BY Lesbian.com
It is rare for an LGBT print publication to last a whole year these days, and even rarer for one’s success to be such a shared accomplishment. But Tagg Magazine — the Mid-Atlantic’s premier bi-monthly magazine for queer women is that special publication that has thrived and now celebrates its first year anniversary in September 2013.
By providing consistent, quality articles and event listings to an under-served population that crosses lines of age, class and race, Tagg has passed its first year with flying rainbow colors and is poised for many more.
“I’m most proud of the fact that this publication has come together through the community,” says Eboné F. Bell, Managing Editor and longtime pillar of the D.C. LGBT scene. “It couldn’t have happened without the support of our first year advertisers, without our writers, contributors and designers, all those who hopped on board and said ‘We want to see this succeed because it’s something the community needs.’”
Within a year, Tagg has already seen the results of their hard work. Not only has the print publication increased in size, but the website continues to get thousands of hits a week. The publication also has new distribution boxes in both D.C. and Virginia.
Tagg Magazine’s success can be credited to it’s own well-served readership. Their website’s most-frequently visited page is the events calendar, a free service where women from all over D.C., Virginia, Maryland and Delaware can get information about social gatherings ranging from dance parties to music trivia nights to poetry readings. Tagg’s editors are constantly scouring the Internet for more listings to widen the magazine’s scope.
Content is queen at Tagg, where articles like “14 Reasons You Know You’re A DC Lesbian” and “Emotional Free-Dom” sit local to culture previews, travel, health and entertainment, and thought-provoking essays on sex, career and family.
Bell herself was among the first outlets to profile Project Runway lesbian contestant, Alicia Hardesty, scoring an in-depth, one-on-one interview in Los Angeles, California. The wildly popular 2012 Holiday issue cover featured two real, local women as sassy Thanksgiving and Christmas models, and for the “Pride: Past, Present and Future” issue Bell arranged a Brady Bunch-like photo shoot that highlighted the true diversity and commitment of the women behind local Pride festivals.
“A lot of women put their heart and souls into making sure that Pride happens every year,“ says Bell. “I hope we were able to shed some light on Capital Pride and DC Black Pride, and the women behind those events. That issue was really special to me.”
Tagg has produced, sponsored, and tabled over a dozen events for the regional women’s community. Over 2,000 women attended the Pride closing party they co-hosted with The Ladies of LURe. Tagg’s launch party last September drew over 1,000 women to Cobalt in Washington, D.C. The publication was also an Official Media Sponsor at both the 2013 Women’s Fest Weekend in Rehoboth, DE and the infamous Dinah Shore Weekend in California.
As Tagg continues to grow in its mission to represent the local community of queer women, Bell looks to the magazine’s future with a deserved, optimistic excitement: “I hope for another successful year of Tagg and I hope to see more women at our events. I hope to hear from more of our readers; I’m always interested to hear what our readers are interested in. I’m also looking forward to hopefully showing up at more of your doorsteps.”
All month long, Tagg will be celebrating their one-year anniversary with their Home & Design issue, exclusive giveaways for their readers, and entertaining events. Tagg will be sponsoring a women’s wine tour in Virginia on September 15, 2013 and will resume sponsoring Ladies Tea at Hanks Oyster Bar the first Sunday of every month, starting in October 2013
