With the news that leading LGBT+ website, Gay Star News has ceased to trade we look at some of the other sites that no longer exist.
It’s not just LGBT+ venues that are closing at an astonishing rate, gay media is also under threat with many sites, unfortunately shuttering. Here are a few that no longer exist or haven’t been updated in a long time.
Gay Star News
Gay Star News was an LGBT+ news site which opened in 2012. It was co-founded by Tris Ried-Smith and Scott Nunn. In ran into financial troubles and closed in 2019 leaving 20 staff without jobs. It was unable to make its last payroll leaving the staff without pay for their work.
Puffta
Puffta was an online lifestyle site which ran from the early noughties. Although the domain still exists it hasn’t been updated in years.
AXM
AXM magazine was a printed and online magazine which ceased printing in 2008. It was turned into an online-only venture but only one issue was ever created. Although the website was updated sometime after the last issue, the news site no longer exists.
G3
Part Square Peg Media group, g3 was a lesbian and bi women’s magazine. It was launched in 2001 by Lisa Knight and Sarah Garrett but ceased trading in 2013.
Out In The City
Another of Square Peg Media’s products which was created in 2007, but ceased to print in mid-2014. While the website is still online it has not been updated in quite some time.
SoSoGay
SoSoGay was a website that launched in 2009 and was a culture review heavy. It took a “hiatus” in the latter part of the 2010 and never really came back. It was seemingly spun off on to a website called Gayist, but that no longer exists either. It may still return – and when it does the LGBT+ reviews category will have gained a valuable resource.
Into
Into was the world’s largest, by hits, LGBT+ news brand, owned by the dating app, Grindr. It was closed abruptly in early 2019 – without notice. Grindr bosses say they wanted Into to become a “video-first” digital property.
Polari Magazine
PolariMagazine.com is still online, but it hasn’t been updated since 2014 when the site ceased to upload any new articles on its sixth birthday. As a way of explaining the site’s founder, Christopher Bryant wrote, “the way that we use the internet has changed, and the way that people obtain information from it has evolved. The idea of a magazine website is not the same as it was even 3 years ago”.
I’m Playing Out
I’mPlayingOut.com was a small but informative gay website which was around for a few years in the early to mid-2010s.
AfterElton.com
AfterElton was an American website aimed at gay and bi men, which launched in 2005. It was in 2013 that the site changed its name to The Back Lot. TheBackLot didn’t last too long as it was taken over by NewNowNext.com in 2015, which is unavailable for readers in EU countries.
TheBackLot.com
Was a shortlived gay news website which was taken over by the Logo owned, NewNowNext.com in 2015.
The Pink Paper
Pink Paper was a printed and online news brand which finally closed in 2012. It was founded in the late 80s – but its printed edition closed in 2009. It was owned by the Milrves Prowler group, which also no longer exists.
HisKind
An LGBT+ news site and magazine that was set up by Dean Eastmond, who sadly passed away in 2017. Although his magazine continued for a while after his death, the site and related social medias haven’t been updated since June 2018
Do you know of any more? Send us an update: newsdesk (@) thegayuk.com
