS: Jane and Jane magazine of Sacremento, Calif.by Derrik Chinn

Geographic coverage area: National

Year founded: 2006

Staff size and breakdown: 2 publishers, editor in chief, and sales rep.; everyone else is freelance

Size of office space: The staff works from home, the publishers are in Sacramento, and the editor and salesperson in San Francisco

Physical dimensions of publication: 8.375” x 10.875”

Key demographics: Lesbians and bisexual women in their 30s and 40s

Print run: 20,700 audited

******
Press Pass Q: What part of Jane and Jane is the most popular?

Editor in chief Maria de la O: Relationships, because everybody wants to know if their relationship is “normal.” I think that’s one reason why Cosmo has done so well over the years. And travel, because apparently gay people like to travel. A lot.

PPQ: What challenge has Jane and Jane overcome over the past few years?

de la O: Reaching the demographic. Get to the women who do not frequent clubs and parties. We don’t have anything against parties; it’s just that we’re more interested in women who are a little older, are a little more established in their careers, and who don’t necessarily go out to clubs every weekend. We essentially target women who are in their 30s and 40s, rather than in their 20s.

PPQ: How does a lesbian magazine best reach out to women in their 30s and 40s?

de la O: We’re trying a range of things, from posting a page on Facebook to getting on the road and visiting Pride events all over the country. I think our publishers went to about seven Pride events this summer. Then this winter, there will be gay ski weeks and so on. We’re just really trying to meet people face to face, or at least meet them online through their friends and friends of friends.

PPQ: What current issues would you say interest that demographic of lesbians?

de la O: Daily life, finances, relationships, and health. It’s more about cocooning than about the bar scene. It’s not that our readers aren’t political – we actually have an ongoing legal section written by Kate Kendell from the National Center for Lesbian Rights and political articles written by our Washington, D.C., correspondent – but our readers definitely have the long view about politics.

PPQ: How has Jane and Jane changed since it was first launched?

de la O: I suppose the biggest change was with the September/October issue, which is our first paid, nationally distributed newsstand issue. Up until now we’ve been free and on the West Coast. It was also my first issue as editor in chief. The magazine was redesigned. It was a larger issue than ever before at 100 pages, and it had some new sections including fitness and more celebrity coverage.

PPQ: How did the magazine's appearance change with its recent redesign?

de la O: The magazine is larger in page count. It’s perfect-bound now rather than saddle-stiched. The body font is different – it’s a little more delicate looking. There are new sidebar styles. There’s more white space. More photography. It feels like something you’d keep on your coffee table rather than something you would read and throw away quickly.

PPQ: Based on your experience, what would you say are some of the hurdles every new editor in chief faces?

de la O: Gaining the trust of those you work with. I’ve worked at a lot of magazines, and I’ve seen people sometimes working at cross purposes. Somehow I’ve managed to convince everyone here that I know what I’m doing and to follow my lead.

PPQ: On the Kinsey Scale of 0-6, how gay is Jane and Jane?

de la O: How about “post-gay”? What I mean is, we basically assume that you’re a lesbian or bisexual if you’re reading Jane and Jane, and that perspective informs every story that we do. But a lot of our stories could almost be in O magazine or another high-quality women’s magazine. Not every story has an obvious lesbian angle, but a gay perspective is inherent in everything we do.

PPQ: What is the most surprising thing a reader has ever said?

de la O: The publishers have told me that people sometimes come up to them at events and misstate the magazine’s title as “Jane on Jane,” which would be quite a different magazine, I think.

[Editor’s note: Each installment of the feature Pressing Questions puts the spotlight on a different GLBT media outlet. If you are interested in being featured, send an email to editor@PressPassQ.com with the subject line “Pressing Questions.”]

Courtesy: PressPassQ (http://www.presspassq.com/ppq.cfm)

Editor of Pittsburgh’s Out remembered

2008-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

When Jeff Howells, the editor of Pittsburgh’s Out newspaper, did not show up for work on Sept. 2, publisher Tony Molnar-Strejeck stopped by his home and discovered his body sprawled across the main staircase. Officials later ruled that Howells had suffered from a heart attack several days earlier.

