Welcome to LGBTQ San Diego County News

Moving Gayly Forward

Albert H. Fulcher

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be part of LGBTQ San Diego News. As you can tell, we have already made some significant changes in the way we bring news and resources to our local LGBTQ community with a new look, and better yet, a new outlook for the future of this publication.

Many of you know our new owner and publisher Terry Sidie as he is a frequent face here in San Diego. I am grateful that he embraced the vision and funding this new venture. He’s a straight shooter and a downright nice fellow. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him, you will get your chance. I believe it is pretty safe to say that you will see him here in this community much more in the future.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Nicole Murray Ramirez, our new associate publisher. He spearheaded the purchase of this sale and has brought many community leaders into the fold to help support keeping the 10-year running of Gay San Diego continuing and heading into the new and bright direction.

Big Mike Phillips has contributed to this paper and our local community for years. It’s an honor to be working with him in a new capacity. Benny Cartwright is back with us on a regular basis and we have already added new writers like M.G. Perez and Conner Maddocks. I’m looking forward to work with all of them. I truly believe we have a great foundation for a team that can get things accomplished and provide all of our readers with a variety of topics that fits the diversity of our readers. We strive to be an all-inclusive publication.

I am indebted to the founder and publisher of Gay San Diego, David Mannis. Thank you for allowing me to work with you, your team and allowing me to make changes and take chances with Gay San Diego content. It has been a pleasure to work with you and I wish only the best for you in your retirement.

There are many things I’m excited about. First, a larger staff so that we may bring more news to your local newsstand or electronic device. I believe that the best news coverage comes from the diversity of the team that is bringing the news to you. Terry and Nicole have already brought onboard some exciting new people and brought back some of your favorite writers. As we get the team together, you will see more breaking news, investigative news, a larger span of coverage and I see more videos and podcasts in this newspaper’s future.

I am elated that this publication is moving in the direction of becoming a non-profit newspaper that will not only be able to serve the community with information, but to also support our local community and its organizations financially. This is a dream come true in my opinion and I believe wholeheartedly this is a great leap in other ways that we can continue to serve this community.

But I have to say this. This cannot be accomplished without your help. As you continue to read LGBTQ San Diego County News and you like what you see, continue to pick up a hard copy of our paper at your local newsstand. Visit us online for publication and online-only content. Follow us on our social media outlets and spread the word to your friends and family and let them become part of this community that we are strongly motivated to build.

It is astounding to me, at the support of many community leaders and the people that I see on a regular basis that want to help make this new endeavor a success. It has been overwhelmingly positive in response to the new direction that this newspaper is heading. It is also empowering to know that these people want to see the things that we do and want to see us do in the future. This vision goes well beyond the people behind the walls of an office, and I look ahead with great optimism.

Also, if you are able, please contribute to the success of this paper financially. For now, that means we need our restaurants, storefront and online businesses, theaters, realtors, lawyers, medical professionals to take a chance and advertise with this paper. It will not run without it. Our community is why many of these businesses are successful, because our local LGBTQ population is spending their hard-earned money for your goods and services. Many say that print is dead. But it is not. Community newspapers, like this one, have been the ones that have survived the most as major newspapers cut down and merge services. And statistics show that most people love their community papers because it relates to their  home where they live, eat, drink, shop and entertain themselves, their families and their friends.

I’m ready for your feedback on everything you see and anything that you want to see this publication accomplish to serve this community better. I’m waiting and excited to hear from you.

—Albert Fulcher can be reached at [email protected].