The Advocate Denies Report Of 'Gutted' Masthead, Downsizing

The Advocate brand will also expand, as previously announced, to include a
monthly hour-long television magazine that will be broadcast on our sister
brands here! TV and Gay.com and of course on Advocate.com. We are currently
in production, and on schedule, for the show's February launch. Modeled
after CBS's tremendously esteemed 60 Minutes, this program will explore the
critical issues of the day through the Advocate lens.

All Advocate subscribers will continue to receive their print editions of
the magazine, and editor in chief Jon Barrett (who is still employed with
the company despite an earlier Queerty report that he had been fired) has
been promoted to Advocate editorial director–overseeing all expressions of
extensions of the brand.

With regard to HIV Plus magazine, it will continue to be published under the
leadership of editor in chief Michael Edwards. In fact, while Queerty was
propagating this inaccurate story, our staff was working closely with AIDS
Project Los Angeles in preparation for a fundraiser for the group (in
conjunction with HIV Plus) at the home of our CEO Paul Colichman.

Speaking of Mr. Colichman and our chairman, Stephen Jarchow. These two men
have invested a great deal of time, energy, and resources not only into
building a vibrant, collaborative workplace but into rebuilding, sustaining,
and growing some of our community's most important brands. Mr. Jarchow has
passed on his commitment to the LGBT community to his lesbian daughter, Boo,
who in addition to working at The Advocate and on Shewired.com, was an
instrumental young leader in organizing last month's March on Washington. I
hope other young people follow her good example as we all need to part of
the solution for LGBT equality. One final note on your personal attacks: Mr.
Colichman takes great umbrage to the characterization that he prances around
the office; he pictures himself much more as an optimistic skipper. We have
that from "multiple sources."

Here Media continues to evolve and integrate its many properties with care
and respect in challenging times. In fact, The Advocate–throughout its four
decades of service–is a great model when it comes to embracing change. It
began in 1967 as a mimeographed newsletter, evolved into a broadsheet
newspaper, transitioned into a tabloid, and then blossomed in its current
glossy iteration. The Advocate will continue to grow–especially online and
on air–while maintaining its high standards in print.

On Wednesday, thousands of Advocate readers went to Advocate.com to watch
live video coverage of long-overdue passage of the Matthew Shepard and James
Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. No other news site in the world thought
the moment was important enough to cover live, but The Advocate did–and the
Advocate will continue to do so. ***

Stephen Macias