Everything old is
new again

Readers' attachment to The Advocate has always been remarkable. Everyone looks for stories in our pages that remind them of themselves, and when they find them, they let us know. Readers send in news clippings, story ideas, and photos of their weddings and kids. When we get something right, sometimes they call just to say thanks. And when we get something wrong--well, that's when we really know how high the standards are that readers set for us. I consider every passionate reader response, happy or unhappy, a significant compliment--not to me, but to this magazine as a nearly 38-year-old institution. Having survived late '60s persecution, '70s isolation, the onslaught of AIDS in the '80s, "don't ask, don't tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act in the '90s, and the latest full-scale war against the truth by the pseudo-Christian right, The Advocate has become an enduring symbol of pride and defiance. We, its current caretakers, can only hope to live up to the magazine's history, to earn the trust and respect of each new gay and lesbian generation as our predecessors have done. It's our job to stay relevant. It is therefore only after considerable thought and planning that we have redesigned and restructured

Readers' attachment to The Advocate has always been remarkable. Everyone looks for stories in our pages that remind them of themselves, and when they find them, they let us know. Readers send in news clippings, story ideas, and photos of their weddings and kids. When we get something right, sometimes they call just to say thanks. And when we get something wrong--well, that's when we really know how high the standards are that readers set for us. I consider every passionate reader response, happy or unhappy, a significant compliment--not to me, but to this magazine as a nearly 38-year-old institution. Having survived late '60s persecution, '70s isolation, the onslaught of AIDS in the '80s, "don't ask, don't tell" and the Defense of Marriage Act in the '90s, and the latest full-scale war against the truth by the pseudo-Christian right, The Advocate has become an enduring symbol of pride and defiance. We, its current caretakers, can only hope to live up to the magazine's history, to earn the trust and respect of each new gay and lesbian generation as our predecessors have done. It's our job to stay relevant. It is therefore only after considerable thought and planning that we have redesigned and restructured The Advocate for this, our annual Pride Issue. The changes in the print edition will give us more flexibility and accessibility, more options for relaying information, and more ways to respond to the evolving demands of our 21st-century readers. As our online edition takes an ever-increasing role in delivering breaking news and offering a forum for debate, the print magazine remains the flagship, the principal vehicle for news features, sharp analysis, and challenging viewpoints. It's by design (so to speak) that the cover package for this first issue of the revamped Advocate addresses the up-and-coming, under-25 leaders of the GLBT equality movement. In an era when shameless demonization and lies about our lives and our families are the bedrock on which many national leaders build power, our greatest hope for the future is in the strength and audacity of this Generation Q. Whatever our age or background or family situation, if we are not attentive to the experiences and needs of the young, neither the magazine nor the movement will succeed. It's our job to help pave their way--and, eventually, to get the hell out of their way. Our readers under 25 have a job to do too: to listen to those of us who are older. Not to agree blindly, but to absorb and assess. To that end, The Advocate remains a magazine of all ages, reflecting the diversity of GLBT lives, accomplishments, and interests. Serving a community as diverse as America itself, we few souls who guide The Advocate face a daunting task every day. But we have hundreds of thousands of allies. You, our readers, have always kept us honest and humble. Don't stop now.

for this, our annual Pride Issue. The changes in the print edition will give us more flexibility and accessibility, more options for relaying information, and more ways to respond to the evolving demands of our 21st-century readers. As our online edition takes an ever-increasing role in delivering breaking news and offering a forum for debate, the print magazine remains the flagship, the principal vehicle for news features, sharp analysis, and challenging viewpoints. It's by design (so to speak) that the cover package for this first issue of the revamped Advocate addresses the up-and-coming, under-25 leaders of the GLBT equality movement. In an era when shameless demonization and lies about our lives and our families are the bedrock on which many national leaders build power, our greatest hope for the future is in the strength and audacity of this Generation Q. Whatever our age or background or family situation, if we are not attentive to the experiences and needs of the young, neither the magazine nor the movement will succeed. It's our job to help pave their way--and, eventually, to get the hell out of their way. Our readers under 25 have a job to do too: to listen to those of us who are older. Not to agree blindly, but to absorb and assess. To that end, The Advocate remains a magazine of all ages, reflecting the diversity of GLBT lives, accomplishments, and interests. Serving a community as diverse as America itself, we few souls who guide The Advocate face a daunting task every day. But we have hundreds of thousands of allies. You, our readers, have always kept us honest and humble. Don't stop now.