Gay Cy News - New York, NY - Alignable

Contents:

• GAY NEW YORK CY
• NEW YORK CY GAY MUNY ON HIGH ALERT AFTER STRG OF ALLEGED DGGGS, ROBBERI AND AT LEAST TWO ATHS
• THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS
• PL SCHDLER, GAY CY NEWS’ EDOR CHIEF, RETIR—BUT HE STILL WANTS THE STORYINDEPENDENCEDONNA F. ACETOPL SCHDLER, JT-RETIRED EDOR CHIEF OF NEW YORK’S GAY CY NEWS, ON 25 YEARS OF TOUGH REPORTG, LGBTQ MEDIA’S BATTLE TO SURVIVE, AND THE STORI HE STILL WANTS TO TELL.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 05, 2021 5:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 05, 2021 4:12AM EDT A LLEGE IEND ONCE JOKGLY ASKED PL SCHDLER, “WERE YOU READG TIME MAGAZE WHEN YOU WERE FIRST GRA?”SCHDLER CHUCKLED RELLG THIS BENIGN JIBE ABOUT HIS LIFELONG LOVE OF KED NEWS ON PAPER. HE HAS JT RETIRED AFTER 25 YEARS WORKG AS THE EDOR CHIEF OF NEW YORK CY’S LGBTQ NEWSPAPER, GAY CY NEWS (PREVLY KNOWN AS LGNY).SCHDLER IS NOT PLETELY LEAVG HIS KEYBOARD TO MOTHBALLS. HE IS STILL REPORTG FOR THE PAPER AND HAS WRTEN AROUND HALF A DOZEN PIEC SCE RETIRG ON DEC. 31, MOST RECENTLY ABOUT ROBERTA DEGNORE, CLOSE IEND OF SAM WAGSTAFF, ART CURATOR AND PARTNER OF ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE. WRG A FEATURE LIKE THIS, SCHDLER SAYS, IS ONE OF THE UPSIS OF RETIREMENT—BEG ABLE TO FOC ON THGS THAT ARE NOT JT PART OF THE NVENTNAL NEWS CYCLE OF HARD NEWS AND POLICS. SCHDLER, 66, SAYS HE IS NOW ABLE TO “PAY ATTENTN TO THGS THE WIR WORLD,” “READ AROUND THE DIFFERENT SECTNS OF THE NEW YORK TIM,” AND IS CURRENTLY IMMERSED BARACK OBAMA’S MEMOIR. SCHDLER’S FAREWELL LETTER WAS GRAC, SHARP, HUMBLE, AND UTTERLY LACKG FAL-LAP-OF-GLORY SELF-DULGENCE. REARS OF GAY CY NEWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED; THIS IS A PAPER BOTH RIGORO AND EXPANSIVE S APPROACH TO LGBTQ NEWS, POLICS, ARTS, ANALYSIS, AND MENTARY. IN THE LETTER, SCHDLER BOTH ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVG, AND—UNR THE HEADLE, “CHANGE IS GOOD”—ALSO MA CLEAR WAS TIME TO PASS THE EDORIAL TORCH ON TO A NEW GENERATN. THE PAPER (FULL DISCLOSURE: THIS WRER IS A PAST NTRIBUTOR) HAS TWO FULL-TIME MEMBERS OF EDORIAL STAFF; THE NEW EDOR CHIEF IS MATT TRACY, SCHDLER’S 30-YEAR-OLD FORMER PUTY, AND S NEW DIGAL EDOR AND REPORTER IS FORMER DAILY BEAST TERN TAT BELLAMY-WALKER.“AT THE AGE OF 66 AND AFTER 25 YEARS OF WORK THE TRENCH,” SCHDLER WROTE, “ IS TIME TO MAKE WAY FOR NEWER AND YOUNGER VOIC. INSTUTNS AND MUNI MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN THEIR LEARSHIP RISTS ORRLY AND TIMELY TRANSNS TO H BLOOD. THE GENERATNS THAT HAVE E OF AGE THE YEARS SCE I WAS YOUNG HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIV ON THE CHALLENG FACG OUR MUNY AND EVEN ON WHAT MEANS TO BE QUEER AMERIN SOCIETY. THOSE PERSPECTIV MAND TO BE HEARD.”SCHDLER SISTS THAT HE, AND OTHER OLR LGBTQ PEOPLE, STILL HAVE “MUCH TO NTRIBUTE”—AND HE TENDS TO DO SO AS A WRER AND ACTIVIST—BUT A PART OF STEPPG ASI WAS NECSARY TO ENSURE A YOUNGER GENERATN FELT THEY HAD A PLATFORM. “I KNOW SOME ISSU ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD FOR THEM THAT ARE MAYBE A LTLE HARR FOR ME TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND, LIKE THE CRIMALIZATN OF SEX WORK,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I DON’T HAVE A HARD TIME WH SEEG AS AN ISSUE, BUT WASN’T AT THE ONT OF MY MD FOR A LONG TIME. I KNOW FOR A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE THE SOCIAL AND ENOMIC JTICE ISSU HAVE E TO THE FORE.”SCHDLER HAS ALSO ENJOYED WATCHG TRACY WRE PIEC PUTTG A HLY REPORTED SLANT ON SIGNIFINT LGBTQ HISTORIL MOMENTS, SUCH AS A WILY READ FEATURE ABOUT THE DIRECT ACTN GROUP ACT UP’S PROTT AT ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL 1989. “I’M VERY PLEASED THAT A 30-YEAR-OLD IS NNG THE PAPER WHO HAS AN APPRECIATN FOR THE PAST BUT BRGS HIS OWN GENERATNAL ENERGY,” SCHDLER SAID. “AND TAT IS YOUNGER THAN THAT, AND A TRANS MAN OF LOR. I HAVE SCRAMBLED FOR YEARS TO TRY TO REFLECT THE DIVERSY OF A MUNY AS VAST AS NEW YORK. IT’S BEEN AN UPHILL BATTLE, EVEN WH THE GREAT NTRIBUTORS WE HAVE. IT’S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO BRG TWO YOUNGER, DIVERSE VOIC TO THE FORE. I’M VERY PROUD TO HAVE FOUND SOMEONE OF TAT’S LIBER FOR THAT JOB.” ADVERTISEMENT OBSERVG THE SPAN OF LGBTQ HISTORY OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, SCHDLER NTRASTS THE FORWARDS-BACKWARDS NATURE OF LEGAL AND POLIL PROGRS WH THE DIVERSIFITN OF EXPECTATNS AND MANDS OF THE YOUNGER LGBTQ GENERATN. “PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR SPACE. CULTURALLY THIS UNTRY, THE VISIBILY, LEGIMACY, AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUNY HAS BEE SO BROAD.”— PL SCHDLER IT IS “UNFIVABLE THIS DAY AND AGE” THAT THERE IS STILL NO FERAL NON-DISCRIMATN LAW PROTECTG YOUNG LGBTQ PEOPLE, SAYS SCHDLER—AND THE EQUALY ACT STILL SEEMS FAR OM LIKELY TO PASS THE SENATE. IT IS “DISAPPOTG THAT WE ARE STILL FIGHTG THE BATTL” SET BY THE RIGHT WG, HE ADDS—CURRENTLY AROUND “RELIG EEDOM” AS A MEANS TO DISCRIMATE, AND THE ISSUE OF TRANS GIRLS AND WOMEN PLAYG SPORTS, AND TRANS TEENS’ ACCS TO HEALTH RE.“ON THE OTHER HAND, MORE POSIVELY, HAS BEEN THE VISIBILY, VOICE, AND AGENCY OF THE TRANS MUNY AND LGBT LEARS OF LOR,” SAID SCHDLER. EVEN IF WHE MEN LEAD MANY ANIZATNS STILL, “SO MANY OTHER GROUPS ARE NOW PART OF THE NVERSATN AND PART OF THE AGENDA. PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR SPACE. CULTURALLY THIS UNTRY, THE VISIBILY, LEGIMACY, AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUNY HAS BEE SO BROAD.”SCHDLER RELLS 2002, AND RENAMG THE PAPER GAY CY NEWS, AS A TIME WHEN HE DIDN’T THK LGBT WOULD TCH ON AS AN UMBRELLA ACRONYM. “I THOUGHT HAVG ‘GAY CY NEWS’ OUT ON THE STREET WAS A VERY STRONG STATEMENT. NOW, VIRTUALLY EVERY MAJOR MEDIA OUTLET ‘LGBT’ WHOUT EXPLAG WHAT MEANS. THAT UBIQUY, THE EASE WH WHICH PEOPLE UNRSTAND , IS REALLY TERRIFIC—EVEN IF OUR MUNY AND ISSU ARE ONE AREA WHERE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT GO TO CREATE A WEDGE ISSUE.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI ADVERTISEMENT THE TER, AND THE ASSIATN OF LGBTQ NEWS TO THE MASTREAM, HAVE OCCURRED ALONGSI A CLE LGBTQ-SPECIFIC NEWSPAPERS AND OUTLETS. BUT, AS A NEWS EVENT LIKE THE MASSED NUMBER OF STATE BILLS AGAST TRANS TEENS PLAYG SPORTS AND ACCSG HEALTHRE HAS REVEALED, MASTREAM OUTLETS SOMETIM DO NOT VER THE LGBTQ ISSU FULLY OR FEATURE A REPRENTATIVE NUMBER OF TRANS VOIC THEIR PIEC IF THEY DO. SCHDLER IS “DISTURBED BY THE TONE-AFNS TO THE NUANC OUR MUNY,” ON THE PART OF THE MASTREAM MEDIA. IT IS ONE THG TO WRE FOR A BROAD REARSHIP, BUT THIS SHOULD NOT MEAN, SAYS SCHDLER, “THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THE NONSENSE OF ‘ON THE ONE HAND,’ AND CUT OUT THE NUANCE. I DON’T THK THE ISSUE OF TRANSGENR GIRLS AND WOMEN PARTICIPATG SPORTS HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT WH MUCH SOPHISTITN OUT THERE.”SCHDLER THKS THERE IS STILL AN URGENT REASON AND PURPOSE FOR LGBTQ-SPECIFIC MEDIA OUTLETS. HE REMENDS THEY FOLLOW GAY CY NEWS’ ATTEMPTS AT DIVERSIFITN, LIKE HOLDG WEBARS AND PUBLIC EVENTS. HE THKS THE “NON-PROF, PROPUBLI” MOL IS UFUL. HE HOP THE MASTREAM PRS N BEE BETTER S VERAGE OF LGBTQ ISSU, AND MORE DITED AND NSISTENT THAT VERAGE. HE ALSO HOP LGBTQ JOURNALISTS WORKG MASTREAM ENVIRONMENTS DON’T FEEL THEY HAVE TO “CHECK THEIR INTI AT THE DOOR” WHEN DOG THEIR REPORTG.THE STGGLE TO SURVIVE AS AN LGBTQ OUTLET IS TENSE; FOR 25 YEARS, SCHDLER HAS BEEN A PASSNATE EDOR CHIEF, AND GAY CY NEWS IS NOW OWNED BY SCHNEPS MEDIA, WHICH OVERSE A NUMBER OF LOL NEW YORK PAPERS. “WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT WHERE THE L ARE TO MATA AND PROTECT AN PENNT EDORIAL VOICE. THAT’S THE ONLY THG THAT MAK SENSE FOR LGBT PUBLITNS. WHOUT THAT, ’S NOT WORTH .”