''Velvetpark: Dyke Culture in Bloom'' is a lesbian and feminist arts and culture American

website A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wi ...

that regularly features music, literature, theater, fine arts, film, television, and social activism as it impacts

queer culture Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual mi ...

. ''Velvetpark'' also hosts a social network and dating community for lesbians and queer-identified women.

Publication history

Headquartered in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, ''Velvetpark'' was launched nationally in 2002 as a print magazine by Grace Moon. In 2005, Moon hired former ''

On Our Backs ''On Our Backs'' was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States. It ran from 1984 to 2006. Origin The magazine was first published in 1984 by Debi Sundahl ...

'' editor Diana Cage. By 2006, ''Velvetpark'' was read in nine countries, on five continents. In 2004, ''Velvetpark'' applied for the

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...

including the by-line "dyke culture in bloom". The

United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alex ...

rejected the mark on the grounds that the word "dyke" was "immoral and scandalous". In 2005, ''Velvetpark'' amended its application, to have the USPTO recognize the word "dyke" as an accepted and welcomed signifier by the lesbian community. "Velvetpark, Dyke Culture in Bloom" trademark passed in April 2006. In June 2007, ''Velvetpark'' produced its final print edition and became an online magazine, hosting text base and media rich content. In 2009, ''Velvetpark'' launched "Velvetpark Mate", an interactive online dating site that marries social networking and custom-built dating features. In 2010 ''Velvetpark'' found itself in the national spotlight when it became the home of the anonymous pieces of then- closeted

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

student Katie Miller, who became a LGBT leader in her own right and was featured on ''

The Rachel Maddow Show ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' (also abbreviated ''TRMS'') is an American liberal news and opinion television program that airs on MSNBC, running in the 9:00 pm ET timeslot Monday evenings. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained a public p ...

''. In September 2011, Grace Moon transitioned to the role of publisher and handed the editorial reins to queer scholar Marcie Bianco. The two currently oversee the site's operations, with a collection of editorial and content contributors. The site's annual "Top 25 Queer Women" list is renowned for highlighting overlooked LGBT women.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Velvetpark'''s official website
Internet properties established in 2007 Magazines established in 2002 Magazines disestablished in 2007 Online magazines published in the United States LGBT-related magazines published in the United States Feminist magazines Feminist websites Lesbian feminist mass media Lesbian-related magazines Lesbian-related websites Online magazines with defunct print editions Queer magazines Magazines published in New York City Feminism in the United States Lesbian culture in the United States Lesbian history in the United States Lesbian-related mass media in the United States Defunct women's magazines published in the United States Queer women's culture 2002 in LGBT history