DCAgenda officially launches, replacing the Blade

The new “DC Agenda” has launched. Here is the official website, with several articles. The prevailing color is one of long wavelengths, red.

There is also a second site, “Save the Blade”, (link by publisher Lynne Brown. It says “We Did It”.

The most pressing problem may be getting the archives back.

DC group will sue DC Council over denying gay marriage referendum

Well, it's back to the grind on reporting the usual LGBT political issues.

Tim Craig and Keith L. Alexander have an important story in the Washington Post Nov. 19, “Gay-marriage opponents sue to force referendum: Congress members grill D.C. officials on decision to block ballot initiative”, link here. The City Council maintains that a referendum would violate Washington DC’s Human Rights Act. But gay marriage opponents plan to sue to overturn the City Council’s ruling to deny a referendum.

Republican congressmen seem to be trying to mix up the gay marriage vote issue with the long controversial Home Rule and more recently DC statehood issue, with racial overtones, which may be less important now than they were a few decades ago. Nevertheless, African American pastors in the District and nearby suburbs (like Bishop Harry Jackson) on the theory that the nuclear family, as previously “understood”, is very important for socialization especially in the African American community. This isn’t just a matter of equality for gay couples; it affects how people not in martial relationships at all are treated, when expected to sacrifice for other family members.

The “Washington Blade” in its last issue (before becoming “DC Agenda”) had reported that the DC Council would vote on gay marriage December 1.

At the same time, Joe Davidson’s Federal Diary reports on progress in a bill to extend benefits to same –sex domestic partners of federal employees, here.

"DC Agenda" (replacing Washington Blade) plans first issue Friday Nov. 20

The “new” “Washington Blade” (in quotes) will be called “DC Agenda” and will have a first edition Friday, Nov. 20, Kevin Neff said at the gathering of the faithful tonight at Hard Rock Café in downtown Washington, on the second floor. Hors d’oeuvres were served, and at least twice the number of people as were former employees (probably many more) attended. Please follow the tweets in the “DCAgenda” Twitter account blog for up-to-date details. (Yes, if you’re a host at CNN, please follow them.)

The new name of the resurrected company seems to call to mind the gay marriage agenda before the DC City Council. It reminds me of Chris Crain’s former editorial in March 2004, “Piddle Twiddle and Resolve” (Twitter didn’t exist then), a “take no prisoners” (not even Spanish prisoners of the Steve Martin genome) on the need for full equality in gay marriage.

The gathering took place a half block from the Landmark Theater, where my “so far imaginary” movie (“Do Ask Do Tell”) would premier some day (hopefully in Auditorium 1 or 4) if I can ever pull it off.


The paper is still concerned about gaining access to its archives, as pointed out by the Washington Post. It’s hard to imagine any reason why a creditor of WindowMedia would object. What came to mind for me (when Kevin mentioned the archive issue) was an occasion in 1989 when the tiny consulting company I worked for was sold to a “white knight” and I had to go down to Richmond and bring the database (all mainframe tapes) back up I-95 in my own car, securing the company’s future (after copying them carefully). DC Agenda should talk to IP attorneys (as at Electronic Frontier Foundation) about this.


The circumstances of the collapse of the holding company remain a mystery. Normally on Wall Street you sell off the pieces of a conglomerate to pay off a debt. That’s Business Day 101 in the New York Times, every day. Maybe there is some irony. But the publishing business gets trickier all the time. I’ve covered a lot of scenarios and issues in journalism on my main blog.

According to Metro Weekly, web content for DCAgenda should show up at that name (.com) very soon (story here). I would suggest that the paper start a blog by that name on Blogger (there is none now). Other media companies do this, for example theatrical distribution company Roadside Attractions (roadsideatt.blogspot.com).

Bay Windows has an interesting take on the Window-Media implosion, here. It writes (“What does the death of the Washington Blade mean to Bay Windows readers? “) “When our community is viewed as a marketing demographic rather than a movement, the result should not be surprising. The death of Window Media was self-inflicted.”


