Several US gay newspapers abruptly shut down

The United States’ largest gay newspaper
publisher has ceased operations, but former employees are already planning new publications to fill the void.

Window Media papers — including Atlanta’s Southern Voice, the Washington Blade, Houston Voice and the South
Florida Blade — were shut down Monday as their parent company reportedly went out of business.

Staff at the Southern Voice
arrived at work Monday morning to find the locks changed. A note taped to the
door said employees could return on Wednesday to collect their personal
belongings.

“While the 20 years of SoVo have come to an end, our civil rights movement
is only beginning,” wrote editor Laura Douglas-Brown in a message posted on
Southern Voice’s Facebook page. “I
am personally grateful to all of the staff, and to all of you who have had the

courage to share your stories. It has been the honour of my life to help you
tell them.”

Window Media’s financial troubles were widely reported, but Douglas-Brown told the Associated Press that the closure came as a shock. “We had all been told that the companies would be sold,” she told AP.

Editors at the Washington Blade continue to
update the paper’s Twitter account. Former Blade editor Kevin Naff said there
are plans to start a new gay publication in Washington — filling the void left
by the closure of the Washington Blade, which just recently celebrated its 40th
anniversary.

“The staff is united,” Naff told Politico. “We’re all together. Our first meeting
for our new venture is tomorrow morning.”

The Washington City Paper takes a look at
the final hours of the Washington Blade.