Howells, who just turned 50 in July, had served the newspaper for over 20 years and was promoted to editor in chief in 2006. He was known as a hardworking employee, a devoted friend, and a fearless warrior against adversity.

“Jeff took pride in his work and this can be seen in every published issue of Out over the past several years,” said Molnar-Strejeck. “His beautiful smile, charm, and wicked sense of humor will be deeply missed, but not forgotten.”

Howells began his career in 1986 when he became a part-time editorial assistant. In less than a year, he was promoted to copy editor. Before the end of the decade, he was promoted again to managing editor. Molnar-Strejeck links Howells’ ability to succeed in the industry with his immeasurable drive and flawless work ethic.

But the world Howells grew to understand began to collapse in late 2007. In December, his relationship with his partner of more than 20 years ended. Earlier this year, his mother passed away. Yet, with these hardships, Howells continued to focus on his work and was excited about the future of Out.

“Jeff has left behind a legacy,” said Molnar-Strejeck. “His mark on our 36-year-old newspaper will always be felt and never forgotten. His shoes will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill.”

David Doorley, executive editor of Out, will be taking over most of Howells’ responsibilities. Doorley has worked with Out for over 25 years. Out has also hired a new editorial assistant and proofreader in the hopes of filling the gap left behind by the loss.

Services were held at a funeral home in Russellton, Penn., on Sept. 7. As Howells was an avid lover of animals, donations can be sent in his name to the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, 6620 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

— Matthew E. Pilecki

Courtesy: PressPassQ (http://www.presspassq.com/ppq.cfm)

Windy City Times goes all out online

2008-11-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Chicago's Windy City Times is still publishing in print, but the entire issue of the publication is also now available online. Readers can now download the paper in its complete form as a PDF file.

“We've been doing it for a few months,” said publisher Tracy Baim. But with significant recent growth, now up to 1,000 downloads per week, Baim said it was time to fully promote the new feature. “It's a good option for those who want to look at the paper at work or on the train on the way home as well as for readers in the suburbs where it's more difficult to get the physical paper.”

In fact, Windy City Times launched the online project late last year, starting to post a PDF document. “We've been tweaking it ever since,” Baim explained. More recently, “We've added more color and links to the advertisers' websites.”

Windy City Times [www.windycitytimes.com] publishes Night Spots, which is also available online. About 300 readers download that publication each week.

Print issues of Windy City Times and Night Spots will continue to be distributed from more than 500 outlets in the Chicago area. The Window City Media Group website [www.windycitymediagroup.com] has more than 20,000 archived articles, dating back 10 years.
Explaining the online feature, Baim said, “Readers didn't just want the text versions online. They actually like the visual assistance, the way a print publication prioritizes stories, the whole visual look of a paper. Most readers view the text version of articles, but want print guidance.”

The changes mean that readers of the publication's online version are able to read not only the articles, but also see the advertisements. Plus, the ads are clickable. Readers can link to advertisers' websites.

“This feature is a huge perk to our advertisers because as consumers read the ads, they are able to click directly to advertisers’ sites to buy tickets, read further information about events or products, or to find out more about their organization,” said marketing director Kathleen Ulm in a statement. The online version is also good for advertisers looking for the “maximum exposure” and is a “valuable service to the LGBT community,” extending the reach of the paper locally and nationally.

Better yet, few cost increases resulted from the online endeavor. “It only adds a few hours of work across three different jobs, with no real costs on the production end,” Baim said.
So far there have been no increases in advertising rates. “If we started to see a bigger jump [of downloads], that might warrant an increase,” Baim said.

One challenge has presented itself. “We're trying to get verified audits to start tracking downloads as part of the verification process,” she explained. “Some auditors are slow to embrace the digital technology. We may have to get a different company to do the online audit.”

