We publishers get many invitations. One invitation that surprised me this week seemed to be a plea for normalcy in these troubling times often labeled a culture war. Spoiler alert: the invitation came from what has become the front lines of this culture war: Florida, the state that its governor, Ron Desantis, proudly says “is […]
Author Archives: Mark Segal
Mark Segal is the founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News.
Posted inCommentary
The news never stops
Those of us who report the news affecting the LGBTQ+ community can often feel whiplashed. In my 48 years in LGBTQ+ news, I can’t remember many moments when there weren’t many important and exhausting stories happening at once. It seems we never have a moment to process one issue when another comes along. For me, […]
Posted inCommentary
A new year and a new era of LGBTQ+ journalism
A new year brings with it the attempt to keep your New Year’s resolutions and start new projects. For me, there are no new resolutions, since years ago it became apparent that any resolutions I made usually didn’t make it through January, much less the entire calendar year. But there is that second item, new […]
Posted inTop Stories
Who gets to define family values?
When President Barack Obama gave his second inaugural speech Jan. 21, 2013, the part that had me in tears was when he said, “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths –- that all of us are created equal –- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our […]
Posted inArts and Entertainment
Did “Bros” fail at the box office because it didn’t market to the LGTBQ+ community?
Believe it or not, you made it through another year. But wait, it’s not that time of year yet, right? There’s Halloween and Thanksgiving and, gee, something called the Midterm Elections to get through. If you don’t believe this columnist, turn on the Hallmark Channel. They’ve already started the holiday romantic comedy festival, and when […]
Posted inOpinion
Queer media is here to help combat anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination
Nobody understands the LGBTQ+ community like LGBTQ+ media. Bringing people the news and opinions from our various local LGBTQ publications is what News Is Out is all about. We show you the beating heart of what drives and impacts LGBTQ people. We inform you of your rights and alert you to those trying to take […]
Posted inFeatured
Why is there LGBTQ+ media? One word: information
Take monkeypox, for example, specifically its relationship to our community. LGBTQ+ media reports a depth and breadth of information you won’t get from mainstream media. We immediately understood the impact monkeypox would have on the LGBTQ+ community and began writing about it and taking it seriously much earlier than mainstream media. The reason is that […]
Posted inOpinion
Can the original Gay Pride be reclaimed?
In the political upheaval that is reshaping our society, including the LGBTQ+ community, there seems to be a national movement to “reclaim” Pride. This movement has taken various forms around the nation: marches being led by queer youth and people of color. Dyke and trans marches. It’s taken different shapes in multiple cities.