— PL SCHDLER “BEG A DIVERSIFIED MEDIA GROUP HAS HELPED ,” HE SAID. “IF WE HAVE A BAD MONTH WE’RE BUFFERED, AND WE MAY HAVE A GOOD MONTH NEXT MONTH. IT ALSO MEANS AS AN EDOR, I HAVE AN PECIAL OBLIGATN TO BATTLE FOR THE EDORIAL TEGRY OF THE PUBLITN. WE ARE AN ADVOCY PUBLITN, NOT A CHEERLEAR PUBLITN. THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. WE WILL TAKE POSNS AND EXPLORE ISSU DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER PUBLITNS. ADVERTISEMENT “I AM PROUD OF MATAG THAT PENNCE OVER 25 YEARS, BUT TAK WORK. WHEN I SPOKE TO MATT ABOUT ASSUMG THE ROLE, THAT’S ONE OF THE THGS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT—ABOUT WHERE THE L ARE TO MATA AND PROTECT AN PENNT EDORIAL VOICE. THAT’S THE ONLY THG THAT MAK SENSE FOR LGBTQ PUBLITNS. WHOUT THAT, ’S NOT WORTH .”TRACY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE PL AS MY EDOR BEE HE TGHT ME SO MUCH AND CHALLENGED ME HELPFUL WAYS THAT TOOK MY WORK TO THE NEXT LEVEL. HE ENURAGED ME TO PURSUE THE STORI THAT I FELT NEED TO BE TOLD, HE IMPROVED MY WORK, AND HE WAS MY BIGGT ADVOTE DURG TURBULENT TIM. IF WERE NOT FOR PL’S LEARSHIP AND GUIDANCE, I WOULD NOT BE THE POSN I AM TODAY—AND HE SERV CRED FOR PREPARG ME FOR THIS ROLE. HIS MAND OF THE HISTORY AND STATE OF THE LGBTQ MUNY IS UNRIVALED, AND TO THIS DAY HE SERV AS AN IMPORTANT ROURCE AND MENTOR.” “AS A QUEER BLACK MAN OF TRANS EXPERIENCE, ’S IMPORTANT FOR MY REPORTG TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST MARGALIZED WH OUR MUNY, AND I’M NFINT THAT GCN IS DITED TOWARD FULFILLG THAT MISSN.”— TAT BELLAMY-WALKER BELLAMY-WALKER SAID: “ALTHOUGH I ONLY WORKED CLOSELY WH PL FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME, HE ALWAYS WAS A KD AND GENTLE EDOR. IT WAS AMAZG TO LEARN OM SOMEONE WH SUCH A EP UNRSTANDG OF LGBTQ POLICS BOTH NATNALLY AND GLOBALLY. PL IS A LIVG LIBRARY FOR THE GAY PRS.“AS A QUEER BLACK MAN OF TRANS EXPERIENCE, ’S IMPORTANT FOR MY REPORTG TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST MARGALIZED WH OUR MUNY, AND I’M NFINT THAT GCN IS DITED TOWARD FULFILLG THAT MISSN. I WANT GAY CY NEWS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST READ LGBTQ S THE WORLD. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO NTUE ON OUR MISSN HOLDG LOL AND NATNAL LEARS ACUNTABLE TO THE ISSU FACG OUR MUNY.”THERE IS “NO QUTN” THAT SCHNEPS, THE CURRENT OWNER, WANTS TO KEEP GCN ALIVE AND OPERATNAL, SAID SCHDLER. “I HOPE THAT STAYS THE SAME. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHG OTHERWISE.” (THE DAILY BEAST REACHED OUT TO SCHNEPS MEDIA FOR MENT ABOUT SCHDLER’S TENURE, AND THE FUTURE OF GCN SELF, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RPONSE BY PRS TIME.) ADVERTISEMENT SCHDLER SAYS HE HAS NEVER BANGED HIS HEAD AGAST THE SK OVER THE THREE DIFFERENT SETS OF OWNERS THE PAPER HAS HAD WHILE HE WAS CHARGE. “THERE HAVE BEEN DISCSNS, SOME OF THEM SOMETIM HEATED,” HE SAID. WHEN MICHAEL BLOOMBERG WAS NNG FOR MAYOR, SCHDLER TOLD THE PAPER’S THEN-OWNER THAT THE PAPER WOULD NOT ENDORSE HIM, AS HE HAD “FALLEN SHORT” ON ISSU SUCH AS POLICE ENTRAPMENT. “WE HAD DONE A LOT OF REPORTG ON THAT ISSUE, AND ULD NOT JT IGNORE THAT AND SAY ‘VOTE FOR THIS GUY’—NOT THAT BLOOMBERG DIDN’T HAVE OTHER QUALI THAT WOULD HAVE ATTRACTED VOTERS, CLUDG LGBT VOTERS. BUT WE STOOD BY WHAT OUR REPORTG HAD BEEN, AND I TOLD THE OWNER THAT THEY HAD A UPLE OF OTHER NEWSPAPERS WHO ULD MAKE THE PRO-BLOOMBERG ARGUMENT.”THE PAPER’S REPORTG 2007/8 OF THE POLICE ATTEMPTG TO ENTRAP CTOMERS SEX SHOPS AROUND THE CY IS SOMETHG SCHDLER IS PROUST OF MOST. “IT WAS A VERY OLD HARASSMENT OF GAY MEN SUDNLY RURRECTED THE 21ST CENTURY, AND WE LLED OUT,” RELLED SCHDLER. “THE IA WAS THE CY ULD THEN TAKE THE EVINCE OF ARRTS AND TABLISH THE VENUE WAS A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND TAKE CIVIL ACTN TO CLOSE THEM DOWN.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI THE PAPER KEPT BREAKG NEW ELEMENTS OF THE STORY, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY REPORTED BY THE NEW YORK TIM. A LOT OF THE PROSECUTNS WERE VOID, WHILE NO ONE POLICE OFFICIALDOM WAS FOUND TO BE AT FLT, SAID SCHDLER. “IT WAS KD OF LIKE, ‘WE WON’T DO THIS ANYMORE, BUT ALSO NO ONE WILL SUFFER ANY NSEQUENC.’”SCHDLER IS ALSO PROUD TO HAVE SECURED TERVIEWS WH LEADG POLIL FIGUR LIKE BLOOMBERG AND HILLARY CLTON WHEN SHE WAS NNG FOR THE SENATE. “FOR A VERY SMALL PAPER THE MEDIA LANDSPE TO GET FOLKS OF THAT STATURE SHOWS THAT THEY APPRECIATE GETTG ACROSS THEIR MSAGE TO OUR MUNY. I’M VERY PROUD THEY SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO . THOSE KDS OF OPPORTUNI ARE HARD TO E BY.” ADVERTISEMENT THE PAPER TREATS LGBTQ POLICIANS AS CRILLY AS STRAIGHT. “WE LL OUT THE HOMOPHOB ON THE CY UNCIL, BUT WE HAVE THE GREATT IMPACT WHEN WE HOLD PEOPLE OM OUR OWN MUNY ACUNTABLE,” SAID SCHDLER. “WE ARE ALL THRILLED TO SEE OUR MUNY STG AT THE TABLE, BUT WHEN YOU S AT THE TABLE YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATN TO REPRENT .” HE C THE CRICISM THAT HISTORY-MAKG NGRSMAN BARNEY FRANK RECEIVED FOR EXCLUDG TRANS PEOPLE OM THE VOTE ON THE GAY-ONLY VERSN OF THE EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMATN ACT (ENDA) 2007. “I ALWAYS HAD AN QUISIVE MD”SCHDLER AVIDLY READ NEWSPAPERS WHILE GROWG UP CHIGO. “THERE WERE THREE REALLY GREAT CY PAPERS AT THAT TIME: THE CHIGO TRIBUNE AND THE CHIGO SUN-TIM STILL EXIST. THE OLD DAILY NEWS DO NOT. BUT AT THAT TIME, THEY ALL DID A LOT OF VTIGATNS ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG THE CY. THERE WAS A REAL AGGRSIVENS HOLDG TO ACUNT THOSE PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THORI.”THIS WAS PECIALLY POWERFUL AND NECSARY CHIGO, SCHDLER SAID, WHERE AT THE TIME MAYOR RICHARD J. DALEY—THE CY’S MAYOR OM 1955 UNTIL HIS ATH 1976—AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MACHE EXERTED SUCH A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE CY’S POLICS.SCHDLER’S PARENTS, ERNT AND FLORENCE (HERRGTON) SCHDLER, WERE BOTH BORN 100 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR THE BRONX; THEY MARRIED 1946. HIS FATHER WAS A SALMAN OF LEATHER GOODS AND LATER CLOCKS. HIS MOTHER WAS A HOMEMAKER, WHO WORKED PART-TIME AFTER SCHDLER’S YOUNGER BROTHER GREW OLD ENOUGH FOR HER TO BE AWAY THE AFTERNOONS. SCHDLER’S TWO OLR BROTHERS WERE BORN THE BRONX; HIS YOUNGER BROTHER AND SCHDLER ( 1954) WERE BORN JT OUTSI CHIGO, WHERE THE FAY HAD MOVED BY THEN. ADVERTISEMENT NEHER OF HIS PARENTS WENT TO LLEGE, BUT WERE TED THE 1930S NEW YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS “WHEN THEY WERE THE PREMIER SCHOOLS THE UNTRY. MY MOTHER PROBABLY KNEW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS WELL AS ANYONE I EVER MET. AND SHE ALWAYS MA A POT TO MAKE SURE I SPOKE THE LANGUAGE PROPERLY. THAT GAVE ME A GREAT LOVE OF WORDS AND READG. I ALWAYS HAD AN QUISIVE MD, BUT DIDN’T REALLY E TO THE JOURNALISM WORLD UNTIL MY LATE 30S.” HE DON’T THK WOULD SURPRISE ANYONE WHO KNEW HIM WHEN HE WAS YOUNG TO LEARN THAT HE BEME A JOURNALIST, “BUT WASN’T A LIFETIME REER PATH FOR ME.” “I LEARNED TO READ A NEWSPAPER. AS WE’VE SEEN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, LNS OF AMERINS AND HUNDREDS OF LNS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOW UNABLE TO DO THAT.”— PL SCHDLER IT WAS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO SCHDLER, HOWEVER. “IT WAS VERY HARD TO HAVE GONE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND MY EARLY LLEGE YEARS, THE WATERGATE ERA, WHOUT APPRECIATG THE ABSOLUTE, FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR A EE MEDIA THIS UNTRY. NOT ONLY DID THEY BREAK THAT STORY, BUT WAS THE SAME ERA THAT THE PENTAGON PAPERS WERE RELEASED—THE TERNAL ERNMENTAL DOCUMENTATN ON WHAT HAPPENED DURG THE VIETNAM WAR.”READG JOURNALISM WILY, SCHDLER HOP, MEANT HE LEARNED “A MEASURE OF DISCERNMENT. IT MEANT I ULD READ THGS AND SAY, ‘OK, I PUT CRENCE THAT AND LS CRENCE THAT. I WONR WHERE THE FACTS ME OM. I WONR WHY THIS PERSPECTIVE IS DRIVG THIS REPORTG.’ I LEARNED TO READ A NEWSPAPER. AS WE’VE SEEN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, LNS OF AMERINS AND HUNDREDS OF LNS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOW UNABLE TO DO THAT. WHATEVER SHOWS UP THEIR FACEBOOK FEED, THEY BELIEVE.”SCHDLER GRADUATED OM NORTHWTERN UNIVERSY 1977, WH A GREE AMERIN STUDI AND HISTORY. HE EARNED HIS MASTER’S HISTORY THE FOLLOWG YEAR OM HARVARD UNIVERSY, WHERE HE WENT ON TO PLETE HIS ORAL EXAMS AND TEACH AMERIN HISTORY STUNT SEMARS FOR A YEAR. HE LEFT THAT PROGRAM WHOUT PLETG HIS THIS FOR A PH.D. ADVERTISEMENT SCHDLER NEXT WORKED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROF AND ALSO WAS A SE STUDY WRER FOR HARVARD’S JFK SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT. IN 1984, HE EARNED A MASTER’S MANAGEMENT OM MIT’S SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT.SCHDLER’S FIRST EXPERIENCE OF LGBTQ JOURNALISM WAS, WHILE LIVG BOSTON, READG THAT CY’S VERY OWN “GCN”—GAY COMMUNY NEWS, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED OM 1973 TO 1992. “I ED TO PICK UP EVERY WEEK AND READ ,” SCHDLER RELLED. “THERE WAS NO TER. IT WAS FULL OF RMATN I ULD NOT FD ANYWHERE ELSE. IT NOT ONLY TALKED ABOUT THE NASCENT EFFORTS ON A NATNAL LEVEL TO RAISE VISIBILY AT A TIME WHEN TRYG TO GET A MEETG WH (THEN-PRINT) JIMMY CARTER WAS A BIG AL, BUT ALSO DID OTHER STORI ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG AROUND THE UNTRY. TO THIS DAY, I ADMIRE THE VERY SER AND RADIL JOURNALISM THEY WERE DOG THERE.” SOME GAY COMMUNY NEWS JOURNALISTS WENT ON TO BEE SIGNIFINT FIGUR THE MUNY. FORMER MANAGG EDOR RICHARD BURNS WENT ON TO -FOUND GAY AND LBIAN ADVOT AND DEFENRS, INC. OF BOSTON, AND 1986 BEME THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE THEN-NAMED LBIAN AND GAY COMMUNY SERVIC CENTER NEW YORK CY. AMONG OTHER GCN ALUMNI, URVASHI VAID BEME ONE OF THE UNTRY’S BT-KNOWN LGBTQ ACTIVISTS, CLUDG AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATNAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE, AND KEV CATHRT ROSE TO BEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LAMBDA LEGAL.WHEN SCHDLER ARRIVED NEW YORK, HE RELISHED THE SPIR OF ACTIVISM OUTWEEK (AND S KEY VOIC LIKE MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE AND GABRIEL ROTELLO). SCHDLER HIMSELF HAD ORIGALLY WANTED TO TEACH HISTORY, BUT ULTIMATELY CID “THAT WAS A LTLE TOO MONASTIC FOR ME.” HE WORKED FOR ROUGHLY 10 YEARS AT LEHMAN BROTHERS ON BOND FANCGS FOR STATE AND LOL ERNMENTS, AS WELL AS FOR SOME MEDIA PANI, CLUDG NEWSPAPER, RAD, TELEVISN, AND BLE GROUPS, BUT FOUND DID NOT SATISFY HIS “TELLECTUAL SIRE TO HAVE MY VOICE HEARD.”SCHDLER JOED LGNY 1995, AND ALSO EELANCED FOR PUBLITNS CLUDG OUT, THE ADVOTE, POZ MAGAZE, NEW YORK NEWSDAY, NEW YORK MAGAZE, CY AND COUNTY MAGAZE, INVTMENTS AND BENEFS, AND SMART MONEY. HE BEME EDOR OF LGNY 1996. “IT WAS ENOMILLY VERY CHALLENGG TO STA A SGLE TLE PANY, AND AFTER 9/11, THE PUBLISHER, TROY MASTERS, AND I NEGOTIATED A MERGER WH A NEWSPAPER GROUP THAT CLUD SEVERAL LOWER MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPERS. OUR NEWSPAPER WAS RENAMED GAY CY NEWS.” ADVERTISEMENT THROUGH SEVERAL SAL, GAY CY NEWS’ NEWSPAPER GROUP BEME PART OF CREASGLY LARGER NEWSPAPER GROUPS— 2012, 2014, AND 2018, WHEN THEY BEME PART OF SCHNEPS MEDIA. SCHDLER HOP HE HAS HELPED BEE A “MORE PERMANENT” LGBTQ TLE THAN OTHER PUBLITNS THAT HAD “BURST TO LIFE AND THEN DIED. AND I THK WE HAVE FORMED A NTUO LEGACY THERE, AND HOPE MATT AND TAT WILL LEAD ON AND MATA THAT.” “I DO GET TRATED, BUT I THK A LOT OF THOSE TRATNS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO LGBTQ ISSU, BUT THE OVERALL CLE AN TELLIGENT POLICS OUR UNTRY. THAT HURTS THE LGBTQ MUNY, BUT REALLY HURTS ALL OF .”— PL SCHDLER “I WAS SIMULTANEOLY SAD AND HAPPY FOR PL WHEN HE LEFT, BUT I AM EXCED ABOUT OUR FUTURE AHEAD WH TAT BELLAMY-WALKER, WHO HAS HELPED TELL EVEN MORE STORI AND IS LEADG OUR DIGAL EFFORTS TO THE FUTURE,” TRACY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.TRACY SAID HE HAS NTUED THE NEWSPAPER’S TABLISHED REPUTATN FOR VERG ACTIVISM “BY FOLLOWG THE VIBRANT MONSTRATNS THAT HAVE BLOSSOMED THE LGBTQ MUNY DURG A PANMIC THAT HAS PUT RACIAL JTIC THE SPOTLIGHT. “THE RAPIDLY-EVOLVG LGBTQ LANDSPE IS EVINCED BY THE SUDN PROLIFERATN OF QUEER NDIDAT NNG FOR CY OFFICE ACROSS THE CY AS WELL AS THE LATN OF THE MOVEMENT TO CRIMALIZE SEX WORK. WE KNOW WILL BE IMPORTANT TO MATA OUR GRASSROOTS AND NATNAL VERAGE A POST-PANMIC SOCIETY, WHENEVER THAT TIME ARRIV, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO VER THE SIGNIFINT CHANG THAT WILL EMERGE.”TRACY SAYS HE TENDS TO BOLSTER GCN’S VERAGE OF AREAS SUCH AS NIGHTLIFE, AS WELL AS SPORTS, “WHICH WARRANTS ADDNAL ATTENTN THE LGBTQ MEDIA AT A TIME WHEN TRANS ATHLET FACE PERSISTENT ATTACKS AND MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LACK QUEER REPRENTATN.” ADVERTISEMENT TRACY SAID THE PAPER WILL ALSO REMA FOCED ON THE MURRS OF TRANSGENR AND NON-BARY PEOPLE, PECIALLY BLACK TRANS WOMEN, AT A TIME “WHEN SO MANY POLICE PARTMENTS AND OTHER NEWS OUTLETS ARE MISGENRG AND AD-NAMG DIVIDUALS THE PRS. WE HAVE THE WEIGHT OF THE LARGT CY THE NATN ON OUR SHOULRS. GAY CY NEWS IS THIS CY'S LGBTQ NEWSPAPER, AND THAT REQUIR TO LIVE UP TO THAT REPUTATN DAY AND DAY OUT—THANKS TO PL.”THIS REPORTER ASKED IF SCHDLER FELT FULFILLED OR TRATED, AS HE RETIRED OM WORKG LGBTQ JOURNALISM FULL-TIME AFTER 25 YEARS. “I THK FULFILLED. CERTALY, THERE WERE TRATNS. THE EARLY YEARS OF THE GEE W. BH ADMISTRATN WERE TRATG, AND THE LAST FOUR YEARS LEFT ANY THKG PERSON WH PTSD WH SOMETHG CRAZY HAPPENG EVERY DAY. I DO GET TRATED, BUT I THK A LOT OF THOSE TRATNS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO LGBTQ ISSU BUT THE OVERALL CLE AN TELLIGENT POLICS OUR UNTRY. THAT HURTS THE LGBTQ MUNY, BUT REALLY HURTS ALL OF .”ONE OF THE REASONS SCHDLER ADMIRED PRINT OBAMA, HE SAYS, IS THAT WHATEVER HIS POLICI, “I ALWAYS FELT THAT HE SPOKE TO THE AMERIN PEOPLE AS IF WE WERE ADULTS. THAT HAS BEEN MISSG THE LAST FOUR YEARS. IT’S CREASGLY HARD TO HAVE TELLIGENT POLIL DISURSE THIS UNTRY, AND OM WHAT I’VE SEEN OTHER UNTRI, LIKE BRA, NOW. AND THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER UNTRI WHERE PASSNS, DIVISIVENS, AND THE DARK UNRBELLY OF SOCIAL MEDIA HAS REALLY RPTED THE SUATN.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI SCHDLER, WHO HAS BEEN WH HIS HBAND BERT VACRI SCE THEY MET 1981, HOP TO NTUE NTRIBUTG TO GAY CY NEWS, AS WELL AS LOOKG TO HISTORIL LGBTQ EVENTS AND NEWS OCCURRENC THAT HAVE BEEN LOST TO TIME BEE OF THE UBIQUY OF SUCH MARQUEE ISSU SUCH AS MARRIAGE EQUALY. ADVERTISEMENT THE “OTHER” MOMENTS, HE SAYS, MIGHT CLU VTIGATG MORE EPLY WHEN POLICE PARTMENTS STARTED TO SHIFT THEIR ATTUS AND APPROACH TO VIEWG CRIM MTED AGAST LGBTQ PEOPLE, AND TO WHAT GREE THAT SHIFT IS NOT YET PLETE. SCHDLER RELLS HOW NOT ONLY TOOK LGBTQ PEOPLE BEG MURRED BUT LARGE NUMBERS OF LGBTQ PEOPLE HTG THE STREETS TO MONSTRATE AGAST THOSE KILLGS FOR POLICE TO TAKE THEM SERLY.HE ALSO WANTS TO NTUE TO VTIGATE THE HISTORY OF POLICE ENTRAPMENT, AND HOW THE LGBTQ MOVEMENT ME TO FOC ON THE ISSUE OF HOMELS LGBTQ YOUTH, AND HOW EVOLVED TO EMBRACE DIVERSY S LEARSHIP—AND HOW MUCH WORK REMAS TO DO THAT AREA. “I WANT TO LOOK AT THE ISSU, BEE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WIR SOCIETY SAY, ‘YOU’VE GOT MARRIAGE, YOU’RE ALL SET,’” SCHDLER SAID. (RENOWNED LGBTQ ACTIVIST) “MATT FOREMAN TALKS ABOUT ‘LIVED EQUALY’—MEANG HOW DO WE AS QUEER PEOPLE LIVE AS FULL CIZENS OUR SOCIETY AND THE WORLD. THAT EMBRAC MUCH MORE THAN THE RIGHT TO MARRY OR JO THE ARY. WE KNOW OUR LIV ARE AFFECTED BY OTHER THGS, NOT JT THOSE HEADLE-MAKG STORI—AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THOSE ISSU END UP BEG MORE IMPORTANT HOW WE N OUR LIV.”SO Y, PL SCHDLER HAS RETIRED, BUT REALLY—JT AS WH ANY JOURNALIST WH BREATH THEIR BODY—HE’S ON TO FD THE NEXT STORY. TIM TEEMAN
• GAY CY NEWS

