Rough Water Ahead for The Advocate? : Magazines: Sexual harassment and bias claims, plus financial worries, spell tough times for one of the nation’s leading gay publications.

If trouble comes in threes, The Advocate magazine has met its quota for a while.

The nationally recognized champion of the gay and lesbian movement has been embroiled in a series of workplace controversies this month, capped last week by announcement of staff cutbacks prompted by a cloudy financial outlook.

In fact, editor Jeff Yarbrough concedes that the twice-monthly news magazine has been skating on the brink of “a sort of major (public relations) disaster.”

Before reducing its 22-person editorial staff by four and overall employment by seven, the Hollywood-based magazine had already raised eyebrows because of a male-versus-male sexual harassment lawsuit and threatened legal action by a former female managing editor who alleges the magazine discriminates against lesbians. The magazine employs about 60 workers. Circulation, keyed to newsstand sales, ranges from 75,000 to 100,000 per issue.

Although the three incidents are unrelated, they have inspired intense scrutiny of a magazine that previously was better known for its crusades on behalf of gay rights, uninhibited star interviews and outing of public figures. In particular, other gay publications have turned their focus on The Advocate, Yarbrough says, often publishing what he considers poorly reported accounts of difficulties at the magazine.

To avert its potentially biggest embarrassment, the magazine on Monday ordered its attorneys to drop a controversial line of defense in the sexual harassment case.

Filed by a former warehouse employee, the unusual suit alleges that the employee was the target of sexual advances and explicit comments by his supervisor. Gonzalo Herrera charges that while employed by the magazine in 1989-90, he was subjected to provocative comments and unwanted, sometimes lewd, physical contact by his supervisor.

In response, the magazine’s attorneys filed court papers arguing that same-sex harassment is not covered by California laws. That position drew immediate fire from Herrera’s attorney, gay activist Mickey Wheatley, who tagged the defense a hypocritical legal dodge by a magazine that billed itself as a defender of gay rights.

Wheatley also argues that current laws are generally considered to cover all types of sexual harassment.

David Russell, The Advocate’s chief operating officer, issued a statement announcing the dropping of that line of defense. “We as a company would never bring harm to the lesbian and gay community, and upon reviewing the status of this case are withdrawing (the defense),” he said. However, Russell vowed, “we will fight this suit with extraordinary vigor and in a court of law.”

Meanwhile, Pasadena attorney Eric E. Davis says he probably will file a job discrimination case against The Advocate on behalf of former managing editor S. Bryn Austin, who quit Jan. 5. Austin’s departure followed or coincided with the departure of two other women, Chicago-based stringer Achy Obejas, who was fired by Yarbrough, and New York-based columnist Donna Minkowitz, who quit in support of Austin.

“I didn’t want to continue giving them credibility when all the other women employees were being treated so shabbily,” Minkowitz says.

Davis and client Austin declined to discuss specifics. But the attorney said the women shared the feeling “that the current management structure of The Advocate is not interested in issues regarding women.”

Yarbrough denies discrimination against Austin, saying she balked at changes he wanted to make in her duties: “I felt she wasn’t functioning as an optimum managing editor.”

He notes that the new managing editor, Trudihope Schlomowitz, is a woman and that he hopes to replace Minkowitz with a woman. Obejas will not be replaced, he adds.

Meanwhile, Davis charges that Advocate executives “are in denial” over the existence of sex discrimination against lesbians in their shop.

“Why they’re in denial, I don’t know,” he says. “You’d need a therapist to come in there.”

On top of these episodes, last week’s layoffs left some workers wondering if the magazine might ultimately fold.

“I was assured my work was beyond up-to-par and all that stuff . . . “ says features editor Doug Brantley, who was terminated after 3 1/2 years at The Advocate. “They’re way in the hole and things don’t look too good.”

Other fired editorial employees include correspondents in Washington and Atlanta and a director of photography. Two business employees and a marketing worker also were axed.

Editor Yarbrough said the cuts were part of a general belt-tightening implemented by Russell, an investor who has recently increased his role in the magazine. Russell could not be reached for comment.

Brantley, whose last day is this Friday, and other sources said the firings were followed the next day by a staff meeting during which Russell delivered a turgid pep talk. In his speech, Russell reportedly compared the magazine’s tough times with the challenges faced by Darth Vader’s opponents in the Star Wars movies.

“He was talking about we’re all fighters against the Evil Empire,” says Brantley. “But it wasn’t clear what the Evil Empire was.”