If you have a paper copy of the "Friday the 13th" issue of the Washington Blade, hold it; there's a bounty on it.

Advocate reports on Blade, military ban, HIV blood donation issue

Well, for right now, I’m turning to The Advocate for leading edge news.

Three stories are at issue:

First, Julie Bolcer has an article “Newspaper Owner: I tried to save The Blade”, an account of Nicholas F. Benton, owner of the Falls Church News-Press to reorganize the (holding) company according to normal Chapter 11 procedures and keep the Blade and other newspapers operating. The link is here.

The November 2009 issue has a story on p 54 by Michael Joseph Gross, “Straight Guys Tell”, in which he does some on-foot reporting from Fort Lewis Washington, where he describes how homophobia used to be used as a bonding tool, but younger soldiers generally don’t find that semi-open homosexuality interferes with the esprit de corps that military unit cohesion requires, especially after early training. There is also an interview with Rep. Patrick Murphy, himself an Iraq war veteran.

On p 50 there is an article by Steven W. Trasher, “Blood, Sex and the FDA: Despite recent policy changes in other countries and technological advances in screening for HIV in donated blood, the FDA stands firm: Gay men pose far too great a risk to give blood. Will we ever be allowed to donate again?” The last words are in a red box. The window after exposure until antigen tests can reliably detect infection is down to less than one month. There are calculations and simulations, and legitimate questions as to the results of comparisons to other high-risk behaviors from heterosexuals. There are also hypothetical concerns about as yet undetected or undiscovered infectious agents, an argument that NBC science reporter Robert Bazell had made back in the 1980s.

Washington Blade rebirth seems to be shaping up quickly; meeting on Wed. night

For those who want to get the latest on the new gay paper in Washington DC, here is the Twitter address (link). Some staffers learned of the demise Monday through Twitter. The latest news (updated late Tuesday) is here. “Hope to see you 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hard Rock Cafe (999 E St, NW). We promise to make it worth the trip.” That is about one block from Landmark’s E Street Theater, which has hosted many films for Reel Affirmations.

I don't know if domain names and trademarks go away with a Chapter 7 liquidation. In this circumstance it sounds counterproductive. I wonder if it is possible for the paper to use the same name and domain after all, since there would be no business entity competing with it (by the very definition of Chapter 7 bankruptcy; it seems like a paradox).

The Washington City Paper has a photo account of the last day at the Blade, here.

The paper will not be able to use the old name, apparently. A new name has not yet been decided. But it sounds likely there will be some kind of new issue shortly after Thanksgiving.

The Washington paper did make a profit, but not enough to save the holding company.

From a financial perspective, this sort of problem was common in the late 1980s with leveraged buyouts on Wall Streets, where profitable operating companies were treated poorly to pay of the leverage of their owners. I went through that when I worked for Chilton, which was acquired by Borg-Warner and then “taken private.” But usually public companies can be carved up into “pieces” and resold. With LLC’s and private companies there is a lot more danger.

Nov. 18

Check the Washington Post editorial today "The Blade's hard times: A Washington paper provided a critical voice", link here. The editorial mentions the Blade's archives, which technically the bankruptcy judge could impound. Hopefully the court will release the archvies to the public immediately.

At least I keep all my own archives totally separately. I think I "really" do own them! Bloggers, learn a lesson from this.

The Twitter Account for the Blade changed to "DCAgenda" (it was "WashingtonBlade" before the paper closed). Again, it seems to me that the courts ought to allow them to continue using the name "Washington Blade". From a normal trademark perspective, the name is not valuable to the creditors at all. Attorneys could be working on this.

Company that owns Washington Blade, and some other gay papers, shuts down

Television station WJLA, ABC affiliate in Washington DC, reports at noon Monday Nov. 16, 2009 that the company that owns the Washington Blade is shutting down immediately. That company is Window-Media (link, no relation to Microsoft's product); and as of noon today none of the links to papers that the company owns were working; all were timing out.

The WJLA story appears to have come from the AP (by Dorie Turner) and the web url link is here.

