{{short description|American online LGBTQ magazine}} {{redirect|Them.||Them (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{italic title}} {{Infobox website | name = ''Them'' | logo = frameless|class=skin-invert | logo_caption = Logo since 2022 | type = Online magazine | language = English | founded = {{sda|October 2017}} | owner = Equalpride | editor = Sarah Burke | url = {{Official URL}} | commercial = Yes | current_status = Active }} '''''Them''''' is an American online LGBTQ magazine owned by Equalpride.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Chris |date=February 27, 2026 |title=Condé Nast's LGBTQ Media Brand Them Acquired by Equalpride, Publisher of Out and The Advocate |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/conde-nast-them-lgbtq-brand-equalpride-acquisition-out-mag-1236517192/ |access-date=February 28, 2026 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Its coverage includes LGBTQ culture, fashion, and politics.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=II|first=Louis Lucero|date=June 13, 2020|title=Celebrate Pride With Town Halls and Club Beats|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/at-home/celebrate-pride-at-home-coronavirus.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 27, 2017|title=コンデナストがLGBTQプラットフォーム「them」立ち上げ|url=https://www.fashionsnap.com/article/2017-10-27/condenast-them-magazine/|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=FashionSnap.com|language=ja}}</ref> The publication launched in October 2017 by Phillip Picardi and was owned by Condé Nast until 2026.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morrison|first=Cassidy|date=October 9, 2017|title=Condé Nast Launches LGBTQ Publication "Them"|work=V Magazine|url=https://vmagazine.com/article/conde-nast-launches-lgbtq-publication/|access-date=October 18, 2021|archive-date=October 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018154218/https://vmagazine.com/article/conde-nast-launches-lgbtq-publication/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Man Repeller"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wiedeman|first=Reeves|date=January 17, 2020|title=Hit by the changing media landscape, Condé Nast scrambles to stay in vogue|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/hit-by-the-changing-media-landscape-conde-nast-scrambles-to-stay-in-vogue-20191128-p53f08.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|quote=...Them aspires to be a stylish destination for queer young people.}}</ref>
== History == In the 2010s, some large media companies like HuffPost, BuzzFeed News, and NBC News had created media verticals targeted at LGBTQ audiences. Grindr launched ''Into'' in 2017, and ''Them'' was announced soon after.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Bendix |first=Trish |date=January 25, 2019 |title=The Past, Present, And Precarious Future Of LGBT Media |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/trishbendix/future-of-lgbt-media-out-advocate-autostraddle-into-grindr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620171105/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/trishbendix/future-of-lgbt-media-out-advocate-autostraddle-into-grindr |archive-date=June 20, 2025 |access-date=October 3, 2025 |work=BuzzFeed News |language=en}}</ref> ''Them'' began when Phillip Picardi, then the director of ''Teen Vogue'', proposed to Anna Wintour, Condé Nast's artistic director, that the company create an online, LGBTQ-focused media platform.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Raven|date=June 29, 2018|title='What makes it Them is us.'|url=http://system-magazine.com/them-conde-nast-video/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205053049/http://system-magazine.com/them-conde-nast-video/|archive-date=December 5, 2019|access-date=December 5, 2019|website=System Magazine|language=en-GB}}</ref> It was Condé Nast's first new platform since 2007, and came at a time that the company was revamping many of its digital media offerings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spellings |first=Sarah |date=October 4, 2017 |title=Condé Nast Announces New LGBTQ-Focused Publication |url=https://www.thecut.com/2017/10/cond-nast-announces-new-lgbtq-focused-publication.html |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=The Cut |language=en}}</ref>
Founding editors included Meredith Talusan, Tyler Ford, and James Clarizio,<ref name="Man Repeller">{{Cite web|url=https://www.manrepeller.com/2017/12/meet-staff-of-them-lgbtq-publication-conde-nast.html|title=Them: the New, LGBTQ Publication at Condé Nast|last=Diamond|first=Amelia|date=December 15, 2017|website=Man Repeller|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205053049/https://www.manrepeller.com/2017/12/meet-staff-of-them-lgbtq-publication-conde-nast.html|archive-date=December 5, 2019|access-date=December 5, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Brannigan|first=Maura|title=Condé Nast to Launch New LGBTQ-Focused Media Platform, 'Them'|url=https://fashionista.com/2017/10/conde-nast-lgbtq-media-brand-them|access-date=December 5, 2019|website=Fashionista|language=en}}</ref> and launch partners included Burberry, Google, Lyft, and GLAAD.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2017/10/10/conde-nast-them-lgbtq/|title=Name of Conde Nast's New LGBTQ Publication Falls Flat|last=Morris|first=Chris|date=October 10, 2017|website=Fortune|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Ember|first=Sydney|date=March 3, 2018|title=Condé Nast's 26-Year-Old Man of the Moment|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/03/business/media/conde-nast-phillip-picardi.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=October 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018154213/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/03/business/media/conde-nast-phillip-picardi.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