In related news, Windy City Times employees all now work remotely from home. The move took effect in the middle of July, prompted in part by the summer’s rising gas prices.
Still, there were other considerations, she explained. “Productivity and morale. … For some people, their creative peak is midnight. For others, it is 6 a.m. This way we get more work out of people at their productive times.”

Staffers see each other in person during a weekly meeting. Meanwhile, Baim said, “People can access servers from home to produce the paper. We proof it from the PDF file, remotely.”

— Chuck Colbert

Courtesy PressPassQ (http://www.presspassq.com/ppq.cfm)

Lesbian Bloggers' '8 Against 8 Campaign' Exceeds Goal in Battle to Defeat Gay Marriage Ban

2008-10-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

By Lianne Stokes

A grassroots online fundraising campaign against Proposition 8 by eight lesbian bloggers has already shattered its fundraising goal less than midway through the campaign.

Three days ago, eight lesbian bloggers set out to raise $8,000 in eight days to help defeat Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that seeks to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the State of California.

Bloggers Grace Chu and Grace Rosen of Grace the Spot, Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend, Dorothy Snarker of Dorothy Surrenders, Lori Hahn of Hahn At Home, Kelly Leszczynski of The Lesbian Lifestyle, Sinclair of Sugarbutch Chronicles, Riese of This Girl Called Automatic Win, and Renee Gannon of Lesbiatopia formed the 8 Against 8 Campaign to call on the public to donate to the "No to Prop. 8” campaign and help defeat the anti-gay marriage measure come Election Day, which if it passes, will nullify thousands of now legal same sex marriages and make it illegal once again for lesbian and gay couples to marry in California.

What happened next exceeded their expectations.

Donations started rolling in by the thousands of dollars per day. Less than three full days into the campaign, the eight bloggers against Prop 8 reached their initial goal of $8,000.

“I am still in shock at how quickly and effectively the community responded to the 8 Against 8 campaign,” said Renee Gannon of www.lesbiatopia.com. “The money donated and the excitement generated in three short days have far surpassed what I ever could have imagined that we would accomplish in eight days, never mind three.”
The eight bloggers intend to continue raising money for No on Prop 8 through the “8 Against 8” campaign, expressing the urgency of fighting Proposition 8.

“We’re going to keep ‘8 Against 8’ going for the full eight days,” said Grace Chu of www.gracethespot.com and www.afterellen.com.

“Equality California’s No on Prop 8 campaign needs every cent they can get to defeat this atrocious ballot initiative,” she continued. “We cannot afford to lose our momentum in this crucial time leading up to the election. We’ve smashed our goal of $8,000. Now let’s keep the donations coming in to smash Proposition 8.”
Dorothy Snarker of http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com and www.afterellen.com echoed Chu’s sentiments. "Reaching our goal in three days is amazing and a testament to the generosity and passion of all of our readers,” said Snarker. “But just because we reached $8,000 doesn't mean we should stop pushing for more. Polls show the 'Yes' and 'No' votes are almost dead-even. We can't let intolerance win because we couldn't afford to fight hatred head-on."

L. A. Vess, Managing Editor of GayWired Media, which includes the lesbian-oriented site SheWired.com, stated: "The fight to defeat Prop 8 and other initiatives like it across the country now and in the future truly has to begin at the individual level. These bloggers are doing what we should all do when we are moved by a cause and see our human rights in danger -- get out on the front lines and make things happen. Sitting on the sidelines just isn't going to cut it anymore. I applaud these extraordinary women for their dedicated efforts to protect equality for all."

The 8 Against 8 fundraising effort continues through October 27th. Donations can be made at the following URL: www.8against8.com. 100% of all donations made through “8 Against 8” goes directly to Equality California’s No on Prop 8 campaign.

* With additions by Ann Turner

Originally published by gaywired.com

Top Gay Activist Blogger Goes Public with Investigation Into Senator Mitch McConnell

2008-10-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

Mike Rogers, Founder of Proud of Who We Are, Calls on Senate Minority Leader to Produce Undisclosed Documents About His Abrupt Military Departure

WASHINGTON, Oct 23, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- America's top gay activist blogger, Mike Rogers, went public today with his investigation into Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY). Rogers called on the Senator to release his military records -- including documentation of the reason McConnell was discharged from the Army in the midst of the Vietnam War -- one day after the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Kentucky's former Attorney General Greg Stumbo came forward with questions of his own for McConnell.

