Gaysweek

Gaysweek
EditorAlan Bell
CategoriesNewspaper
FrequencyWeekly
FounderAlan Bell
Founded1977 (1977)
First issueFebruary 28, 1977 (1977-02-28)
Final issue
Number		1979 (1979)
114
CompanyNew York Gay News, Inc.
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City
LanguageEnglish
Websitegaysweek.com
ISSN0145-9104
OCLC26280473

Gaysweek was an American weekly gay and lesbian newspaper published in New York City from 1977 to 1979. Considered the city's first mainstream weekly lesbian and gay newspaper, it was, at the time, one of only three weekly publications serving gay readers at the time.

History

Gaysweek was founded by Alan Bell in 1977 and was the first mainstream gay publication founded and published by an African-American. In addition to news coverage, the newspaper featured interviews, reviews, fiction, poetry, gossip, entertainment listings, regular columns, and community calendars.

Gaysweek began as an eight-page, single-color tabloid and grew into a 24-page, two-color publication during its 114-issue run. Its monthly arts supplement, Gaysweek Arts and Letters, was edited by Byrne Fone and Richard Hall.

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.

Gaysweek, June 1, 1977, Everard Baths Extra

Following the May 1977 Everard Baths fire, Gaysweek published a June 1 extra issue covering the tragedy, the community's response, and an editorial criticizing the failure to enforce building and fire safety regulations.

In 2002, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston turned over a copy of the February 12, 1979 issue of Gaysweek, in relation to a lawsuit, which included an article titled "Men & Boys" that described a meeting in Boston in which Father Paul Shanley defended a relationship between a man and a boy.

In 2015, Alan Bell was inducted into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.

Archives

A portion of Gaysweek's archives is housed in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University Library. The newspaper's surviving editorial records are also held by the Manuscripts and Archives Division of the New York Public Library as part of the International Gay Information Center Collection. The collection consists primarily of production make-up sheets with editorial corrections and printer's instructions, together with manuscripts, typescripts, press releases, mounted newspaper clippings, editorial correspondence, and book review manuscripts that document the newspaper's editorial and production process.

Notable writers

Gaysweek published fiction, essays, criticism, interviews, reviews, and commentary by writers including:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Taver, Chuck. "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.
  2. 1 2 3 Toce, Sarah (2012). "Alan Bell". Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America. By Baim, Tracy (1st. ed.). Chicago: Prairie Avenue Productions and Windy City Media Group. pp. 230–236. ISBN 978-1-4800-8052-2.
  3. ↑ Merskin, Debra L. (12 November 2019). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society. SAGE Publications. pp. 2086–. ISBN 978-1-4833-7554-0.
  4. ↑ Seabaugh, Cathy (February 1994), "BLK: Focused Coverage for African-American Gays & Lesbians", Outlines, vol. 7, no. 8, Chicago
  5. ↑ de la Croix, Sukie (1998), "What a Difference a Gay Makes: The Gay/Lesbian Movement, 5, 10, 15 & 20 Years Ago", Outlines
  6. ↑ Klara, Robert. "Before It Burned Down, This Bathhouse Served as a Haven for New York City's Gay Community". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  7. ↑ "Shanley Attended NAMBLA Meeting". Fox News. Associated Press. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "NLGJA Announces 2015 Inductees to LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame". NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists. August 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Guide to the Gaysweek Publishing Items, 1977-1978". Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Cornell University Library. Archived from the original on March 26, 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  10. ↑ https://archives.nypl.org/mss/1131

Further reading