Upon the website's launch, there was some controversy over its naming, which some considered to be "othering".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Finkelstein|first=Elaina|date=November 1, 2017|title=New Condé Nast 'Them.' website sparks controversy after launch|url=https://wjla.com/news/offbeat/new-cond-nast-them-website-sparks-controversy-after-launch|access-date=March 8, 2021|publisher=WJLA}}</ref> The name is derived from the singular ''them'' pronoun,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Silva|first=Emma|date=October 26, 2017|title=Condé Nast Launches them, New LGBTQ Media Platform|work=Folio: Magazine|url=https://archive.foliomag.com/conde-nast-officially-launches-new-lgbtq-media-platform/}}</ref> emphasizing a gender neutral approach including in its fashion coverage.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Anderson|first=Tre'vell|date=November 14, 2017|title=#GayMediaSoWhite no more? Two new digital magazines signal a more diverse LGBTQ media|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-lgbtq-media-into-them-magazine-20171114-story.html|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=October 5, 2017|title=Are you one of us? Condé Nast lança Them, publicação multiplataforma voltada para o público LGBTQ|url=https://ffw.uol.com.br/noticias/revistas/are-you-one-of-us-conde-nast-lanca-them-publicacao-multiplataforma-voltada-para-o-publico-lgbtq/|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=Universo Online|language=pt-BR}}</ref> On the day of ''Them''<nowiki/>'s launch, ''Seventeen'' announced their own LGBTQ-focused programming under the ''Here'' brand, hoping to create a similar media brand targeted at a teenage audience.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brannigan |first=Maura |date=October 16, 2018 |title='Seventeen' Launches 'Here,' a New Community by and for LGBTQ Teens |url=https://fashionista.com/2017/11/seventeen-magazine-lgbtq-community-here |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Fashionista |language=en}}</ref> Gender-neutral magazines like ''Them'' were cited in 2019 as challengers to the traditional media's model of gendered magazines, which had become less successful over time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bolton |first=Rania |date=November 15, 2019 |title=Must Read: The End of Gendered Media, Black Friday Isn't as Popular as It Once Was |url=https://fashionista.com/2019/11/the-end-of-gendered-media |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Fashionista |language=en}}</ref>
''Them'' and ''Into'' signaled themselves as younger, more diverse, and cooler than legacy gay media outlets like ''The Advocate'' and ''Out''.<ref name=":5" /> Talusan shared that they joined the team because it was "truly intersectional" and this would help them feel supported at work, but also allow the magazine to cover issues that mattered to more queer readers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shapiro |first=Amanda |date=October 26, 2017 |title=Chatting With Meredith Talusan, Editor of New LGBTQ Site "them." |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/meredith-talusan-on-the-rituals-that-keep-her-grounded |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Bon Appétit |language=en-US}}</ref> Another queer magazine editor later criticized ''Them''<nowiki/>'s lack of other forms of diversity, saying its staff were "all gorgeous and 20" and it predominantly featured conventionally attractive people.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rushe |first=Dominic |date=October 31, 2018 |title='It's great to be niche. It also sucks': inside the grind of queer publishing |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/oct/31/queer-publishing-lgbtq-queer-media-niche |access-date=October 3, 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Picardi left ''Them'' and Condé Nast in the fall of 2018 to begin working as editor-in-chief of ''Out'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Yar|first=Sanam|date=December 13, 2019|title=Out Magazine Sheds Top Editor and Staff|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/12/style/phillip-picardi-out-magazine.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Jerde|first=Sara|date=January 8, 2019|title=Condé Nast Names New Executive Editor for LGBTQ+ Brand, Them|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/conde-nast-names-new-executive-editor-for-lgbtq-brand-them/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=December 5, 2019|website=Adweek|language=en-US}}</ref> By 2019, all of the founding editors had left as well.<ref name=":5" /> Whembley Sewell was named the new executive editor in 2019.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Drohan|first=Freya|date=October 4, 2021|title=Daily News: Meet Condé Nast's Newest EIC...|work=Daily Front Row|url=https://fashionweekdaily.com/daily-news-meet-conde-nasts-newest-eic-a-schiaparelli-boutique-is-coming-to-nyc-thanks-to-bergdorfs-messika-x-kate-moss-show-and-more/|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> That year, Condé Nast shared that "from both an audience and a business standpoint, we've seen consistent growth since launch" in ''Them''.<ref name=":5" /> In October 2021, Sarah Burke became the new editor-in-chief of ''Them''.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hopkins|first=Kathryn|date=October 11, 2021|title=2021 Media Moves: Layoffs at Genius Media and More|work=Women's Wear Daily|url=https://wwd.com/business-news/media/media-moves-from-march-29-1234788745/|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> In 2022, ''Them'' updated their logo and website, adding new portals for LGBTQ+ guides and queer thought leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Sarah |date=April 6, 2022 |title=A New Era of "Them" |url=https://www.them.us/story/them-new-logo-update-editors-letter |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Them |language=en-US}}</ref>