GAY NEW YORK CY

New York Cy has a huge gay scene, and ’s arguably the most culturally signifint the world.

After all, was at NYC’s Stonewall Inn where an outbreak of ristance agast opprsive police accelerated the gay rights movement to a cril pot. The days, most of the gay bars and clubs are centered around Hell's Kchen but you'll also fd gay scen Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and Brooklyn. Jonathan Bailey discsed his sex scen wh fellow gay actor and "Fellow Travelers" -star Matt Bomer a recent terview.

NEW YORK CY GAY MUNY ON HIGH ALERT AFTER STRG OF ALLEGED DGGGS, ROBBERI AND AT LEAST TWO ATHS

What Do Gay Birthday Boys Want?

The New York Cy Police Department is vtigatg a strg of cints which gay men say they were dgged at bars and left wh massive unthorized bank acunt whdrawals. At least two other gay men were disvered ad wh spic bank whdrawals, acrdg to fay members who are soundg the alarm on their aths. "Word needs to get out, pecially the gay muny, that they are targetg gay men....

THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS

This same group of killers have dgged, robbed and murred untls young gay men New York. "Umberger, 33, was disvered ad an Upper East Si townhoe May after he left a gay club Hell’s Kchen wh a group of other men, the New York Tim reported Saturday. Jt a month earlier, another man named Jul Ramirez, 25, died the back of a b after leavg a gay bar wh a group of men jt blocks om where Umberger had spent the eveng before his both s, the men’s cellphon were missg when their bodi were disvered.

