Sarah Burke, editor-in-chief of Them, spoke with Cheddar News about how its digital magazine offers a different setting for the LGBTQ+ community from other magazines. "From the very beginning, the intention was to create a platform that had a foundation of inclusivity and intersectionality across the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum," Burke said.

<div class="block">Sarah Burke, editor-in-chief of Them, spoke with Cheddar News about how its digital magazine offers a different setting for the LGBTQ+ community from other magazines. &quot;From the very beginning, the intention was to create a platform that had a foundation of inclusivity and intersectionality across the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum,&quot; Burke said.</div>

Closing Bell

'Them': A Digital Platform for the Entire LGBTQ+ Community

June is Pride month. So all month long cheddar news is shining a light on the queer trailblazers who are changing the game in different industries. Baker Machado sat down with Sara Burke, editor in chief of them, a digital LGBT Q plus magazine owned by Burke explained what makes them different from other media aimed at the queer community. Take a look from the very beginning. The intention was to create a platform that had a foundation of inclusivity and intersectionality across the entire LGBT Q plus spectrum, right? So really to tell those stories and to represent those people who maybe didn't necessarily feel heard yet even within queer media. So that has been kind of the core of I think what has allowed them to grow such a loyal and engaged audience, right? If you go to the Instagram, it really feels like a community. People are debating, people are affirming each other, they're king, they're telling jokes, that kind of thing. Have you sort of seen the evolution of this publication sort of change over the years? And where do you want to sort of take them to me being queer is so much more than an identity and a label, right? It's truly a daily act of rebellion. And we have to every single day break the mold to just to be ourselves, right? Just to move through the world as who we are. And that really creates a kind of innovation and resourcefulness necessarily and innately, right? And I really believe that LGBT Q plus people because of that, in part, have always been at the forefront of cultural change, of political change, of defining what it means to be human, you know, for everyone, right? So beyond, you know, telling the crucial stories that need to be told, celebrating our joy, I'm also very focused on wanting to celebrate the influence that queer people have beyond just, you know, within our own community. On the flip side, we're seeing more anti LGBT Q legislation being passed than I think most of us have ever seen in our lifetimes, especially now in 2023. Do you almost feel like at this moment, these, these stories are even more paramount now to be telling because of all of this anti LGBT Q laws we're seeing being passed. Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, there's also so much noise right now, right? And to be honest, it feels like there's a real lack of unity, so much of what we talk about and what I try to nurture in us as a team is thinking about how do we cut through the noise and make sure that we're always keeping our readers in mind in terms of what they actually need to hear right now and what's actually gonna feel useful to them in terms of how we're all gonna get through this together. What does Pride Month mean specifically to you? We've seen quite a bit of wavering on the part of um corporations, right, in terms of support for the LGBT Q plus community, this pride and that's been really, really disheartening. But I think it's also brought us back, right, as a reminder to the root of pride, which is one obviously a riot, a protest for our rights, which is more necessary than it has been in a long time this year, right? But also a celebration of how we are our own best allies, right? We are here to support each other. Um and as useful as it is to have, you know, other people at our back to have big companies, you know, taking a stand for us, ultimately, what we really need to rely on is each other. And I think that that's really, really something beautiful to celebrate. All right, thanks to Baker Machado with then editor in chief Sarah Burke for that interview.