Lesbian support blog AfterEllen to shut down after 14 years.
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| Photo Credit: Pride |
AfterEllen began in 2002 and was named after Ellen DeGeneres. The Editor-In-Chief of the site, Trish Bendix, confirmed the sad news on Tumblr, saying:
"Here are the facts: Evolve Media purchased AfterEllen from Viacom two years ago. They gave us two fiscal years to become their LGBT property and profit in that space, and they found we are not as profitable as moms and fashion. And, yes, ‘they’ are mainly white heterosexual men, which is important to note because not only is this the story for us, but for a lot of other properties—large-scale media outlets, lesbian bars out-priced by neighborhoods they helped establish, housing in queer meccas like Portland that is being turned into condos and AirBnBs. At the very same time, queer women and culture is being celebrated on the Emmys, in the legalization of both mothers being included on their newborn’s birth certificate, and our namesake, Ellen DeGeneres, being one of the most well-known, well-liked and undeniably profitable television and lifestyle personalities of our generation. Evolve has decided to keep the site and its archives alive for now, with a promise of periodically publishing freelance pieces in the future. I am not sure what that will look like, as Friday is also my last day, after 10 years of contributing writing and eventually coming on to work full time as a blog editor, then managing editor, and, for the last two years, as Editor in Chief. And even though mainstream visibility has grown and larger publications have verticals now where they focus some of their attentions on LGBTs, AfterEllen was still the one place completely dedicated to queer women in media, entertainment, pop culture and our depictions therein. We are frequently cited, linked to, asked for comment and utilized as a resource for those who find us to be the only place that has, for so long, been the authority on ourselves. So what now? I can only hope that Evolve will continue to keep the site alive for the AE archives as promised for as long as the internet exists. There are so many stories that only exist on our site that could never be replicated elsewhere; the hard work and voices of so many queer women. As for me, I’ve been working on a novel for the past three years I’m hoping to find a publisher for as well as non-fiction book that is very closely related to the kinds of things you’d find on AfterEllen. I’ve also started to dip my toe into television writing and will continue my advocacy for LGBTs and women, no matter where I end up next."Owners of the site have stated that readers can still access the site and all of the content. New content, however, will not be produced.
My Two Cents
AfterEllen came onto my radar when I was in college (I was in college from 2001 to 2005. I think I first went onto that site in 2003 or 2004). It really helped me when I was going through a tough time. It is definitely an incredible source for queer women who need a safe place for support. I'm sad that there won't be anymore regular content, but I hope that the archive content will stay online for years to come. While great strides have been made in our culture, we still have a long way to go. We need a place to go for advice and support.
AfterEllen will be missed. Thank you for all the great content throughout the years. <3
