Attitude

• Ownership: Originally published by Northern & Shell, later bought by Stream Publishing (an independent company).
• Stream Publishing: Small, Surrey-based, owned by Darren Styles (a gay publisher). He aimed to support niche LGBTQ+ media.
• Integration:

  • Horizontal: Bought rival Winq to eliminate competition.
  • Vertical: Controls all aspects of production and distribution—allows for creative independence
• Revenue: Heavily reliant on digital advertising (banners, sponsored content, social media promos)
• Global Presence: Localised editions in countries like Thailand, Belgium, and Vietnam
• Inclusivity: Online presence allows access even in countries where LGBTQ+ content is censored.
• Self-Regulation: Ethics policy and efforts to reduce online hate comments; limited interactivity may be for user protection.
• Demographics:

  • Predominantly gay men, aged 25–55.
  • ABC1 socio-economic group (middle-class, well-educated).
• Appeal Tactics:

  • Easy-to-read design: short text blocks, big images.
  • Clickbait headlines.
  • Retro pop culture references (90s) for nostalgia.
  • High-end adverts (e.g., Gucci) suggest wealth.
• Content Types:

  • Mix of entertainment, politics, and social justice.
  • Very little interactive content (suits older readers).
  • Print magazine promoted heavily (suggesting older readership still values physical media).
• Global Scope: Syndicated international stories to appeal to global audiences
• Representation Concerns: Criticism that it mainly represents gay men and not the wider LGBTQ+ spectrum (e.g., limited lesbian representation).
• Gender:

  • Men shown as strong, successful, often sexualised.
  • Mostly unemotional, factual content (stereotypically male).
  • Some articles (e.g., Gok Wan) challenge this by addressing emotional and mental health topics.
• Sexuality:

  • Dominated by representations of gay men.
  • Some diversity shown (drag, makeup, effeminate men), but other LGBTQ+ identities are underrepresented.
• Race & Culture:

  • Ethnic diversity is represented.
  • Non-Western countries (esp. in Africa) often shown negatively as homophobic or unsafe.
• Production Team: Mostly gay men, which explains the bias in representation but also ensures authentic LGBTQ+ storytelling.