Rogers has made a career of investigating suspected, closeted, anti-gay public officials, including Senator Larry Craig (ID) and Reps. Mark Foley (FL) and Ed Schrock (VA). He is the founder of Proud of Who We Are, an organization that encourages closeted, anti-gay politicians to serve proudly as gay Americans, regardless of their political party.

Rogers has taken six trips to Kentucky in the last several months to investigate long-standing questions about McConnell's military service. Rogers has visited numerous towns, spoken with dozens of people, and spent hours pouring over archived public records.

Rogers has discovered inconsistencies in McConnell's public Army records and is the first investigative reporter to note the differing answer to a section of the records titled "Transcript of Court Martial." While every other section of McConnell's records without information states "n/a," this particular section uniquely states, "not on file." "Alone," said Rogers, "this court martial information may be insignificant, but it warrants further investigation when coupled with my other research."

"I've investigated enough to conclude that there are serious questions surrounding Senator McConnell's military service, and I think Kentuckians deserve answers," Rogers continued. "It's worth noting that next month Senator McConnell could become the highest-ranking Republican at the federal level. To have an anti-gay politician as the standard bearer of his party when there are unanswered questions about his military service is something I think the American people simply will not tolerate. After all, this is the same man who threw Larry Craig under the bus while supporting confessed adulterer David Vitter. Suspicions about McConnell were raised then, and he's yet to answer them."

The records Rogers has been able to obtain indicate that McConnell enlisted in the U.S. Army in March of 1967 and was abruptly discharged four months later for a minor medical condition. His discharge was expedited by the claim that he needed to be released quickly to attend New York University. NYU records indicate that McConnell never applied to the school, and at the time of his discharge he had already earned a law degree from the University of Kentucky.

Rogers has also reviewed phone records showing a flurry of calls from the office of McConnell's patron in the U.S. Senate at the time, Senator John Sherman Cooper, in the days immediately preceding McConnell's discharge. The calls abruptly stopped shortly before McConnell was discharged.

In addition to repeatedly refusing to publicly address his military record, Senator McConnell makes no mention of his time in the service on either his Senate or campaign websites.

"Senator McConnell's story just doesn't add up," said Rogers. "I encourage him to consider facts and the truth his allies, not a problem. A speedy release of his records and openness with the public is the only thing that will help clear this matter up once and for all."

The Human Rights Campaign has given McConnell a zero rating for his anti-gay rights voting agenda in the Senate. His uneven treatment of the sex scandals of Republican Senators Larry Craig and David Vitter received a great deal of attention last year. The New York Times reported that McConnell threatened Craig with a far-reaching ethics committee investigation and embarrassing public hearings about his sexual encounters if Craig refused to resign. McConnell also stripped Craig of his positions on powerful Senate committees. Vitter, who paid for services from a female prostitute, faced no similar reprimands from the Senate Minority Leader.

SOURCE ProudofWhoWeAre.org
http://www.proudofwhoweare.org

Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Positively Aware magazine releases special World AIDS Day edition

2008-10-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Chicago, Illinois – October 23, 2008 – In commemoration of World AIDS Day, the November/December issue of Positively Aware magazine takes a look at some of the individuals who are making a difference in the fight against HIV. World AIDS Day takes place every year on December 1, with leadership as this year’s theme.

PA hears from three individuals working in the HIV community about what leadership means to them, including Stephen Lewis, author and co-director of AIDS Free World and former United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa; Julie Davids, the founding executive director of Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP); and Heidi Nass, a national HIV treatment advocate and woman living with HIV.

“Although it’s easy enough to be a self appointed leader, I believe the HIV/AIDS movement needs leaders who are effective in two ways,” says Davids, “by their actions, and by their commitment to bringing out the leadership in others.”