PL SCHDLER, GAY CY NEWS’ EDOR CHIEF, RETIR—BUT HE STILL WANTS THE STORYINDEPENDENCEDONNA F. ACETOPL SCHDLER, JT-RETIRED EDOR CHIEF OF NEW YORK’S GAY CY NEWS, ON 25 YEARS OF TOUGH REPORTG, LGBTQ MEDIA’S BATTLE TO SURVIVE, AND THE STORI HE STILL WANTS TO TELL.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED APR. 05, 2021 5:46PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 05, 2021 4:12AM EDT A LLEGE IEND ONCE JOKGLY ASKED PL SCHDLER, “WERE YOU READG TIME MAGAZE WHEN YOU WERE FIRST GRA?”SCHDLER CHUCKLED RELLG THIS BENIGN JIBE ABOUT HIS LIFELONG LOVE OF KED NEWS ON PAPER. HE HAS JT RETIRED AFTER 25 YEARS WORKG AS THE EDOR CHIEF OF NEW YORK CY’S LGBTQ NEWSPAPER, GAY CY NEWS (PREVLY KNOWN AS LGNY).SCHDLER IS NOT PLETELY LEAVG HIS KEYBOARD TO MOTHBALLS. HE IS STILL REPORTG FOR THE PAPER AND HAS WRTEN AROUND HALF A DOZEN PIEC SCE RETIRG ON DEC. 31, MOST RECENTLY ABOUT ROBERTA DEGNORE, CLOSE IEND OF SAM WAGSTAFF, ART CURATOR AND PARTNER OF ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE. WRG A FEATURE LIKE THIS, SCHDLER SAYS, IS ONE OF THE UPSIS OF RETIREMENT—BEG ABLE TO FOC ON THGS THAT ARE NOT JT PART OF THE NVENTNAL NEWS CYCLE OF HARD NEWS AND POLICS. SCHDLER, 66, SAYS HE IS NOW ABLE TO “PAY ATTENTN TO THGS THE WIR WORLD,” “READ AROUND THE DIFFERENT SECTNS OF THE NEW YORK TIM,” AND IS CURRENTLY IMMERSED BARACK OBAMA’S MEMOIR. SCHDLER’S FAREWELL LETTER WAS GRAC, SHARP, HUMBLE, AND UTTERLY LACKG FAL-LAP-OF-GLORY SELF-DULGENCE. REARS OF GAY CY NEWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED; THIS IS A PAPER BOTH RIGORO AND EXPANSIVE S APPROACH TO LGBTQ NEWS, POLICS, ARTS, ANALYSIS, AND MENTARY. IN THE LETTER, SCHDLER BOTH ANNOUNCED HE WAS LEAVG, AND—UNR THE HEADLE, “CHANGE IS GOOD”—ALSO MA CLEAR WAS TIME TO PASS THE EDORIAL TORCH ON TO A NEW GENERATN. THE PAPER (FULL DISCLOSURE: THIS WRER IS A PAST NTRIBUTOR) HAS TWO FULL-TIME MEMBERS OF EDORIAL STAFF; THE NEW EDOR CHIEF IS MATT TRACY, SCHDLER’S 30-YEAR-OLD FORMER PUTY, AND S NEW DIGAL EDOR AND REPORTER IS FORMER DAILY BEAST TERN TAT BELLAMY-WALKER.“AT THE AGE OF 66 AND AFTER 25 YEARS OF WORK THE TRENCH,” SCHDLER WROTE, “ IS TIME TO MAKE WAY FOR NEWER AND YOUNGER VOIC. INSTUTNS AND MUNI MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN THEIR LEARSHIP RISTS ORRLY AND TIMELY TRANSNS TO H BLOOD. THE GENERATNS THAT HAVE E OF AGE THE YEARS SCE I WAS YOUNG HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIV ON THE CHALLENG FACG OUR MUNY AND EVEN ON WHAT MEANS TO BE QUEER AMERIN SOCIETY. THOSE PERSPECTIV MAND TO BE HEARD.”SCHDLER SISTS THAT HE, AND OTHER OLR LGBTQ PEOPLE, STILL HAVE “MUCH TO NTRIBUTE”—AND HE TENDS TO DO SO AS A WRER AND ACTIVIST—BUT A PART OF STEPPG ASI WAS NECSARY TO ENSURE A YOUNGER GENERATN FELT THEY HAD A PLATFORM. “I KNOW SOME ISSU ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD FOR THEM THAT ARE MAYBE A LTLE HARR FOR ME TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND, LIKE THE CRIMALIZATN OF SEX WORK,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “I DON’T HAVE A HARD TIME WH SEEG AS AN ISSUE, BUT WASN’T AT THE ONT OF MY MD FOR A LONG TIME. I KNOW FOR A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE THE SOCIAL AND ENOMIC JTICE ISSU HAVE E TO THE FORE.”SCHDLER HAS ALSO ENJOYED WATCHG TRACY WRE PIEC PUTTG A HLY REPORTED SLANT ON SIGNIFINT LGBTQ HISTORIL MOMENTS, SUCH AS A WILY READ FEATURE ABOUT THE DIRECT ACTN GROUP ACT UP’S PROTT AT ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL 1989. “I’M VERY PLEASED THAT A 30-YEAR-OLD IS NNG THE PAPER WHO HAS AN APPRECIATN FOR THE PAST BUT BRGS HIS OWN GENERATNAL ENERGY,” SCHDLER SAID. “AND TAT IS YOUNGER THAN THAT, AND A TRANS MAN OF LOR. I HAVE SCRAMBLED FOR YEARS TO TRY TO REFLECT THE DIVERSY OF A MUNY AS VAST AS NEW YORK. IT’S BEEN AN UPHILL BATTLE, EVEN WH THE GREAT NTRIBUTORS WE HAVE. IT’S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO BRG TWO YOUNGER, DIVERSE VOIC TO THE FORE. I’M VERY PROUD TO HAVE FOUND SOMEONE OF TAT’S LIBER FOR THAT JOB.” ADVERTISEMENT OBSERVG THE SPAN OF LGBTQ HISTORY OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, SCHDLER NTRASTS THE FORWARDS-BACKWARDS NATURE OF LEGAL AND POLIL PROGRS WH THE DIVERSIFITN OF EXPECTATNS AND MANDS OF THE YOUNGER LGBTQ GENERATN. “PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR SPACE. CULTURALLY THIS UNTRY, THE VISIBILY, LEGIMACY, AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUNY HAS BEE SO BROAD.”— PL SCHDLER IT IS “UNFIVABLE THIS DAY AND AGE” THAT THERE IS STILL NO FERAL NON-DISCRIMATN LAW PROTECTG YOUNG LGBTQ PEOPLE, SAYS SCHDLER—AND THE EQUALY ACT STILL SEEMS FAR OM LIKELY TO PASS THE SENATE. IT IS “DISAPPOTG THAT WE ARE STILL FIGHTG THE BATTL” SET BY THE RIGHT WG, HE ADDS—CURRENTLY AROUND “RELIG EEDOM” AS A MEANS TO DISCRIMATE, AND THE ISSUE OF TRANS GIRLS AND WOMEN PLAYG SPORTS, AND TRANS TEENS’ ACCS TO HEALTH RE.“ON THE OTHER HAND, MORE POSIVELY, HAS BEEN THE VISIBILY, VOICE, AND AGENCY OF THE TRANS MUNY AND LGBT LEARS OF LOR,” SAID SCHDLER. EVEN IF WHE MEN LEAD MANY ANIZATNS STILL, “SO MANY OTHER GROUPS ARE NOW PART OF THE NVERSATN AND PART OF THE AGENDA. PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR SPACE. CULTURALLY THIS UNTRY, THE VISIBILY, LEGIMACY, AND ACCEPTANCE OF OUR MUNY HAS BEE SO BROAD.”SCHDLER RELLS 2002, AND RENAMG THE PAPER GAY CY NEWS, AS A TIME WHEN HE DIDN’T THK LGBT WOULD TCH ON AS AN UMBRELLA ACRONYM. “I THOUGHT HAVG ‘GAY CY NEWS’ OUT ON THE STREET WAS A VERY STRONG STATEMENT. NOW, VIRTUALLY EVERY MAJOR MEDIA OUTLET ‘LGBT’ WHOUT EXPLAG WHAT MEANS. THAT UBIQUY, THE EASE WH WHICH PEOPLE UNRSTAND , IS REALLY TERRIFIC—EVEN IF OUR MUNY AND ISSU ARE ONE AREA WHERE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT GO TO CREATE A WEDGE ISSUE.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI ADVERTISEMENT THE TER, AND THE ASSIATN OF LGBTQ NEWS TO THE MASTREAM, HAVE OCCURRED ALONGSI A CLE LGBTQ-SPECIFIC NEWSPAPERS AND OUTLETS. BUT, AS A NEWS EVENT LIKE THE MASSED NUMBER OF STATE BILLS AGAST TRANS TEENS PLAYG SPORTS AND ACCSG HEALTHRE HAS REVEALED, MASTREAM OUTLETS SOMETIM DO NOT VER THE LGBTQ ISSU FULLY OR FEATURE A REPRENTATIVE NUMBER OF TRANS VOIC THEIR PIEC IF THEY DO. SCHDLER IS “DISTURBED BY THE TONE-AFNS TO THE NUANC OUR MUNY,” ON THE PART OF THE MASTREAM MEDIA. IT IS ONE THG TO WRE FOR A BROAD REARSHIP, BUT THIS SHOULD NOT MEAN, SAYS SCHDLER, “THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THE NONSENSE OF ‘ON THE ONE HAND,’ AND CUT OUT THE NUANCE. I DON’T THK THE ISSUE OF TRANSGENR GIRLS AND WOMEN PARTICIPATG SPORTS HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT WH MUCH SOPHISTITN OUT THERE.”SCHDLER THKS THERE IS STILL AN URGENT REASON AND PURPOSE FOR LGBTQ-SPECIFIC MEDIA OUTLETS. HE REMENDS THEY FOLLOW GAY CY NEWS’ ATTEMPTS AT DIVERSIFITN, LIKE HOLDG WEBARS AND PUBLIC EVENTS. HE THKS THE “NON-PROF, PROPUBLI” MOL IS UFUL. HE HOP THE MASTREAM PRS N BEE BETTER S VERAGE OF LGBTQ ISSU, AND MORE DITED AND NSISTENT THAT VERAGE. HE ALSO HOP LGBTQ JOURNALISTS WORKG MASTREAM ENVIRONMENTS DON’T FEEL THEY HAVE TO “CHECK THEIR INTI AT THE DOOR” WHEN DOG THEIR REPORTG.THE STGGLE TO SURVIVE AS AN LGBTQ OUTLET IS TENSE; FOR 25 YEARS, SCHDLER HAS BEEN A PASSNATE EDOR CHIEF, AND GAY CY NEWS IS NOW OWNED BY SCHNEPS MEDIA, WHICH OVERSE A NUMBER OF LOL NEW YORK PAPERS. “WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT WHERE THE L ARE TO MATA AND PROTECT AN PENNT EDORIAL VOICE. THAT’S THE ONLY THG THAT MAK SENSE FOR LGBT PUBLITNS. WHOUT THAT, ’S NOT WORTH .”