by Patrick Farabaugh
(Patrick Farabaugh is the founder and publisher of Our Lives, based in Madison, Wisc. The following Publisher’s Note was published in the magazine’s January/February 2024 issue and is reprinted below with permission.)

You’re holding our 100th issue. As the founder and publisher of Our Lives, since the very first issue in July of 2007, it feels unreal to be able to say that we’ve made it to 100. At only six print issues a year, it’s taken 16.5 years to get here. It’s a milestone that in the early years I genuinely wasn’t sure we’d ever reach.

When the first issue of Our Lives came out, we were only months away from the Great Recession of 2008-09. Every issue was a struggle and an achievement when it hit readers’ hands. Through the highs and lows over the years — from achieving marriage equality to surviving the pandemic — that this magazine exists is never something I’ve taken for granted. Often I worry that readers are unaware of how fragile it is, and even as the last institutional LGBTQ media in our state, how quickly it could go away.

It’s always been my mission that Our Lives magazine serves as a voice, a crossroads, and a lighthouse for LGBTQ Wisconsinites. None of this would have ever been possible without the support of so many who’ve either believed in that mission or in me. So many have lent their talents and support, and it humbles me every day. I hold in the highest regard the trust that our community has placed in Our Lives as a conduit for sharing our stories and keeping us connected.

Over 100 issues, we’ve struggled together, celebrated together, and perhaps most importantly: We’ve grown together. I decided to use the last page of this issue as a tribute to this milestone. On it, you’ll be able to revisit all 100 of our covers, and hopefully some will spark special memories and a perspective of how much we’ve shared and been there for each other since you welcomed this little engine that could into your lives. Thank you.

GUEST COMMENTARY
Volume 26
Issue 1