Publications: Open Closets, Closed Doors

The magazine’s circulation was only 30,000 or so, but its notoriety far exceeded its size. The gay and lesbian publication Outweek was a pioneer of “outing” — exposing allegedly homosexual celebrities. Outweek’s practice of opening other people’s closets ignited feverish debate. But after just two years in business, Outweek halted publication last week.

The magazine had earned recognition for its reporting on AIDS, homophobic assaults and gay politics, but its greatest success was in shaking up its competitors by challenging their brand of gay activism with a more militant stance. Outweek’s upscale readership should have appealed to big-budget advertisers, but they shied away apparently because the magazine’s attitude was controversial even in the gay community. In recent weeks staff infighting brought about the ouster of Gabriel Rotello, Outweek’s editor and guiding spirit.