The issue also features a profile of YouthAIDS ambassador Seane Corn, who’s featured on the cover. Corn, a nationally celebrated yoga instructor known for her passionate, dynamic, and inspirational style of teaching that incorporates both the physical and spiritual aspects of the yoga practice, has made it her mission to educate others on the HIV/AIDS crisis, and to help reduce the fear, ignorance, and discrimination often associated with HIV/AIDS.

Also in this issue: an update from the XVII International AIDS Conference, which took place in Mexico City earlier this year; a report on what’s known—and not known—about cardiovascular disease in HIV; and a closer look at the controversy, raised by a recent statement issued by a panel of Swiss experts, on whether having undetectable HIV viral load translates to a significant reduction in the transmission of HIV.

Positively Aware is an internationally known and respected magazine devoted to HIV treatment and health. Positively Aware has a circulation of 85,000, and is published bi-monthly by Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) in Chicago. Founded in 1987, TPAN is Chicago’s oldest peer-led AIDS service organization and specializes in peer-led treatment information and support services. Visit www.tpan.com.

A Hint of Homosexuality Wins Top Publishing Honors; Book Chronicles 'Gender Ambiguity' in American Advertising

2008-10-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

RACINE, WI (10-22-08)--Professor Bruce H. Joffe's book A Hint of Homosexuality? Gay and Homoerotic Imagery in American Print Advertising (Xlibris: 2007) has been named "Winner" and best book in the Gay/Lesbian: Non-Fiction category of The National Best Books 2008 Awards competition sponsored by USA Book News.

Earlier this year, the title was honored as a Bronze Medalist in the Gay/Lesbian category of the 12th annual (2008) IPPY Awards Competition. Featuring reproductions of classic print advertisements and Joffe's tongue-in-cheek commentary, the book asserts that ideas about homosexuality can be traced in print advertisements appearing in American periodicals from as far back as a century ago.

The author examines trends, themes and advertising campaigns that, he contends, support a basis for believing romantic and/or sexual interest between members of the same sex appeared in ads published by American newspapers and magazines.

Explicit or implied, impressions of homosexuality in more than 225 advertisements published by major manufacturers, retailers, companies and well-known brands over the past hundred years or so are depicted and assessed.

Some same-sex ads are "strangely erotic while others may be silly caricatures, more burlesque than bizarre," holds Joffe. By and large, however, he says, "most tend to be snapshots of the male (and, to a lesser extent, female) convivial spirit observed in intimate conditions and circumstances."

A professor of communication at Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Cardinal Stritch University (Milwaukee, WI), Mary Baldwin College (Staunton, VA), and earlier at George Mason University (Fairfax, VA), who's focused on gay and lesbian studies, Joffe says that he has tried to temper his academic research with a more popular voice.

A Hint of Homosexuality? (Trade Paperback ISBN 978-1-4257-6466-1; also published in hard cover: ISBN 978-1-4257-6510-1) is available from all online booksellers.
Author royalties from this book benefit the Commercial Closet Association, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization working to influence the world of advertising to understand, respect and include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) references to achieve a more accepting society while achieving successful business results.

An excerpt is posted at www.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=40500. Review copies are available from the author. Contact: Bruce H. Joffe,
Telephone: 262-456-2740, E-Mail: bjoffe@mbc.edu

Bound for an independent future

2008-09-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

After nearly a decade of independent stores falling under the crushing weight of big box stores and retail Internet, IndieBound.com is bringing Main Street back to life.

Launched last week the new interactive community is packed with a variety of options to connect from the usual profile building to becoming an affiliate to banners and blinkies for blogs and Web sites and of course books, coffee spots, and other independent retailers and businesses. Memberships is free and for each favorite indie place tagged as a personal favorite or added to the site garners points towards gifts.

The American Bookseller’s Association’s expanded IndieBound.com’s, formerly BookSense.com, reach beyond bibliophiles to help people who love independent stores connect across the United States. IndieBound.com’s goals are for people to share and find independently-owned businesses by connecting indie-conscious people with local business, according to an e-mail announcement inviting members to sign up.

