As reported today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Georgia Voice, the region’s premier LGBTQ+ news outlet, has become part of the Rough Draft Atlanta media family. I am excited to take the helm and bring readers the news and features they need as we move forward into the uncertain next four years.
Under its new ownership, the Georgia Voice will publish a free, monthly print edition that is distributed at more than 130 locations across metro Atlanta, while also bolstering its digital presence through the Rough Draft platform. We will also continue to publish the annual Destination Gay travel guide.
In January 2025, the Georgia Voice will launch a new weekly newsletter authored by my colleague Dyana Bagby, Rough Draft staff writer and former editor of Southern Voice, a precursor to the Georgia Voice. (Subscribe to our newsletters here.)
While data shows that LGBTQ+ audiences are digital-first consumers, there remains a powerful space for targeted, local print and digital publications that reflect the unique needs and perspectives of our community. Our mission is to ensure the Georgia Voice remains a trusted resource that connects the newsroom to the community, from breaking news to in-depth features that celebrate our culture, amplify our voices, and advocate for equality.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am hyperaware that we will face new and uncertain challenges after Jan. 20.
The Republican party used LGBTQ people – especially the trans community – as a divisive and fearmongering wedge issue in the divisive presidential election. There are legitimate fears about medical care, marriage, and other hard-won rights being stripped away by the incoming administration. At least one member of the Supreme Court has expressed his interest in overturning Obergefell vs. Hodges, the landmark decision that made same-sex marriage the law of the land.
Georgia Voice will offer news, opinion, and features for and about the LGBTQ+ community in the state. We’re not going to shy away from the politics and decisions being made at both a state and national level that will affect the readers who depend on us. We will welcome letters and editorials to express a wide range of opinions and views in the Voice’s pages.
I began my journalism career at the age of 16 in 1986 with my first published work in the Atlanta Journal-Consitution. I’ve been the editor of our sister publication Atlanta Intown for 22 years and, as of 2021, the editor of Rough Draft’s portfolio of publications. While other kids wanted to be firemen or astronauts or doctors, I never wanted to be anything but a journalist. News and facts continue to matter, no matter how many voices try to demonize the media. Being informed will never be more important as we move into 2025.
Having lived through the AIDS pandemic and been a frequent presence and voice at marches and protests over the last 35 years, this ain’t my first time at the rodeo. The water might seem deep, but my goal is to continue to make Georgia Voice a lighthouse in the storm.