— PL SCHDLER “BEG A DIVERSIFIED MEDIA GROUP HAS HELPED ,” HE SAID. “IF WE HAVE A BAD MONTH WE’RE BUFFERED, AND WE MAY HAVE A GOOD MONTH NEXT MONTH. IT ALSO MEANS AS AN EDOR, I HAVE AN PECIAL OBLIGATN TO BATTLE FOR THE EDORIAL TEGRY OF THE PUBLITN. WE ARE AN ADVOCY PUBLITN, NOT A CHEERLEAR PUBLITN. THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. WE WILL TAKE POSNS AND EXPLORE ISSU DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER PUBLITNS. ADVERTISEMENT “I AM PROUD OF MATAG THAT PENNCE OVER 25 YEARS, BUT TAK WORK. WHEN I SPOKE TO MATT ABOUT ASSUMG THE ROLE, THAT’S ONE OF THE THGS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKG ABOUT—ABOUT WHERE THE L ARE TO MATA AND PROTECT AN PENNT EDORIAL VOICE. THAT’S THE ONLY THG THAT MAK SENSE FOR LGBTQ PUBLITNS. WHOUT THAT, ’S NOT WORTH .”TRACY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: “I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE PL AS MY EDOR BEE HE TGHT ME SO MUCH AND CHALLENGED ME HELPFUL WAYS THAT TOOK MY WORK TO THE NEXT LEVEL. HE ENURAGED ME TO PURSUE THE STORI THAT I FELT NEED TO BE TOLD, HE IMPROVED MY WORK, AND HE WAS MY BIGGT ADVOTE DURG TURBULENT TIM. IF WERE NOT FOR PL’S LEARSHIP AND GUIDANCE, I WOULD NOT BE THE POSN I AM TODAY—AND HE SERV CRED FOR PREPARG ME FOR THIS ROLE. HIS MAND OF THE HISTORY AND STATE OF THE LGBTQ MUNY IS UNRIVALED, AND TO THIS DAY HE SERV AS AN IMPORTANT ROURCE AND MENTOR.” “AS A QUEER BLACK MAN OF TRANS EXPERIENCE, ’S IMPORTANT FOR MY REPORTG TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST MARGALIZED WH OUR MUNY, AND I’M NFINT THAT GCN IS DITED TOWARD FULFILLG THAT MISSN.”— TAT BELLAMY-WALKER BELLAMY-WALKER SAID: “ALTHOUGH I ONLY WORKED CLOSELY WH PL FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME, HE ALWAYS WAS A KD AND GENTLE EDOR. IT WAS AMAZG TO LEARN OM SOMEONE WH SUCH A EP UNRSTANDG OF LGBTQ POLICS BOTH NATNALLY AND GLOBALLY. PL IS A LIVG LIBRARY FOR THE GAY PRS.“AS A QUEER BLACK MAN OF TRANS EXPERIENCE, ’S IMPORTANT FOR MY REPORTG TO HIGHLIGHT THE MOST MARGALIZED WH OUR MUNY, AND I’M NFINT THAT GCN IS DITED TOWARD FULFILLG THAT MISSN. I WANT GAY CY NEWS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST READ LGBTQ S THE WORLD. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO NTUE ON OUR MISSN HOLDG LOL AND NATNAL LEARS ACUNTABLE TO THE ISSU FACG OUR MUNY.”THERE IS “NO QUTN” THAT SCHNEPS, THE CURRENT OWNER, WANTS TO KEEP GCN ALIVE AND OPERATNAL, SAID SCHDLER. “I HOPE THAT STAYS THE SAME. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHG OTHERWISE.” (THE DAILY BEAST REACHED OUT TO SCHNEPS MEDIA FOR MENT ABOUT SCHDLER’S TENURE, AND THE FUTURE OF GCN SELF, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RPONSE BY PRS TIME.) ADVERTISEMENT SCHDLER SAYS HE HAS NEVER BANGED HIS HEAD AGAST THE SK OVER THE THREE DIFFERENT SETS OF OWNERS THE PAPER HAS HAD WHILE HE WAS CHARGE. “THERE HAVE BEEN DISCSNS, SOME OF THEM SOMETIM HEATED,” HE SAID. WHEN MICHAEL BLOOMBERG WAS NNG FOR MAYOR, SCHDLER TOLD THE PAPER’S THEN-OWNER THAT THE PAPER WOULD NOT ENDORSE HIM, AS HE HAD “FALLEN SHORT” ON ISSU SUCH AS POLICE ENTRAPMENT. “WE HAD DONE A LOT OF REPORTG ON THAT ISSUE, AND ULD NOT JT IGNORE THAT AND SAY ‘VOTE FOR THIS GUY’—NOT THAT BLOOMBERG DIDN’T HAVE OTHER QUALI THAT WOULD HAVE ATTRACTED VOTERS, CLUDG LGBT VOTERS. BUT WE STOOD BY WHAT OUR REPORTG HAD BEEN, AND I TOLD THE OWNER THAT THEY HAD A UPLE OF OTHER NEWSPAPERS WHO ULD MAKE THE PRO-BLOOMBERG ARGUMENT.”THE PAPER’S REPORTG 2007/8 OF THE POLICE ATTEMPTG TO ENTRAP CTOMERS SEX SHOPS AROUND THE CY IS SOMETHG SCHDLER IS PROUST OF MOST. “IT WAS A VERY OLD HARASSMENT OF GAY MEN SUDNLY RURRECTED THE 21ST CENTURY, AND WE LLED OUT,” RELLED SCHDLER. “THE IA WAS THE CY ULD THEN TAKE THE EVINCE OF ARRTS AND TABLISH THE VENUE WAS A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND TAKE CIVIL ACTN TO CLOSE THEM DOWN.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI THE PAPER KEPT BREAKG NEW ELEMENTS OF THE STORY, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY REPORTED BY THE NEW YORK TIM. A LOT OF THE PROSECUTNS WERE VOID, WHILE NO ONE POLICE OFFICIALDOM WAS FOUND TO BE AT FLT, SAID SCHDLER. “IT WAS KD OF LIKE, ‘WE WON’T DO THIS ANYMORE, BUT ALSO NO ONE WILL SUFFER ANY NSEQUENC.’”SCHDLER IS ALSO PROUD TO HAVE SECURED TERVIEWS WH LEADG POLIL FIGUR LIKE BLOOMBERG AND HILLARY CLTON WHEN SHE WAS NNG FOR THE SENATE. “FOR A VERY SMALL PAPER THE MEDIA LANDSPE TO GET FOLKS OF THAT STATURE SHOWS THAT THEY APPRECIATE GETTG ACROSS THEIR MSAGE TO OUR MUNY. I’M VERY PROUD THEY SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO . THOSE KDS OF OPPORTUNI ARE HARD TO E BY.” ADVERTISEMENT THE PAPER TREATS LGBTQ POLICIANS AS CRILLY AS STRAIGHT. “WE LL OUT THE HOMOPHOB ON THE CY UNCIL, BUT WE HAVE THE GREATT IMPACT WHEN WE HOLD PEOPLE OM OUR OWN MUNY ACUNTABLE,” SAID SCHDLER. “WE ARE ALL THRILLED TO SEE OUR MUNY STG AT THE TABLE, BUT WHEN YOU S AT THE TABLE YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATN TO REPRENT .” HE C THE CRICISM THAT HISTORY-MAKG NGRSMAN BARNEY FRANK RECEIVED FOR EXCLUDG TRANS PEOPLE OM THE VOTE ON THE GAY-ONLY VERSN OF THE EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMATN ACT (ENDA) 2007. “I ALWAYS HAD AN QUISIVE MD”SCHDLER AVIDLY READ NEWSPAPERS WHILE GROWG UP CHIGO. “THERE WERE THREE REALLY GREAT CY PAPERS AT THAT TIME: THE CHIGO TRIBUNE AND THE CHIGO SUN-TIM STILL EXIST. THE OLD DAILY NEWS DO NOT. BUT AT THAT TIME, THEY ALL DID A LOT OF VTIGATNS ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG THE CY. THERE WAS A REAL AGGRSIVENS HOLDG TO ACUNT THOSE PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND THORI.”THIS WAS PECIALLY POWERFUL AND NECSARY CHIGO, SCHDLER SAID, WHERE AT THE TIME MAYOR RICHARD J. DALEY—THE CY’S MAYOR OM 1955 UNTIL HIS ATH 1976—AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MACHE EXERTED SUCH A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE CY’S POLICS.SCHDLER’S PARENTS, ERNT AND FLORENCE (HERRGTON) SCHDLER, WERE BOTH BORN 100 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR THE BRONX; THEY MARRIED 1946. HIS FATHER WAS A SALMAN OF LEATHER GOODS AND LATER CLOCKS. HIS MOTHER WAS A HOMEMAKER, WHO WORKED PART-TIME AFTER SCHDLER’S YOUNGER BROTHER GREW OLD ENOUGH FOR HER TO BE AWAY THE AFTERNOONS. SCHDLER’S TWO OLR BROTHERS WERE BORN THE BRONX; HIS YOUNGER BROTHER AND SCHDLER ( 1954) WERE BORN JT OUTSI CHIGO, WHERE THE FAY HAD MOVED BY THEN. ADVERTISEMENT NEHER OF HIS PARENTS WENT TO LLEGE, BUT WERE TED THE 1930S NEW YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS “WHEN THEY WERE THE PREMIER SCHOOLS THE UNTRY. MY MOTHER PROBABLY KNEW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS WELL AS ANYONE I EVER MET. AND SHE ALWAYS MA A POT TO MAKE SURE I SPOKE THE LANGUAGE PROPERLY. THAT GAVE ME A GREAT LOVE OF WORDS AND READG. I ALWAYS HAD AN QUISIVE MD, BUT DIDN’T REALLY E TO THE JOURNALISM WORLD UNTIL MY LATE 30S.” HE DON’T THK WOULD SURPRISE ANYONE WHO KNEW HIM WHEN HE WAS YOUNG TO LEARN THAT HE BEME A JOURNALIST, “BUT WASN’T A LIFETIME REER PATH FOR ME.” “I LEARNED TO READ A NEWSPAPER. AS WE’VE SEEN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, LNS OF AMERINS AND HUNDREDS OF LNS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOW UNABLE TO DO THAT.”— PL SCHDLER IT WAS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO SCHDLER, HOWEVER. “IT WAS VERY HARD TO HAVE GONE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND MY EARLY LLEGE YEARS, THE WATERGATE ERA, WHOUT APPRECIATG THE ABSOLUTE, FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR A EE MEDIA THIS UNTRY. NOT ONLY DID THEY BREAK THAT STORY, BUT WAS THE SAME ERA THAT THE PENTAGON PAPERS WERE RELEASED—THE TERNAL ERNMENTAL DOCUMENTATN ON WHAT HAPPENED DURG THE VIETNAM WAR.”READG JOURNALISM WILY, SCHDLER HOP, MEANT HE LEARNED “A MEASURE OF DISCERNMENT. IT MEANT I ULD READ THGS AND SAY, ‘OK, I PUT CRENCE THAT AND LS CRENCE THAT. I WONR WHERE THE FACTS ME OM. I WONR WHY THIS PERSPECTIVE IS DRIVG THIS REPORTG.’ I LEARNED TO READ A NEWSPAPER. AS WE’VE SEEN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, LNS OF AMERINS AND HUNDREDS OF LNS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOW UNABLE TO DO THAT. WHATEVER SHOWS UP THEIR FACEBOOK FEED, THEY BELIEVE.”SCHDLER GRADUATED OM NORTHWTERN UNIVERSY 1977, WH A GREE AMERIN STUDI AND HISTORY. HE EARNED HIS MASTER’S HISTORY THE FOLLOWG YEAR OM HARVARD UNIVERSY, WHERE HE WENT ON TO PLETE HIS ORAL EXAMS AND TEACH AMERIN HISTORY STUNT SEMARS FOR A YEAR. HE LEFT THAT PROGRAM WHOUT PLETG HIS THIS FOR A PH.D. ADVERTISEMENT SCHDLER NEXT WORKED FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL NON-PROF AND ALSO WAS A SE STUDY WRER FOR HARVARD’S JFK SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT. IN 1984, HE EARNED A MASTER’S MANAGEMENT OM MIT’S SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT.SCHDLER’S FIRST EXPERIENCE OF LGBTQ JOURNALISM WAS, WHILE LIVG BOSTON, READG THAT CY’S VERY OWN “GCN”—GAY COMMUNY NEWS, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED OM 1973 TO 1992. “I ED TO PICK UP EVERY WEEK AND READ ,” SCHDLER RELLED. “THERE WAS NO TER. IT WAS FULL OF RMATN I ULD NOT FD ANYWHERE ELSE. IT NOT ONLY TALKED ABOUT THE NASCENT EFFORTS ON A NATNAL LEVEL TO RAISE VISIBILY AT A TIME WHEN TRYG TO GET A MEETG WH (THEN-PRINT) JIMMY CARTER WAS A BIG AL, BUT ALSO DID OTHER STORI ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENG AROUND THE UNTRY. TO THIS DAY, I ADMIRE THE VERY SER AND RADIL JOURNALISM THEY WERE DOG THERE.” SOME GAY COMMUNY NEWS JOURNALISTS WENT ON TO BEE SIGNIFINT FIGUR THE MUNY. FORMER MANAGG EDOR RICHARD BURNS WENT ON TO -FOUND GAY AND LBIAN ADVOT AND DEFENRS, INC. OF BOSTON, AND 1986 BEME THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE THEN-NAMED LBIAN AND GAY COMMUNY SERVIC CENTER NEW YORK CY. AMONG OTHER GCN ALUMNI, URVASHI VAID BEME ONE OF THE UNTRY’S BT-KNOWN LGBTQ ACTIVISTS, CLUDG AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATNAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE, AND KEV CATHRT ROSE TO BEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LAMBDA LEGAL.WHEN SCHDLER ARRIVED NEW YORK, HE RELISHED THE SPIR OF ACTIVISM OUTWEEK (AND S KEY VOIC LIKE MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE AND GABRIEL ROTELLO). SCHDLER HIMSELF HAD ORIGALLY WANTED TO TEACH HISTORY, BUT ULTIMATELY CID “THAT WAS A LTLE TOO MONASTIC FOR ME.” HE WORKED FOR ROUGHLY 10 YEARS AT LEHMAN BROTHERS ON BOND FANCGS FOR STATE AND LOL ERNMENTS, AS WELL AS FOR SOME MEDIA PANI, CLUDG NEWSPAPER, RAD, TELEVISN, AND BLE GROUPS, BUT FOUND DID NOT SATISFY HIS “TELLECTUAL SIRE TO HAVE MY VOICE HEARD.”SCHDLER JOED LGNY 1995, AND ALSO EELANCED FOR PUBLITNS CLUDG OUT, THE ADVOTE, POZ MAGAZE, NEW YORK NEWSDAY, NEW YORK MAGAZE, CY AND COUNTY MAGAZE, INVTMENTS AND BENEFS, AND SMART MONEY. HE BEME EDOR OF LGNY 1996. “IT WAS ENOMILLY VERY CHALLENGG TO STA A SGLE TLE PANY, AND AFTER 9/11, THE PUBLISHER, TROY MASTERS, AND I NEGOTIATED A MERGER WH A NEWSPAPER GROUP THAT CLUD SEVERAL LOWER MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPERS. OUR NEWSPAPER WAS RENAMED GAY CY NEWS.” ADVERTISEMENT THROUGH SEVERAL SAL, GAY CY NEWS’ NEWSPAPER GROUP BEME PART OF CREASGLY LARGER NEWSPAPER GROUPS— 2012, 2014, AND 2018, WHEN THEY BEME PART OF SCHNEPS MEDIA. SCHDLER HOP HE HAS HELPED BEE A “MORE PERMANENT” LGBTQ TLE THAN OTHER PUBLITNS THAT HAD “BURST TO LIFE AND THEN DIED. AND I THK WE HAVE FORMED A NTUO LEGACY THERE, AND HOPE MATT AND TAT WILL LEAD ON AND MATA THAT.” “I DO GET TRATED, BUT I THK A LOT OF THOSE TRATNS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO LGBTQ ISSU, BUT THE OVERALL CLE AN TELLIGENT POLICS OUR UNTRY. THAT HURTS THE LGBTQ MUNY, BUT REALLY HURTS ALL OF .”— PL SCHDLER “I WAS SIMULTANEOLY SAD AND HAPPY FOR PL WHEN HE LEFT, BUT I AM EXCED ABOUT OUR FUTURE AHEAD WH TAT BELLAMY-WALKER, WHO HAS HELPED TELL EVEN MORE STORI AND IS LEADG OUR DIGAL EFFORTS TO THE FUTURE,” TRACY TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.TRACY SAID HE HAS NTUED THE NEWSPAPER’S TABLISHED REPUTATN FOR VERG ACTIVISM “BY FOLLOWG THE VIBRANT MONSTRATNS THAT HAVE BLOSSOMED THE LGBTQ MUNY DURG A PANMIC THAT HAS PUT RACIAL JTIC THE SPOTLIGHT. “THE RAPIDLY-EVOLVG LGBTQ LANDSPE IS EVINCED BY THE SUDN PROLIFERATN OF QUEER NDIDAT NNG FOR CY OFFICE ACROSS THE CY AS WELL AS THE LATN OF THE MOVEMENT TO CRIMALIZE SEX WORK. WE KNOW WILL BE IMPORTANT TO MATA OUR GRASSROOTS AND NATNAL VERAGE A POST-PANMIC SOCIETY, WHENEVER THAT TIME ARRIV, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO VER THE SIGNIFINT CHANG THAT WILL EMERGE.”TRACY SAYS HE TENDS TO BOLSTER GCN’S VERAGE OF AREAS SUCH AS NIGHTLIFE, AS WELL AS SPORTS, “WHICH WARRANTS ADDNAL ATTENTN THE LGBTQ MEDIA AT A TIME WHEN TRANS ATHLET FACE PERSISTENT ATTACKS AND MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LACK QUEER REPRENTATN.” ADVERTISEMENT TRACY SAID THE PAPER WILL ALSO REMA FOCED ON THE MURRS OF TRANSGENR AND NON-BARY PEOPLE, PECIALLY BLACK TRANS WOMEN, AT A TIME “WHEN SO MANY POLICE PARTMENTS AND OTHER NEWS OUTLETS ARE MISGENRG AND AD-NAMG DIVIDUALS THE PRS. WE HAVE THE WEIGHT OF THE LARGT CY THE NATN ON OUR SHOULRS. GAY CY NEWS IS THIS CY'S LGBTQ NEWSPAPER, AND THAT REQUIR TO LIVE UP TO THAT REPUTATN DAY AND DAY OUT—THANKS TO PL.”THIS REPORTER ASKED IF SCHDLER FELT FULFILLED OR TRATED, AS HE RETIRED OM WORKG LGBTQ JOURNALISM FULL-TIME AFTER 25 YEARS. “I THK FULFILLED. CERTALY, THERE WERE TRATNS. THE EARLY YEARS OF THE GEE W. BH ADMISTRATN WERE TRATG, AND THE LAST FOUR YEARS LEFT ANY THKG PERSON WH PTSD WH SOMETHG CRAZY HAPPENG EVERY DAY. I DO GET TRATED, BUT I THK A LOT OF THOSE TRATNS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO LGBTQ ISSU BUT THE OVERALL CLE AN TELLIGENT POLICS OUR UNTRY. THAT HURTS THE LGBTQ MUNY, BUT REALLY HURTS ALL OF .”ONE OF THE REASONS SCHDLER ADMIRED PRINT OBAMA, HE SAYS, IS THAT WHATEVER HIS POLICI, “I ALWAYS FELT THAT HE SPOKE TO THE AMERIN PEOPLE AS IF WE WERE ADULTS. THAT HAS BEEN MISSG THE LAST FOUR YEARS. IT’S CREASGLY HARD TO HAVE TELLIGENT POLIL DISURSE THIS UNTRY, AND OM WHAT I’VE SEEN OTHER UNTRI, LIKE BRA, NOW. AND THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER UNTRI WHERE PASSNS, DIVISIVENS, AND THE DARK UNRBELLY OF SOCIAL MEDIA HAS REALLY RPTED THE SUATN.” PL SCHDLER.BERT VACRI SCHDLER, WHO HAS BEEN WH HIS HBAND BERT VACRI SCE THEY MET 1981, HOP TO NTUE NTRIBUTG TO GAY CY NEWS, AS WELL AS LOOKG TO HISTORIL LGBTQ EVENTS AND NEWS OCCURRENC THAT HAVE BEEN LOST TO TIME BEE OF THE UBIQUY OF SUCH MARQUEE ISSU SUCH AS MARRIAGE EQUALY. ADVERTISEMENT THE “OTHER” MOMENTS, HE SAYS, MIGHT CLU VTIGATG MORE EPLY WHEN POLICE PARTMENTS STARTED TO SHIFT THEIR ATTUS AND APPROACH TO VIEWG CRIM MTED AGAST LGBTQ PEOPLE, AND TO WHAT GREE THAT SHIFT IS NOT YET PLETE. SCHDLER RELLS HOW NOT ONLY TOOK LGBTQ PEOPLE BEG MURRED BUT LARGE NUMBERS OF LGBTQ PEOPLE HTG THE STREETS TO MONSTRATE AGAST THOSE KILLGS FOR POLICE TO TAKE THEM SERLY.HE ALSO WANTS TO NTUE TO VTIGATE THE HISTORY OF POLICE ENTRAPMENT, AND HOW THE LGBTQ MOVEMENT ME TO FOC ON THE ISSUE OF HOMELS LGBTQ YOUTH, AND HOW EVOLVED TO EMBRACE DIVERSY S LEARSHIP—AND HOW MUCH WORK REMAS TO DO THAT AREA. “I WANT TO LOOK AT THE ISSU, BEE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WIR SOCIETY SAY, ‘YOU’VE GOT MARRIAGE, YOU’RE ALL SET,’” SCHDLER SAID. (RENOWNED LGBTQ ACTIVIST) “MATT FOREMAN TALKS ABOUT ‘LIVED EQUALY’—MEANG HOW DO WE AS QUEER PEOPLE LIVE AS FULL CIZENS OUR SOCIETY AND THE WORLD. THAT EMBRAC MUCH MORE THAN THE RIGHT TO MARRY OR JO THE ARY. WE KNOW OUR LIV ARE AFFECTED BY OTHER THGS, NOT JT THOSE HEADLE-MAKG STORI—AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THOSE ISSU END UP BEG MORE IMPORTANT HOW WE N OUR LIV.”SO Y, PL SCHDLER HAS RETIRED, BUT REALLY—JT AS WH ANY JOURNALIST WH BREATH THEIR BODY—HE’S ON TO FD THE NEXT STORY. TIM TEEMAN