Some of IndieBound.com’s new features include:

· Sitewide search. Just type anything into the "Search IndieBound.org" box on the right side of every page, and away you go! This searches IndieBound.org pages, stores, community members, articles, and more.
· Manually Arrange Your Friends & Favorite Indie Stores. Now community members can sort their friends & favorite stores to appear in the order they choose. Just click on "ARRANGE/EDIT MY FAVORITES" or "ARRANGE/EDIT MY FRIENDS LIST" on your profile page.
· Stores Shared by Each Member. Each profile page (including your own) now includes a button you can click to see stores shared by that community member, as well as how many fans and reviews each has.

Got an indie retail story to share? IndieBound.com is accepting submissions until September 30 for stories about what makes independent retail so great. Stories can be submitted with "My Indie Experience" in the subject line to staff@indiebound.org.

For more information, visit IndieBound.

What is a blurb worth?

2008-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Can you put a price tag on a blurb? Apparently you can.

Blurbings LLC, a new book publishing marketing Web site, is out to “provide authors the opportunity” to obtain “acknowledgement” and “recognition” for their “creative works,” according to the company’s mission statement on its Web site.

Founded by writers, according to the Web site, Blurbings was created to ease the “arduous and costly process of book promotion.” How does Blurbings do that? By easing the weight of the cost to authors to purchase a blurb, which Blurbings’ founders estimate is between $14 and $23. Granted, it is noted printing of galleys, packaging, and mailing fees is included in this estimate.

There’s a secret to obtaining blurbs. While Rachel Donadio pointed out in the Aug. 15 New York Times Book Review essay, He Blurbed, She Blurbed, that “blurbs are more often than not from the writer’s best friends, colleagues, or teachers, or from authors who share the same editor, publisher or agent,” in the small an self-publishing world this is only partially true.

In the small and self-publishing world, blurbs cost tired eyes from pulling together a list of friends, acquaintances, and industry professionals (i.e. writers who have written similar subjects and anyone whom might benefit from the book) and finger cramps (if you work on an old typewriter or don’t know how export contacts from Outlook or Access to Excel or how to use mail merge) from typing a request to read a chapter or two of the forthcoming book, if not an entire galley, and a follow up phone call or e-mail or two to check in about receiving their esteemed commentary.

Blurbings claims to “eliminate the hassle of finding prospective authors,” but professional and even part-time writers and small publishers are already plugged into their genre and particular subject (i.e. writer’s already know who the esteemed colleagues in their niche are). So, depending on how plugged in and how technologically savvy a small publisher or self-published author is the total cost to do-it-yourself is possibly two to eight hours (just to be generous) and however much the Web and book designer charge. Cost of packaging and production, might be more expensive these days—not due to rising paper prices—but due to technology. The cost drops the more efficient and effectively the savvy small and self-published author is with utilizing resources, especially the Internet’s various fast and low-cost marketing and communication tools from e-mail to social networking sites.

Blurbings seems to be a one-time cost that isn’t integrated into the rest of the book marketing structure and tools an individual writer or small publisher should already have established or at least in the works of being established. Today’s small publisher or self-published author, if they are smart, should already be utilizing technology from print-on-demand to Internet campaigns, which are eco- and pocket book-friendly, so Blurbings founders’ jumping on the environmental bandwagon aren’t doing anything that small publishers and self-publishers haven’t been doing since desktop publishing came to the small press market, but it’s nice that they will “plant a tree” for every order of a “Seeker Package.”

Blurbings is a nice idea, but it is uncertain if it will take off. First of all, the organizers of Blurbings don’t even identify themselves, so how do writers really know Blurbings is organized by fellow writers? Second, the company doesn’t have a sample list of writers who have contributed commentary about the books currently on the site. Third, there isn’t a way to track or distinguish if the potential reviewer commenting on a book is qualified to do so. This can lead to problems, as, Donadio wrote, “Asking for blurbs—and being rejected—can lead to the kinds of hurt feelings and fallings-out more common in romance” and that is among close contacts.