Lavender Magazine ending publication after 31 years covering Minnesota's LGBTQ+ community
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(FOX 9) - A longtime voice for Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ community is closing its final chapter, printing its last publication following a more than three-decade run.
Lavender Magazine publication ending
What we know:
Lavender Magazine, founded by George Holdgrafer and Stephen Rocheford, published its first issue on June 9, 1995, and has been a biweekly staple in the community ever since.
The magazine featured stories about LGBTQ+ Minnesotans, guides to Pride weekend, and coverage of community events, often appearing alongside other local publications on Minneapolis newsstands spanning a total of 710 editions.
What they're saying:
"When Lavender published it[s] first issue, there were virtually no gay rights in the United States and in Minnesota," Lavender Media, Inc. President and CEO Stephen Rocheford said in a social media post. "However, with the passage of time and in short order, history marched on and Lavender beat the drum for equality in Minnesota… Today Lavender is 31 years old and the rights have been uniformly achieved and systematized. Gays can go into any restaurant or bar as a group, have dinner, drinks, and no one would say another word. We have arrived!!!"
The magazine’s 20th anniversary lined up with the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, a milestone Rocheford highlighted as a turning point for the community.
Lavender’s impact on Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ community
Dig deeper:
Supporters of the publication took to social media comments in droves to say that Lavender Magazine’s presence helped document and support decades of progress for LGBTQ+ rights in Minnesota, from a time with "virtually no gay rights" to today.
The news of the magazine’s end comes just days before Pride weekend kicks off in the Twin Cities, marking the end of an era as festivities kick off.
The Source: Information provided in a press release by Lavender Media, Inc. and a social media post by CEO Stephen Rocheford.