''Them'' helped release the 2018 documentary series ''Trans in America'', produced by the ACLU and Little By Little Films.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trans in America: A Documentary Series |url=https://www.aclu.org/trans-in-america-a-documentary-series |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=American Civil Liberties Union |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Trans in America: Texas Strong'' won an Emmy for Outstanding Short Documentary in 2019. It centers on the story of a transgender girl and her conservative Christian mother who have to navigate their Houston community after the daughter comes out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nash |first=Tammye |date=September 25, 2019 |title=Doc about trans child, mom wins Emmy |url=https://dallasvoice-newspack.newspackstaging.com/doc-about-trans-child-mom-wins-emmy/ |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Dallas Voice |language=en-US}}</ref>
In February 2026, ''Them'' was acquired by Equalpride, publisher of ''Out Magazine'' and ''The Advocate''.<ref name=":8" />
== Events == In 2020, ''Them'' hosted two virtual Pride Month events, Themfest and Out Now Live.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Salam|first=Maya|date=June 24, 2020|title=Your 2020 Virtual Pride Guide|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/gay-pride-2020-events-online.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=October 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018161419/https://www.nytimes.com/article/gay-pride-2020-events-online.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Shadel|first=JD|date=June 3, 2020|title=10 Pride events you can attend from home, from underground Zoom parties to a virtual Pridemobile|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/pride-events-you-can-attend-home-underground-zoom-parties-virtual-pridemobile/|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> Themfest streamed daily events like cooking shows, live comedy, drag performances, and musical shows.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shen-Berro |first=Julian |date=April 1, 2020 |title=Queer festivals, drag performances and LGBTQ meetups turn digital |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/queer-festivals-drag-performances-lgbtq-meetups-turn-digital-n1173281 |access-date=October 3, 2025 |publisher=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=October 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251014231347/https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/queer-festivals-drag-performances-lgbtq-meetups-turn-digital-n1173281 |url-status=live }}</ref> Out Now Live, its June 2020 virtual gay pride event, included speeches, LGBTQ history and musical performances.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Assunção|first=Muri|date=June 13, 2020|title=Pride must go on: A virtual guide to celebrate LGBTQ Pride month|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-lgbtq-pride-guide-online-celebrations-virtual-guide-20200613-adq7jnz4rfci3c5tnogsgnriwi-story.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=New York Daily News}}</ref> It was produced in collaboration with ''Pitchfork''.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
In 2022, ''Them'' launched the annual Now Awards.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Sarah |date=June 13, 2022 |title=The Now Awards: 12 LGBTQ+ People Reshaping Our World |url=https://www.them.us/story/them-now-awards-winners-2022 |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=Them |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Dell'Arciprete |first=Ashlee |date=June 13, 2024 |title=Reneé Rapp Honored at Them's NOW Awards; Shares Plans for Pride |url=https://theknockturnal.com/2024-them-now-awards-renee-rapp-elliot-page/ |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=The Knockturnal |language=en |archive-date=December 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251220022131/https://theknockturnal.com/2024-them-now-awards-renee-rapp-elliot-page/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 12 LGBTQ+ people were honored in the first year across different categories.<ref name=":6" /> In 2023, 12 people also received awards, including Kristen Lovell, Andrea Jenkins, Geena Rocero, Silver Iocovozzi, and Dylan Mulvaney. The show was hosted by editor-in-chief Sarah Burke, with live performances by Luxx Noir London, Vincint, and Dee Diggs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dell'Arciprete |first=Ashlee |date=June 23, 2023 |title=Dylan Mulvaney, Andrea Jenkins, Kristen Lovell and more LGBTQ+ Icons Honored at Them NOW Awards |url=https://theknockturnal.com/2023-them-now-awards/ |access-date=October 3, 2025 |website=The Knockturnal |language=en |archive-date=June 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624005115/https://theknockturnal.com/2023-them-now-awards |url-status=live }}</ref> 10 people received awards in 2024, including Reneé Rapp, Devery Jacobs, Ve'ondre Mitchell, Mauree Turner, Jinkx Monsoon, and Cecelia Gentili. Burke again hosted, with James Tom emceeing, and Zsela, OTA, Aliyah's Interlude, Ve'ondre Mitchell and George Abraham performing.<ref name=":7" />
== See also == * ''Metro Weekly'' * ''The Advocate'' * ''Bi Women Quarterly'' * List of LGBT periodicals
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website}}
Category:2017 establishments in the United States Category:Condé Nast websites Category:Internet properties established in 2017 Category:LGBTQ-related magazines published in the United States Category:LGBTQ-related newspapers published in the United States Category:LGBTQ-related websites Category:Magazines established in 2017 Category:Online magazines published in the United States{{Authority control}}