From The Editor

There’s no turning back! When OFM started back in 1976, that was our slogan. When the team first looked back and discovered that motto, we were a bit shocked. Today, we’re used to warm, fuzzy-feeling business buzz-phrases like “Where You Belong” and “The LGBTQ News You Trust.”

While I like the more modern slogans as well, somehow in my mind, I keep coming back to “There’s no turning back.” It’s intense. It’s bold. It sounds like the slogan of a queer community living in defiance of the AIDS pandemic and the intense bigotry of the times. And let’s be honest: It’s how a lot of us feel about the finality of coming out. 

That phrase ran through my mind all throughout 2021: my first year as a business owner and the first year in our almost-46-year legacy that we’ve been women-owned. As we head forth into a world that can be downright scary—a world with pandemics, massive global unrest, prejudice, hatred, and misinformation—to, against all odds, make a media business thrive, “There’s no turning back” has once again become our mantra. 

But we can’t move forward without looking back, despite what the new mantra tells us. The theme of this year is “remember your roots.” That’s why we’ll be revisiting topics like gonzo journalism, queer family structures, free love, our queer and intersectional elders, and a decolonized look at LGBTQ history.

When looking to the past, there’s no better place to start than free love. Though the initial concept preached in the 60s lacked a focus on consent and a certain amount of sincerity, the base movement of embracing love and acceptance over bigotry is one we’re still chasing today in these pages. 

So, go on a journey with us into topics including polyamory, relationship structures, community support, and sexual exploration, and remember: The season of love is the season of joy and resistence.