MULTIPLE BRICK-THROWING INCIDENTS REPORTED AT NYC GAY BAR John Umberger died May 2022 Manhattan.

"VIDEO SHOWS SUSPECT IN NYC GAY BAR ATTACKThe New York Cy Police Department told Fox News Digal on Monday that Ramirez’s and Umberger’s aths "are currently unr vtigatn and the medil examer will terme their of ath. " The police did not say whether the two men were targeted bee they were gay. The Rz Bar and Lounge Manhattan (Google Maps)Other men, however, have also reported beg dgged and robbed of fanc after a night out at a gay bars and clubs Manhattan.

"After wakg up, he disvered $2, 000 had been transferred out of his acunts through Paypal and Zelle apps on his New York Tim spoke to five men who said they were dgged at gay bars the cy and then robbed. SUSPECT IN NYC GAY BAR ATTACKS ARRESTED"[The NYPD] asked me if I had been asslted, and I was like, ‘Gettg dgged is asslt, ’" Tyler Burt, 27, said.

GAY CY NEWS

’" The Boiler Room Manhattan (Google Maps)Burt said he was robbed of more than $25, 000 after beg dgged at the Boiler Room gay bar the East Village last asked about the strg of alleged dgggs and robberi agast gay men, the NYPD nfirmed to Fox News Digal that the "Crim Agast Persons Un, along wh the Manhattan North and South Homici Squads, are jotly workg wh our partners the New York County District Attorney’s Office to vtigate several cints where dividuals have been victims of eher robberi or asslt. Hell’s Kchen and Chelsea offer the most “tradnal” gay bars and clubs, where visors n check out venu wh hunky shirtls bartenrs, a mostly-gay-male clientele, and thumpg hs gog late to the night.

Highlights of the neighborhoods clu Indtry, which many claim is New York’s bt gay bar. It’s a fun and totally ridiculo experience that’s like a gay Coyote Ugly llid wh a down-home honky-tonk, but the fact that Flamg Saddl don’t take self serly is exactly why ’s such a fun bar to go to, offerg an unpretent experience that’s pecially good for anyone visg a gay bar for the first time.

Stonewall has played a central part NYC's gay muny for over 50 years © Getty Imag.