O.C. Gay-Lesbian Magazine to Debut : Publication: The publisher says the homosexual community needs a publication to vent its anger. Circulation of 20,000 is planned.

To anyone who asks why Orange County needs a gay and lesbian newspaper, the publishers of the forthcoming Orange County Blade rattle off a slew of anecdotes, including:

* The Garden Grove printer who agreed to publish the Blade and then changed his mind when he found out it was a newsmagazine for homosexuals.

* The potential advertisers who turn hostile upon hearing the Blade is for gays.

* The many mainstream publications--including several local newspapers--that refuse to print same-sex personal ads.

For years, Orange County’s gays and lesbians have complained that they can’t rely on the so-called mainstream press for consistent and in-depth coverage of their community.

They contend that social events go unsung, demonstrations are largely ignored and the AIDS crisis didn’t receive the kind of coverage it deserved until it hit a famous heterosexual such as basketball star Magic Johnson.

But that will change on Friday, when Orange County’s first widely circulated gay and lesbian publication, the Orange County Blade, makes its debut.

The newspaper’s three founders say they got the idea for the publication after Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed AB 101, which would have made it illegal to discriminate against homosexuals in employment and housing.

They were incensed by Wilson’s veto, but couldn’t find a publication through which to voice their outrage. So they decided to start the Blade. Their timing may be opportune.

While general-interest newspapers and magazines have suffered what some call the worst advertising rut since the Depression, many of the nation’s 160 gay and lesbian publications are thriving despite the recession.

The national newsmagazine the Advocate, for example, carried 147 pages of national ads last year compared to 50 pages in 1989. The Lesbian News, a newspaper for gay women in Southern California, says its ads have more than doubled in just the last year.

Blade Publisher Rus Calisch said the Orange County “lesbigay” community--his collective term for lesbians, bisexuals and gay men--is in need of a magazine to vent its anger about discrimination, AIDS, gay bashing and the debate about whether homosexuality’s cause is genetic or environmental.

“Right now, there is a gay revolt going on,” said Calisch, a former advertising director for Surfing magazine in San Clemente.

Besides serious fare, the Blade plans to also print theater reviews, favorite recipes and party gossip that will be the gay version of the society columns that appear in many general-interest newspapers.

Robert Brown, the Blade’s editor and former co-owner of the Upchurch-Brown bookstore in Laguna Beach, hopes also to include some humorous articles. He adds jokingly that “there is no truth to the rumors there are heterosexuals on the staff.”

The Blade will be distributed free every month. The paper’s revenue will have to come from advertisers and readers requesting subscriptions.

Brown, Calisch and Laguna psychotherapist Bill LaPointe figure that they will need to bring in $17,000 a month to break even. The three men have invested a total of $10,500 of their own money and had collected $8,500 in advertising revenue as of Monday. They hope to print 20,000 copies monthly.

Even though it has an estimated 250,000 gays and lesbians, Orange County is the only Southland media market without a gay and lesbian paper.

Los Angeles is a center of gay publishing, including not only the Advocate but also two hefty newspapers, Frontiers and Edge, both with a circulation of 35,000. San Diego and Palm Springs also have their own gay newspapers.

“Orange County definitely is ready for its own (gay and lesbian) newsmagazine,” said Libby Cowan, co-chair of Elections Committee of the County of Orange, a gay and lesbian political action committee.

Gay and lesbian activists interviewed for this story point out, however, that the Blade faces an uphill battle in Orange County. The county’s conservative streak, they say, even extends deep into the gay and lesbian community.

Tim Miller, director of the AIDS Response program in Garden Grove, said the Blade’s biggest challenge will be reaching the tens of thousands of gays and lesbians in the county who rarely attend community functions or frequent gathering places such as bars or health clubs, where the paper could easily be distributed.

“Unless it comes in a plain brown wrapper, they won’t subscribe to it because they don’t want to see anything with the G and L words on it,” Miller said. “They don’t want their mail carrier to realize they are gay or lesbian.”

Calisch counters that anyone can pick up the Blade anonymously and that it will be distributed in enough places--including doctors’ and lawyers’ offices--to make it accessible to anybody who wants it.

“If we didn’t believe we would be here two years from now, we wouldn’t have started it,” Calisch said. “This isn’t a lark.”

Calisch has at least one thing on his side--a sudden interest in gay media as advertisers discover a lucrative niche.

Overlooked Opinions, a Chicago market researcher, recently reported that lesbians have an average household income of $45,927 and gay men $51,325. The national average for all households is $36,520.

“The commercial world . . . is beginning to realize the gay market is a significant one,” Calisch said.

Several studies indicate that gays and lesbians are more likely to purchase products from those companies that either advertise in publications such as the Blade or take public stances that are considered pro-gay.

“If they cultivate the community, it pays off,” Brown said.

The Blade’s staff is already at work choosing the May cover photograph for a feature on the UCI Film Festival.

One movie star, who recently drew sharp criticism from gays and non-gays alike for his disparaging remarks about homosexuals, is not in the running for the Blade’s cover.

“It won’t be Mel Gibson on the cover. I’ll tell you that now,” said Calisch with a chuckle.

Largest Gay, Lesbian Publications

All publications listed are free except the Genre and the Advocate, which have a paid circulation.

NATIONWIDE

Publication, City, Frequency of Publication Circulation The Genre, New York and Los Angeles, bimonthly 100,000 The Advocate, Los Angeles, biweekly 75,000 The San Francisco Bay Times, biweekly 40,000 Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco, weekly 35,000 Edge, Los Angeles, biweekly 35,000 Frontiers, Los Angeles, biweekly 35,000 Washington Blade, Washington, weekly 30,000 Update, San Diego, weekly 21,000 The Weekly News, Miami, weekly 20,000 Windy City Times, Chicago, weekly 20,000

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION

Publication, City, Frequency of Publication Circulation Lesbian News, Los Angeles, monthly 22,000 Orange County Blade, monthly * 20,000 Nightlife, Los Angeles, biweekly 19,000 The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, weekly 10,000 Vanguard, Los Angeles, biweekly 17,500 Bravo, San Diego, weekly 9,000

* Estimated circulation of first issue debuting March 20

Source: Rivendell Marketing, Plainfield, N.J.

Researched by DALLAS M. JACKSON / Los Angeles Times