There’s a new chapter in the ongoing saga of layoffs at media outlets like Equalpride – the parent company of prominent LGBTQ brands like Out Attorney, Pride.com, Out Traveler, Health plus wellness and Lawyer assets -He has a pink staff on both the editorial side and the corporate side including brand partnerships, per source.
The source indicated that the layoffs took place last Friday, and a large number of senior editors and staff confirmed the exits through official posts on LinkedIn, including Lawyer Editor-in-Chief Alex Cooper, Pride.com Editor-in-Chief Rachel Chatto, Brand Partnerships Manager Erin Manley, Community Editor Marie-Adelina de la Ferriere, outside Magazine staff writer Moises Mendez, and more. outside Staff writer Bernardo Sim confirmed on Instagram.
Cooper, who had been with the company in various roles since June 2021, shared that he was losing his “dream job,” adding: “Few people have had the privilege of leading this legendary news outlet for the LGBTQ+ community, and I am deeply honored to be one of them. To my team: Thank you for the past four years. You have been the best. For those also impacted today, please let me know how I can support you.”
“It meant to me to be part of a publication that made joy its core spirit and told stories that were as uplifting as they were informative and entertaining,” said Pere Chatto, who has been the site’s editor-in-chief since June 2021. “During my time at the site it meant something.” PrideI put my heart and soul into connecting with and growing our audience – who have thankfully responded in kind. I’m proud of the success we’ve had in expanding our reach and becoming a trusted voice in the media landscape.
Hollywood Reporter It obtained a memo sent to staff by Mark Berryhill, CEO of Equalpride, who acknowledged the headwinds facing the media sector at this time.
“Here’s an email no CEO would ever want to write: Today, we made the difficult decision to further reduce our headcount. I want to be open and transparent with you about the uphill battle we face. The advertising market remains in turmoil. Companies are not spending as much on marketing due to current economic concerns and challenges. In the past few months, we have canceled major advertising campaigns, which has significantly impacted our company.”
Berryhill outlined a plan to consolidate some departments and reassign remaining employees to new positions to focus on “pursuing revenue projects not tied to the ad dollar,” a strategy many media companies are leaning toward amid economic challenges and the looming threat of artificial intelligence. Berryhill also noted that the company will be holding a town hall meeting sometime this week.
“We cannot let the economic and political climate overshadow our call to amplify the voices that need to be heard as our queer community struggles for inclusion and faces daily human rights setbacks,” he wrote.
The latest cuts come after six employees were laid off last October. The source noted that this is not only a difficult time for the media sector, but also for brands that cater to marginalized communities.
“We’re going through a really tough time. This administration’s anti-DEI policies are really brutal, and they’re trickling down so much that we’re seeing their impact,” the source explained. “LGBTQ+ media is essential, and it’s important that there are brands dedicated to telling our stories. That’s part of the reason why these brands have survived and thrived for decades and decades. These brands mean so much to people, and we need to tell our stories now more than ever.”
