Brody's Scribbles... It's So Nice To See An Old Friend Return To Washington DC

Photo By Brody Levesque

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) May 3 | Sometimes it's so easy to forget how a small part of one's daily routine can have such a significant effect on one's life until its removed-gone, poof, no more. In this era of instant communications and web-based information dispersed literally at the moment of occurrence... ie: Twitter, it's difficult for the younger set to understand the role that newspapers play in everyday life. Losing one? Not a big deal. However, for the older generations? Well it most certainly has great impact when a newspaper disappears, plainly put; It sucks.

Here in Washington, the LGBT community narrowly avoided losing its anchor, its voice, it sense of community when Window Media Corp pulled the plug on the Washington Blade last November with absolutely no warning. But, what no one banked on was that this paper was much more than just a newspaper, it was & remains the very foundations to the greater DC area LGBT community.

Publisher Lynne Brown, Editor Kevin Naff, and Sales executive Brian Pitts along with Veteran Washington journalist and Blade National Affairs correspondent Lou Chibbaro Jr. along with correspondent Chris Johnson and other staffers refused to give up. Oh hell no, no throwing in of the towel with this group. I ran into them the very next day in front of Lambda Rising Books, DC's former LGBT bookstore, launching the new venture on the street literally. They were 100% motivated and earnest, ready to take risks to keep the paper going.

What happened next is a testimony to not only those tenacious dedicated Blade staffers and execs but those members of the DC LGBT community; advertisers, readers and others who all banded together to keep the Blade afloat and a viable part of the community.

The first edition of the DCagenda was a xeroxed four page newsletter that soon morphed back into the familiar newsprint tabloid version by edition number three. The new venture recovered, built itself back up and in a twist of sweet irony, Brown, Naff, & Pitts  Omnimedia corp, the company, bought the naming rights, and thankfully the 40 year heritage  of the entire & morgue catalog back acquiring DC's vital LGBT newspaper legacy in one fell swoop. 

After a reader survey, this past Friday, the masthead reverted back to its familiar name and I gotta be honest, I was so thrilled.

Congrats to Lynne, Kevin, Brian, and the entire staff of the Washington Blade. Its nice to have you back again..... Well done folks, well done!