© John Gress QUEST PUBLISHER WELCOMES WISCONSIN GAZETTE Outbound have held firm that our sexuality is a huge part of what defines us. In removing that, you remove what defines us “gay” in the first place. More local content has been our mantra for years. People have told us they get most of the LGBT national news stories from the regular news outlets including TV, radio, newspapers and es - pecially, the internet. Quest being a bi-monthly This past week at the does not come out frequently enough to be first to report these things. There are however, few if same time we learned any sources for things that happen in our Wis - Washington DC’s The consin communities that interest us, and here is an area where we can be strong. We make a con - Blade folded along scious effort to report all the local happenings big with several “Southern” and small we can get information about. We give back to the community in a financial publications and others way too. We have great advertising prices. Our owned by Windows Media, prices are really CHEAP! There, I said it. These low prices make some of our operating choices Wisconsin got a fourth more difficult, but they also make even a small LGBT publication know as LGBT owned business able to afford to advertise. Wisconsin Gazette . On top of that, we have donated advertising to not for profit organizations that total in the thou - The first issue looks great and it is an moment to highlight what I feel are some of our sands just in this year alone. We have donated important development for Wisconsin’s LGBT greatest strengths, how we differ from the other advertising and in some cases actual dollars to community because the more choices offered, publications in Wisconsin and why I am proud organizations every year we have been around. the more informed the community becomes. to be a part of this community. Quest and Outbound use photographers and Wisconsin Gazette joins Quest and Outbound First and foremost is the idea that all of Wis - the writing talents of LGBT people who live and both published by myself and also the excellent consin’s LGBT community is important, not just work all over Wisconsin. We have only one col - Our Lives which hails from Madison. the biggest city and the state capital. I live in umn, The Dating Diet, that is contributed by some - Don’t mourn the Blade too much because the Green Bay and owned a popular bar in that com - one out of state. People who live in Milwaukee, staff of the former paper stepped up to the plate munity. I saw first hand that lack of exposure in Madison, Green Bay, and even upstate in Superior and launched a replacement called DC Agenda the media made it hard to improve the lives of contribute to the pages of Outbound and Quest immediately. Once again control of this impor - LGBT people in my city. Quest was founded on every issue. All these people who are an active part tant news source is in the hands of local owners. the belief that all Wisconsin cities needed and de - of our community add their own personal perspec - Quest is turning 17 after three more issues, and served access to the media that serves our market. tive in the news or commentary they write. there are a few changes coming that have been Taking that one more step, not only do all Wis - Quest and Outbound are a labor of love and planned for a while now. One is with our website consin communities need our support, so does the you can obviously see I think we do a great job www.quest-online.com which remains Wiscon - diversity within the community. Quest is proud of with our two papers. That doesn’t mean we can sin’s highest ranked LGBT website for some time our history of including members from many provide everything for everyone and make them now. Other changes will affect our print edition, groups including female impersonators, transgen - all happy. Wisconsin is fortunate to have another but more on that as they come about. Fortunately dered, leather/fetish as well as men and women. choice in the Wisconsin Gazette. I hope people Quest and Outbound will not meet the same fate At the same time other LGBT newspapers re - will support and nurture all the Wisconsin LGBT as Windows Media as we continue to publish moved adult content making the papers more ac - media and be thankful we have them. during these challenging times. cessable to the straight community (and more Mark Mariucci, Publisher Coming up to our 17th year, I want to take a available for those ad dollars) Quest and NATION’S LARGEST GAY PUBLISHER SHUTS DOWN Staffers At Washington Blade Resurrect Venerable Weekly As DC Agenda Washington, DC - America’s largest publisher of cluding the Advocate , one of the nation’s longest- newspapers serving the gay and lesbian community running magazines, are facing closure,”Evans added. has closed its doors. Window Media LLC abruptly An October 30 post by Queerty blogger David announced that it was shutting down and all of its Hauslaib called the troubled gay newsmagazine “ a newspapers have ceased publication. The offices of sinking ship,” citing that an estimated 13 staffers Atlanta’s Southern Voice , the Houston Voice , the were let go, including the magazine’s managing ed - South Florida Blade and the Washington Blade were itor and 15-year veteran John Jameson. Queerty also shuttered November 16. claimed the Advocate would become an insert in Re - Window Media LLC’s publications included some gent Media’s monthly gay lifestyle imprint Out . of the oldest, largest and most influential LGBT pe - Regent Media’s Stephen Macias responded that the riodicals in the United States. Its flagship publica - Advocate’s staff “had not been gutted,” as Queerty tion, the Washington Blade had just celebrated its claimed and would continue as a “stand alone im - 40th anniversary and had a weekly circulation of print.” Macias did not address Queerty’s insert claim 23,000. Southern Voice had been published for 21 in his statement. years and had a circulation of 100,000. Quest , however, has confirmed that the Advocate will Along with its periodicals, Windows Media LLC’s be reduced to an insert following a final newsstand Washington offices were locked and a brief state - edition. Outwords owner Carl Szatmary told Quest ment was posted: “It is with great regret that we that the distributor for the Advocate has advised that must inform you that effective immediately, the op - a final double issue has been mailed to subscribers erations of Window Media LLC and Unite Media LLC and will be available for individual purchase at the have closed down.” bookstore later this month. “I have been told that’s The Washington Blade also followed up on the last issue that will be available,” he said. Twitter: “The Washington Blade , like all Win - The loss of the Windows Media publications dow Media publications, is closing today. and the downsizing of the venerable Advocate Thank you for your support. (Keep following continue a year-long pattern of recession-fu - us for developments.)” The city’s other gay eled demise among gay print media. In June, newspaper - Washington Metro - continues to Out’s main lifestyle competitor Genre ceased publish. publication. In July the New York Blade and By week’s end the staff of the Washington Great Britain’s Pink Paper , the country’s only Blade had announced a new publication to re - gay newspaper, also stopped the presses for place what many consider the national gay good. community’s “paper of record”: the DC The recession has been tough on the main - Agenda. stream press as well. The Seattle Post-Intelli - According to a press release from the staff, gencer , the Ann Arbor News , the Chicago after Monday’s shuttering, 17 former employees advertising in our new venture,” Brown said. “We Sun-Times and Madison’s Capital Times have all “vowed to not miss” the November 20 production also would like to invite readers to visit our new ceased all or some of their print editions. December of the news weekly. news website at: www.dcagenda.com and our tem - will mark the final editions of the veteran fine dining “Today they delivered on that promise,” the press porary support website at www.savetheblade.com. magazine Gourmet and wedding planner favorite release touted. “At 9:30 AM this morning the pub - “We are thrilled with what we achieved this week. Modern Bride . Layoffs and staff reductions have win - lication that will replace the Washington Blade – DC This early iteration of our new newspaper is modest nowed staffs at the New York Times , Boston Globe Agenda - hit the streets. As demonstrated in the but…we did it! And we look forward to doing it and newspaper giants Gannett and McLatchy pub - first issue, the new publication provides critical cov - again next week,” Brown concluded. lications. erage of local and national LGBT issues along with The closure of Windows Media LLC reflects prob - In the face of such dire news for print publications, much needed community news.” lems also evident in both the mainstream media and an out-of state gay media firm has set its eyes on the “The power and effectiveness of the Washington with other national gay publications such as The Ad - Milwaukee market. Editorially backed by the Chicago Blade did not die with the name,” Agenda publisher vocate .