Editor's letter, January 2025: "Gay Times, but not as you know it"
Gay Times, but not as you know it. Reintroducing our monthly magazine with a bold, fresh redesign.
Words by Megan Wallace
We launch today, on 20 December, with The Package Issue – a wink at the festive tradition of “unwrapping” presents and a cheeky nod to GT’s soft porn past – a set of provocative thought-starters aimed at today’s gay population and the wider queer community.
So, here’s our cheat sheet of what to expect:
The Packages Issue is…Playful. Where’s willy? Eschewing a traditional talent-led format, our cover and key imagery reimagines the tradition of homoerotic art via a set of abstract, futuristic images by the photographer Marloes Haarmans and set designer Pierre Vaillant.
The Packages Issue is…Provocative. Want to know how the other half lives? We’ve published two complementary reported features exploring the topic of *ahem* size, within the gay male community and what it means in the context of beauty standards, desirability politics and identity. Other hero stories include a look into the transmasc community’s experiences of bottom growth and a riveting journey into the rise of the chastity kink.
The Package Issue is…Pragmatic. We’re a grower, not a shower. As well as provocations looking at all things phallic, we’re also here to provide solutions for issues facing our community. Our non-monogamy agony aunt Leanne Yau unpacks the prevalence of ‘One Penis Policy’ relationships, while social justice activist Eliel Cruz advises us on the queer nonprofits who are the full package (workers’ union and all) and deserve our hard-earned cash.
For future ref, here’s where Gay Times Magazine is going next:
The key to any long-lasting relationship? Keeping it fresh. That’s why, even after four decades, we’re continuing to switch up our core editorial offering.
Our digital magazine has been reimagined, with each monthly iteration focussing on a theme which will serve as a thought-starter for a range of reported features jumping – from new and unexpected angles – into the issues facing the queer community today.
Each theme will involve new voices and corners of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, with some themes responding to specific facets of the queer experience and others maintaining a broader reach.
The revised content approach coincides with an updated design approach, with a bespoke visual identity corresponding to each monthly iteration across key visuals and social assets.
Enjoy!