(What’s happening at your publication? Let us know. Email editor Fred Kuhr at editor@presspassq.com)

BAY AREA REPORTER, based in San Francisco, entered its 55th year of publication with its January 2, 2025, issue.

THE LOS ANGELES BLADE announced the appointment of new publisher ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ. He has a long background in queer media and business development in Los Angeles. He has worked as a lead writer and podcast host for METROSOURCE and GED magazines; content director for FleshBot Gay; and as host and producer for the ON THE ROCKS podcast. On the business side, Rodriguez spent years working in business development in the banking industry throughout Los Angeles. He started in his new role on February 3, 2025. Rodriguez is the newspaper’s second publisher following the unexpected death of founding publisher Troy Masters in December.

RAFAEL MANDELMAN, a former columnist for the SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES, was unanimously elected as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on January 8, 2025. He was first elected to the board in 2018.

MONTROSE STAR, based in Houston, Tex., entered its 15th year of publication with its January 2025 issue.

NEWS IS OUT, a consortium of LGBTQ media outlets, has launched a new weekly political column. It is released every Friday at newsisout.com.

OUTSFL, based in Wilton Manors, Fla., has won three awards  from Florida Press Club’s annual Excellence in Journalism including first place in Headline Writing and Editorial Cartooning. STEVE ROTHAUS, a former reporter and editor from the Miami Herald, won second place for Serious Features.

PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS entered its 49th year of publication with its January 3, 2025, issue. The newspaper also presented its second annual LGBTQ+ Senior Summit on February 20, 2025.

PRESS PASS Q, the only trade publication for professionals working in LGBTQ media, entered its 27th year of publication with its April 2025 issue.

RON WILLIAMS, former photographer for San Francisco’s BAY AREA REPORTER, passed away on January 10, 2025, in an assisted living facility Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 81. He is survived by his husband HOWARD RUSSO.

WINDY CITY TIMES, based in Chicago, announced that ANNA DESHAWN, founder and CEO of E3 RADIO and THE QUBE, will serve as newsletter coordinator for BLACKLINES, which covers the city’s Black LGBTQ community. LU CALZADA, a fellow with Windy City Times through Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism’s Local News Accelerator and a digital equity fellow with COMCAST NBCUNIVERSAL, will serve as newsletter coordinator for EN LA VIDA, which covers the city’s Latin LGBTQ community.

TRANSITIONS AND MILESTONES
Volume 27
Issue 1