The Washington Blade had operated since 1969, when it opened with a one-page entry.

No details are available yet as to the reasons for the shutdown, but they could well be economic.

It would sound plausible – I would say likely -- that the local papers would be able to restructure locally and continue and resume operating. That would include the Washington Blade, which is very important to the LGBT community. I will monitor this and see what I can find out, or if I could do anything about it. I’d have to get down to Lambda Rising in DC and see what is going on.

If the Blade cannot continue operations, that leaves Metro Weekly web url (link) as the major LGBT paper in the Washington DC area. As of noon Monday it did not have this news yet.

Here is a more detailed account on She-Wired, with discussion of SBA issues, by Laura Vess.

NBC Washington has a story "Washington Blade Suddenly Shuts Down; Blade's Parent Company Closes," by Jim Iovino and Abbey Lee, link here. The story predicts a new employee-owned paper.

Update: Nov. 17

The Washington Post has a front page story by Paul Schwartzman "Gay weekly Washington Blade closes: Storied 40-year-old paper among sister publications abruptly shuttered", link here.
WindowMedia's equity holder, Avalon Equity Partners, had been placed into receivershio by the Small Business Administration, and WindowMedia was forced into Chapter 7 liquidation to attempt to pay off creditors. In such sudden circumstances, a publication can be closed immediately because its physical assets are seized. That can make it even harder for employees to reopen a publication, althouugh new digital assets are much less expensive today to purchase new. It is possible for publications to close suddenly because of various kinds of legally binding events. The Window-Media website was not functioning Tuesday morning.

Catholic Archdiocese might cut social service contract with Washington DC if gay marriage bill passes

The Washington Post has an important front pages story (from its "On Faith" series) Thursday Nov. 12 by Tim Craig and Michelle Boorstein about the proposed same-sex marriage law for Washington DC. It is titled “Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum: Same-sex marriage bill, as written, called a threat to social service contracts”, with link here.

Although the bill does not require churches to perform same-sex weddings against their will, it does require faith-based social service agencies with contracts with the City, such as the Catholic Archdiocese’s Catholic Charities, to practice non-discrimination in employment and in partner benefits. The Archdiocese says it would have abandon its social service contracts. Here employment and marriage discrimination merge, in a sense. It’s not clear if the law on the books now (regarding out-of-state marriage recognition) could create similar problems.

Back in 1980, Catholic Charities in Dallas, where I lived at the time, ran a placement program for Cuban refugees, but would not accept gay men as sponsors. I recall that from a personal conversation at the Charity.

Update: Nov. 13

Metro columnist Petula Dvorak writes "Catholic officials shouldn't forsake D.C.'s poor in gay marriage fight", link here. She writes "Charities are telling our city's most vulnerable people -- homeless families, sick children, low-income mothers -- that they are willing to throw them on the table as a bargaining chip."

I recall that conversation with a representative at Catholic Charities in Dallas in 1980. He said, "the fact that you say you are gay ends the discussion." It seems that "don't ask don't tell" in other areas has been around for a long time, especially in the charitable organization world. What was the Salvation Army like in the old days?

Would legalizing gay marriage prevent gay men from trying straight marriages?

Theresa Vargas has an interesting perspective on gay marriage in the Sunday Nov. 8 Washington Post, “A quiet voice for gay marriage: legalization could avert doomed relationships, straight ex-spouses say”, link here.

The anecdotes here may be exemplified or exaggerated by the story of former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who wrote up his own experience in a book named “The Confession” (2006), while his ex-wife wrote “Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage” (2007).

ABC 20/20 had a story about three years ago to the effect that “this is happening to millions”. But back around 2003, before the Massachusetts decision in 2004, some commentators opposed both gay marriage and civil unions so that “existing marriages [with gay spouses] had a chance,” as if legalization would encourage the breakup of existing marriages.

Of course, one is left with the debate: often gay men have children in traditional marriages, for whom they remain responsible after divorce. But some people believe that everybody has a moral duty to have children if possible! Look at the Philip Longman crowd!