by Joe Siegel

Lavender Magazine, which has served the Minneapolis metropolitan area’s LGBTQ community for 31 years, ceased publication with its June 25, 2026, issue.

Barry Leavitt, former vice president of sales and marketing, told Minnesota Public Radio that staff were informed on June 24, 2026, that the publication was shutting down.

“As the longest tenured employee, I’ve enjoyed the relationships I’ve built with clients and within the LGBTQ+ community,” Leavitt told MPR. “I hope in a small way that I’ve helped make life better for our community.”

Publisher Stephen Rocheford explained the reasons for the shutdown in an editorial published at the end of June, stating that the magazine’s goals had been achieved.

“When Lavender published its first issue on June 9, 1995, there were virtually no gay rights in the United States and in Minnesota,” Rocheford wrote. “However, with the passage of time and in short order, history marched on and Lavender beat the drum for equality in Minnesota. The U.S. Supreme Court made national law and gays achieved marriage rights nationally on June 26, 2015, in Obergefell v Hodges. It was a fitting moment to celebrate Lavender’s 20th anniversary. Today Lavender is 31 years old and the rights have been uniformly achieved and systematized. Gays can go into any restaurant or bar as a group, have dinner, drinks, and no one would say another word. We have arrived!!!”

Rocheford added, “The goals for Lavender’s founders have been achieved. It is now time to say goodbye as we have achieved the purpose for which we were created. The dark bars and secret hangouts of gays of 30+ years ago were the only places for us then; but not now. We can go anywhere and be just like everyone else who goes out with friends. The community has mostly grown up.”

“Lavender comes to the logical end after the achievement of its objectives. It’s been a good run and a good time,” Rocheford concluded. “But now it is time to move on. We will not hang on, just because. We are moving on to newer, bigger and better ventures. History will not stand still; neither will we.”

This may not be the end of the Lavender brand, however. In a footnote published at the end of the editorial, Rocheford wrote that Lavender Media Inc. “continues to explore and consider options for transitioning the brand into a new phase. While there are no immediate plans to continue the publication in its current format, Lavender Media Inc. continues to consider future opportunities to utilize its brand across a variety of related goods, services, and media formats. Lavender Media maintains full and exclusive ownership of all trademarks and intellectual property rights associated with Lavender Magazine.”

He added, “Lavender Media reserves all rights to utilize these marks for future business ventures and will take all necessary legal steps to protect its brand identity against unauthorized use or infringement.”

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