Venus Becomes an Ex-Gay Magazine
Charlene Cothran, the publisher of Venus Magazine, a magazine that has targeted Black gays and lesbians for 13 years, has announced that she is now an ex-lesbian. She has changed the direction of the magazine to one that will “encourage, educate and assist those who desire to leave a life of homosexuality.â€
Back in October, Jasmyne Cannick posted the “10 ways to get out of ‘the life'” Cothran included in an issue of Venus and on the magazine’s website.
as a black lesbian i almost never see myself reflected in mainstream media, and i’ve come to an uneasy acceptance with that. what is worse, in my eyes, is the dearth of images and information pertaining to my sensibilites in gay media. venus was one of the few magazines that spoke to all the facets of my being. i could relate to the articles and SEE people like myself who were queer and fostered in the same african-american milieu i was. while i have a plethora of criticisms for the ex-gay movement and why it ultimately fails, i respect ms. cothran’s decision to do what she wants with her life. what i feel positively anguished about is the loss of venus magazine from the same-gender loving Black community and the queer community at large, who oftentimes needs to be reminded that we exist. i wonder if ms. cothran’s disparate beliefs from the original concept of the magazine could have been resolved by her handing the reins of the magazine over to someone queer, and starting another “ex-gay” publication. i guess its all conjecture now. in any case, i wish ms. cothran luck with her new life and i hope that other people continue to create magazines that reflect everyone in the queer rainbow.
What incredibly sad news! It’s one thing to decide that you’ve found a sexuality that better fits your – it’s a whole other to try to convince others to do the same.