Gaysweek
Gaysweek was a weekly gay and lesbian newspaper based in New York City printed from 1977 until 1979. Considered the city's first mainstream weekly lesbian and gay newspaper, it was founded by Alan Bell in 1977 as an 8-page single-color tabloid and finished its run in 1979 as a 24-page two-color publication. It featured articles, letter, art and poetry. It was, at the time, only one of three weekly publications geared towards gay people. It was also the first mainstream gay publication published by an African-American (Alan Bell).[1][2][3][4]
| Editor | Alan Bell |
|---|---|
| Categories | Newspaper |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Founder | Alan Bell |
| Year founded | 1977 |
| First issue | February 28, 1977 |
| Final issue Number | 1979 104 |
| Company | New York Gay News, Inc. |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | New York City |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 0145-9104 |
| OCLC | 26280473 |
Background
Gaysweek was New York City's first mainstream weekly lesbian and gay newspaper.[5][6] It was founded by Alan Bell in 1977. Gaysweek began as an 8-page single-color tabloid and when it ceased publication in 1979 after 104 issues, it had grown to a 24-page two-color publication. Its monthly arts supplement, Gaysweek Arts and Letters, was edited by Byrne Fone. During its run, it was one of only three gay weeklies in the world and the only mainstream gay publication owned by an African American. A portion of Gaysweek archives are housed at Cornell University Library, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.[7]
Although it was eventually granted, Gaysweek's application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for registration of the Gaysweek trademark, was opposed by Newsweek, Inc. because, according to attorneys for the publication, they are similar "both phonetically and in appearance." Newsweek later sued Gaysweek for trademark infringement.[8]
Gaysweek made news briefly in 2002, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, in relation to a lawsuit filed against it by the attorney of a man who accused Boston-based Father Paul Shanley of repeated rape, turned over a copy of the February 12, 1979 issue of Gaysweek which included an article titled "Men & Boys" that described a meeting in Boston in which Shanley defended a relationship between a man and a boy.[9]
Contributors
Notable writers
See also
- LGBT culture in New York City
- Out Front Colorado, the third oldest independent LGBT publication in the United States, as well as the second oldest in circulation (1976)
- Bay Area Reporter, the second oldest in circulation (1971)
- Washington Blade, the oldest independent U.S. LGBT publication in circulation (1969)
Defunct
- Gay Community News (Boston) (published 1973–1992 in Boston)
References
- Debra L. Merskin (12 November 2019). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society. SAGE Publications. pp. 2086–. ISBN 978-1-4833-7554-0.
- Seabaugh, Cathy (February 1994). "BLK: Focused Coverage for African-American Gays & Lesbians". Chicago Outlines.
- Chestnut, Mark (June 1992). "BLK: Getting Glossy". Island Lifestyle.
- "The Living Room". Matt & Andrej Koymasky. June 28, 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
- Chuck Taver. "African-Americans in the LGBT Community". Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Outreach Office. Marshall University. Archived from the original on 30 June 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- "Alan Bell". Matt & Andrej Koymasky Home. Matt & Andrej Koymasky. 28 June 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- "Guide to the Gaysweek Publishing Items, 1977-1978". Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Cornell University Library. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- Sukie de la Croix (1998). "What a Difference a Gay Makes: The Gay/Lesbian Movement, 5, 10, 15 & 20 Years Ago". Outlines. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
- "Shanley Attended NAMBLA Meeting". Fox News. FOX News Network, LLC. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2015.