Condé Nast’s Them has a new home.
Equalpride, publisher of standout queer brands like Out, The Advocate, Out Traveler, Health PLUS Wellness, Pride.com and Advocate Originals, has aquired the LGBTQ media brand launched by Condé in 2017. Equalpride confirmed the news on Friday, and said the acquisition is designed to expand its portfolio and strengthen its position “as the most comprehensive and influential platform for LGBTQ+ news, entertainment, culture and community connection.”
But the news comes a week after a significant number of staff cuts at Equalpride, including The Advocate editor-in-chief Alex Cooper, Pride.com editor-in-chief Rachel Shatto, brand partnerships manager Erin Manley, community editor Marie-Adélina de la Ferriére, and Out magazine staff writers Moises Mendez and Bernardo Sim.
Them, led by editor-in-chief and former Netflix staffer Fran Tirado, is a digital platform focused on LGBTQ+ culture, politics and identity. Based in New York City, it maintains a strong readership among Gen Z and millennial audiences with a healthy 1.1 million Instagram followers.
In addition to Tirado, the Them team includes executive editor Ludwig Hurtado, managing editor Samantha Allen, lifestyle editor Quispe López, associate director of audience development and analytics Mandy Velez Tatti, social media manager Ana Osorno, executive director of video programming and creative development Mi-Anne Chan, manager of video programming and creative development Catherine Mhloyi, staff writer James Factora and a number of contributing writers and editors-at-large.
“Equalpride exists to elevate, celebrate and protect LGBTQ+ storytelling at scale,” said Equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill. “By combining the strengths of our brands with this respected digital platform, we’re creating a unified ecosystem that delivers even more impact for our audiences, advertisers, and community partners. Adding the Them brand accelerates our mission and expands the ways we can champion LGBTQ+ voices year‑round.”
He added: “This is about scale with purpose. Together, we’re building the most trusted, far‑reaching LGBTQ+ media network in the world that honors our history while innovating for the future.”
Them was always a bit of an outlier among Condé Nast brands as the lone LGBTQ title among publications like Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, The New Yorker, Self, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Glamour, House & Garden, Wired, Pitchfork and more. In recent weeks, Them has made news of its own by launching a new weekly column and companion newsletter led by Tirado titled Feral, and a recently-launched video series, Privacy Please!
The media business has faced headwinds in recent years, times made even more tough on brands serving niche audiences. Cultural attacks on LGBTQ content and the administration’s focus on dismantling DEI programs have created further challenges, issues that Berryhill acknowledged in a memo sent to staff last week ahead of the layoffs.
“Companies aren’t spending as much on marketing due to current economic concerns and challenges. In the last few months, we have had cancellations of major advertising campaigns, which have dramatically impacted our company,” he wrote. “We can’t let the economic and political climate overshadow our calling to amplify the voices that need to be heard as our queer community fights for inclusion and faces daily setbacks in human rights.”
Dylan Mulvaney attends the Them Now Awards at New York’s Public Hotel on June 14, 2023.
(Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Conde Nast)
