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Los Angeles Blade earned the top honors at the 34th GLAAD Media Awards

Newspaper honored for Excellence in LGBTQ Media, GLAAD’s Barbara Gittings Award seeks your support for Pride 2023

Los Angeles, CA – April 6, 2023 – 650 anti-LGBTQ bills, including some anti-LGBT legislative attempts here in California, are evidence of the need for credible, insightful and professional media serving the LGBTQ community. People with vested business and social interests in our local community should be proud of what we have in Los Angeles and West Hollywood with Los Angeles Blade. 

Not only is the newspaper the nation’s only LGBTQ media member of the White House Press Corps, we have also earned top Los Angeles Press Club awards as well as awards from the California Newspaper Association.

But, we are particularly proud that GLAAD, the world’s leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization, bestowed its top LGBTQ Media award, the Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media, on the Los Angeles Blade and it’s partner newspaper, the Washington Blade during a glittering and star-studded event held at the Beverly Hilton on March 30.

Los Angeles Blade, along with its sister newspaper, the Washington Blade, will also be honored at GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on May 13 at the Waldorf Astoria.

“The Los Angeles Blade is a tireless champion of LGBTQ rights and visibility,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Supporting LGBTQ media and the critical work of outlets like the LA Blade should be a top priority for brands that aim to reach and uplift the LGBTQ community. The LA Blade’s reporting has helped to shape the national conversation about our community, and their commitment to documenting queer history, breaking timely news, and telling the stories of LGBTQ people has made a real difference in the lives of countless individuals. We are honored to present them with this award.”

The Barbara Gittings Award is named after the late Barbara Gittings, a pioneering LGBTQ rights journalist and activist who was a founding member of GLAAD. The award recognizes individuals, organizations, or programs that have made significant contributions to LGBTQ media representation.

The Los Angeles Blade is LA’s only LGBTQ media, the largest LGBTQ newspaper in the state of California and online it is the nation’s most visited LGBTQ newspaper (similarweb.com, muckrack.com)  

The newspaper was founded in 2017 by veteran publisher Troy Masters in a joint venture partnership with the Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper and member of the White House Press Corps. Masters, a leader in the LGBTQ mediascape for over two decades, also founded several other influential LGBTQ publications, notably New York City’s Gay City News.

“The Los Angeles Blade is a capstone for my career and that GLAAD has noted its excellence and influential role in our community is tremendously rewarding. The rights of our community are fragile, as witnessed by the more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills that are making their way through state houses across the nation.” He added, “coupled with the extraordinary technological changes that have forever changed how media is consumed and monetized, our community’s journalism now faces an existential crisis. So, this award comes at a pivotal moment.”

Both Blade’s have won numerous awards for their journalism, including the Los Angeles Press Club’s top award for Journalist of the Year for reporter Karen Ocamb, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Excellence in Journalism Award and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award. The Blade itself and several of its journalists have also previously been recognized by GLAAD for its outstanding coverage of LGBTQ issues. 

“The award is recognition of the excellent work product coming from a highly motivated and dedicated team of journalists and contributors who value integrity and maintaining a high level of professional ethics and standards in journalism. It is my honor to guide their work as editor of the paper. I am gratified that GLAAD recognises their work which reflects the spirit of Barbara Gittings and her pioneering work as an LGBTQ+ correspondent,” said Brody Levesque

“We are honored to receive this award from GLAAD,” said Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff. “This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, who are committed to telling the stories of LGBTQ people in a fair and accurate way. We are proud to be honored by the GLAAD family, and we look forward to continuing our work to promote LGBTQ equality.”

The Washington Blade is the oldest LGBT newspaper in the world and is often referred to as America’s newspaper of record because of its storied record of  chronicling LGBTQ news locally, nationally, and internationally. The New York Times said the Washington Blade is considered “one of the most influential publications written for a gay audience.”

The Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade both publish weekly print editions that are distributed throughout their respective markets, maintain a robust social media presence and are online at losangelesblade.com and washingtonblade.com where they each host market distinct daily editorial content. Both newspapers also host numerous events throughout the year.

Additionally, the paper’s, which are for profit, operate a non-profit, Blade Foundation, that raises funds for enterprise international coverage and funds scholarships for Next Generation LGBTQ journalists and academics. You can visit bladefoundation.org to learn more.

“We are not at all shy about asking for support in the form of advertising from the community, its agencies and the corporations that have an interest in marketing to the community,” said Masters. “We especially love inventive new ideas and new approaches.”

This year for Pride Month (and beyond), Los Angeles Blade is asking for your support in the form of advertising and we are offering some really effective ways to partner with us.  

Los Angeles Blade’s media kit can be accessed here.

But we encourage you to email or text for some really important additional information.

Contact:
Troy Masters
Cell: 917-406-1619
Email: [email protected]

Los Angeles Blade covers Los Angeles and California news, politics, opinion, arts and entertainment and features national and international coverage from the Blade’s award-winning reporting team. LA’s Only Weekly LGBT Newspaper is also the City’s largest,
most frequently distributed media in print and online. We also publish Washington Blade in D.C and are  the nation’s only LGBT or alternative media  member of the White House Press Corp. Advertise with the Los Angeles Blade in print and online today!

For rates and a PDF version of the media kit please reach out to Troy Masters at [email protected].

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Troy Masters,  310.230.5266 ext. 8080
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Shana Wong Solares, 808-386-0872
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Stephen Rutgers 202.747.2077 Ext. 8077
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Phillip G. Rockstroh 202.747.2077 ext. 8092
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