''Gay City News'' (stylized as ''gcn'') is a free weekly
LGBT newspaper based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
focusing on local and national issues relating to
LGBT community
The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ people, LGBTQ individuals united by LGBTQ culture, a common culture and LGBTQ movements, social movements. These Community, comm ...
. It was founded in 1994 as ''Lesbian Gay New York'', later ''LGNY'', and was sold to Community Media LLC, owner of ''
The Villager'', in 2002, which renamed the publication. It is the largest LGBT newspaper in the United States, with a circulation of 47,000.
Background
''Gay City News'' came into existence after several incarnations. The newspaper began to form in the late 1980s after the collapse of the LGBT newsmagazine ''
OutWeek'' (which came into existence in 1989 to compete against the then-dominant ''
New York Native''—which itself folded in 1997). ''OutWeek'' was known for firebrand activist style journalism and provided coverage of a then nascent
gay rights movement
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBTQ people in society.
Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBTQ people and their i ...
. It was one of the first publications to undertake scientific reporting on the growing
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
crisis.
After an investor squabble that closed the magazine,
Troy Masters, then an advertising director at ''OutWeek'', led the formation of a group to create a new publication; that publication became known as ''QW'' (or ''QueerWeek''), the first glossy gay magazine, and was funded by William F. Chafin. Chafin died before the publication could make a profit, and the magazine was closed upon his death.
Establishment
Two years later, in 1994, Masters sought to establish a newspaper and founded ''LGNY'' (Which stood for "Lesbian-Gay New York"). ''LGNY'' published for eight years and was relaunched in 2002 as ''Gay City News''.
Masters continued in his role as publisher until leaving the publication in 2015. He moved to Los Angeles and partnered with the ''
Washington Blade'' to launch and publish the ''
Los Angeles Blade'', now the only LGBT weekly newspaper serving Los Angeles.
Voyage LA: Meet Masters Troy
/ref>
''Gay City News'' current editor-in-chief is Paul Schindler, and the associate editor is Duncan Osborne. Its president and publisher is Victoria Schneps-Yunis.
See also
* LGBT culture in New York City
New York City has been described as the gay village, gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ political sociology, sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Br ...
References
External links
Gay City News
{{American LGBT press
Newspapers published in New York City
LGBTQ-related newspapers published in the United States
LGBTQ culture in New York City
1994 establishments in New York City
Newspapers established in 1994
1990s LGBTQ literature
1994 in LGBTQ history