Pink Triangle Press (PTP) has laid off staff with 16 positions eliminated last week as the organization says it has to face “current market realities.”
“Pink Triangle Press has made the difficult, but necessary, decision to pull back on structural costs, which saw a number of valued and talented employees leave the organization last week,” David Walberg, Executive Director of Pink Triangle Press, told Broadcast Dialogue in an emailed statement. “It was our responsibility to align our cost structure with current market realities in order to protect the continued health of the organization overall.”
“We are certainly not the only media or digital organization making these kinds of decisions,” Walberg continued. “I am confident that the changes we have announced, as difficult as they are, position Pink Triangle Press well for a bright and sustainable future as an important voice for LGBTQ2S+ communities in Canada and internationally.”
The company’s publications include Xtra Magazine and gay travel site, Pink Ticket Travel. A spokesperson said three of the layoffs were tied to content positions at Xtra, while the rest were technical staff working across PTP’s dating product and back-end infrastructure teams.
Among those announcing their departures from Xtra are Jordan Currie, Associate Editor, Audience Engagement, who managed the publication’s social media presence and comment sections, and video producer Lito Howse. Both had been with the magazine for the past three years.
Founded in 1984, Xtra covers queer and trans culture, politics, sex, relationships and health. The publication’s roots are grounded in The Body Politic, the groundbreaking gay liberation newspaper launched in Toronto in 1971. After Xtra’s circulation overtook that of the original publication, The Body Politic was shuttered in 1987 to ensure the financial viability of the organization.
Former CBC News General Manager and Editor-in-Chief Jennifer McGuire moved into the role of Managing Director at PTP in January after joining the publisher a year earlier, initially in the role of Chief Content Officer.
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