Gaysweek
Encyclopedia
Gaysweek was New York City's first mainstream weekly lesbian
and gay
newspaper
. 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, Gaysweek 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.
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."
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.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. 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, Gaysweek 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.
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."
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
Paul Shanley
Paul Richard Shanley , is an American laicized priest who was accused and convicted of raping a child. He served at St. Jean's Parish in Newton, Massachusetts and was a prominent figure in the Boston clergy sex abuse scandal....
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.
Notable writers
- Eric BentleyEric BentleyEric Bentley is a critic, playwright, singer, editor and translator. He became an American citizen in 1948, and currently lives in New York City...
- Perry Brass
- Robert ChesleyRobert ChesleyRobert Chesley was a playwright, theater critic and musical composer....
- Daniel CurzonDaniel CurzonDaniel Curzon is the pen name of Daniel R. Brown. He is the author of Something You Do in the Dark, first published by G. P. Putnam in 1971 and which may be considered as one of the first gay protest novels...
- Martin DubermanMartin DubermanMartin Bauml Duberman is an American historian, playwright, and gay-rights activist. He is Professor of History Emeritus at Lehman College and the Graduate School of the City University of New York and was the founder of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at the CUNY Graduate School...
- Harvey FiersteinHarvey FiersteinHarvey Forbes Fierstein is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and originating the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the...
- Robert PatrickRobert Patrick (playwright)Robert Patrick is a gay American playwright, poet, lyricist, and short-story writer and novelist. He was born Robert Patrick O'Connor in Kilgore, Texas, USA.-Personal life:...
- Felice PicanoFelice PicanoFelice Picano is an American writer. He graduated cum laude from Queens College in 1964 with English department honors. He founded SeaHorse Press in 1977, and The Gay Presses of New York in 1981 with Terry Helbing and Larry Mitchell; he was Editor-in-Chief there. He was an editor and writer for...
- David Rothenberg
- Edmund WhiteEdmund WhiteEdmund Valentine White III is an American author and literary critic. He is a member of the faculty of Princeton University's Program in Creative Writing.- Life and work :...
- George WhitmoreGeorge Whitmore- Biography :George Whitmore lived in Manhattan.He was a member of The Violet Quill, the Gay Academic Union and the Gay Men's Health Crisis.Alongside his novels and non-fiction work, he wrote for the New York Times Magazine,the Advocate, the New York Native, and Christopher Street.- Bibliography...
See also
- Out Front ColoradoOut Front ColoradoOut Front Colorado is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender newspaper in the Denver metropolitan area. Out Front Colorado was founded by Phil Price with its first issue hitting the stands on April 2, 1976...
, the third oldest independent LGBT publication in the United States, as well as the second oldest in circulation (1976) - Bay Area ReporterBay Area ReporterThe Bay Area Reporter is a free weekly newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities in the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the oldest-continuously published, and one of the largest LGBT newspapers in the United States....
, the second oldest in circulation (1971) - Washington Blade, the oldest independent U.S. LGBT publication in circulation (1969)