Eboné Bell was concerned about seeing the disproportionate representation of white cisgender gay men in LGBTQ media when our communities are so much more diverse than that. Tagg covers “everything lesbian, queer, and under the rainbow” and it has a mission to elevate coverage of LGBTQ community members who aren’t equally represented in the media.
Bell had a steady full-time job at AARP as a web content developer before she quit to start Tagg. Before she left in 2012, she helped to create the first LGBTQ webpage on the AARP’s website. Bell jokes (half seriously) that she wants to tell the story of every single queer woman so that she’ll be working for quite a while.
Tagg Magazine’s first issue.
Print issues of Tagg Magazine are now triple what they started as, going from 12 pages to 28 to 44 pages per issue now. The first issue of Tagg featured Season 10 Project Runway contestant Alicia Hardesty on the cover. Hardesty also attended Tagg’s launch party in Washington, D.C.
Tagg has three parts to its mission: tell stories, provide resources, and hold events. Those events bring the community together and in at least three cases led to wedding bells for couples who met there.
Tagg started off as specific to Washington, D.C., but expanded to national coverage in 2014. Anyone anywhere in the United States can get the six glossy color print issues per year delivered to their home for just $5.50 per issue ($32.99/year subscription).
Tagg started a college scholarship fund in 2017 for young queer women of color and awarded scholarships in 2018 and 2019 so far. Recipients must demonstrate community involvement, leadership, academic achievement, and financial need. Anyone can donate to the fund, which is an official non-profit organization of its own.
You may see Tagg articles often in your social media feeds, but you might have started seeing some Facebook Lives as well. & Seen started off as Tagg’s virtual wine tastings and are now shows of 45 minutes to an hour where fans can chat with celebs while everyone enjoys some wine from home. Tagg also has two podcasts you will love: Lez Hang Out and Homoground.
Besides GO Magazine, Tagg Magazine is the only other queer women’s publication that hasn’t gone out of print. We keep going because the stories we share and community we build matter, and we’re only able to do so with your support. Buy a T-shirt, donate, or even just follow and interact on social media to help keep this resource around for years to come.
