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Venus Magazine - About Us
History
Cothran Communications Inc. was founded in 1995 in Atlanta, GA by
Charlene E. Cothran. The
company owns two successful titles. The flagship publication, VENUS
Magazine, was conceived during Cothran’s long time affiliation with
Hospitality Atlanta, a social networking organization for lesbians
of color co-founded by Cothran, and others in 1991. Cothran’s work
with HA as the maintainer of its private mail list, and as special
events coordinator, led to partnerships with many of Atlanta’s
cultural institutions such as the Atlanta Black Cultural Festival,
the Alliance Theatre Company, the High Museum of Art, Jomandi
Productions Theatre Company, the Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day March, and others.
Cothran was approached in 1993 by VENUS Landin, a local gay rights
advocate who asked for help reaching African American gays and
lesbians on behalf of Atlanta’s Gay Pride organization. Landin,
also African American, understood the power of Cothran’s highly
guarded and well-maintained mail list. Through this association,
Cothran participated in several advocacy efforts such as lobbying
for Atlanta’s Domestic Partnership bill in 1995. Town Hall meetings
were held at the VENUS Magazine office where national gay rights
leaders gathered to discuss a national Black gay agenda. As
publisher, Cothran was invited to partner with several gay political
organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign Fund, now HRC; the
now defunct National Black Gay & Lesbian Leadership Forum; the
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Victory Fund and others.
Under Cothran’s leadership were founded and co-founded organizations
such as the Bayard Rustin Rally, which invited national
speakers and took place in step with the Annual King Day March; she
also co-founded
In the Life Atlanta which has become one of the largest
convention-type gatherings of black gays and lesbians nationally.
As circulation grew from a regional 5,000 copies per issue in 1995
to 38,000 copies per issue, VENUS Magazine eventually became the
nation’s most reliable print resource for reaching Black gay and
lesbian households. Venus had been financially supported by
consistent annual advertising campaigns from several fortune 500
companies representing pharmaceutical, tobacco and alcohol products,
although the company now declines tobacco and alcoholic beverage
ads. The entertainment and travel industries also recognized VENUS
Magazine as an excellent media buy.
VENUS Magazine is the recipient of the 1999 and 2002 Lorde-Beam
Award for Literary Excellence. In 1999, VENUS Magazine was
included in an article in FOLIO Magazine featuring a round up of
quality gay publications. FOLIO is ‘the bible’ for advertising
industry experts. Venus Magazine has been featured in several
community-based newspapers, websites, radio and television programs
both gay and non-gay, as presenting excellent editorials on a
variety of topics of interest to the target audience.
In 2002 the company relocated to Cothran’s birth home of Trenton,
New Jersey where the company's second successful title, Kitchen
Table News, was launched.
Professional Company Productions
IMPACT AWARDS, 2004, The College of New Jersey, Music Hall
This television-quality event celebrated the launch of Kitchen
Table News by recognizing and awarding the contributions of
ordinary citizens of Mercer County, NJ.
SOUL to SOUL, 2001, The Soul Café, New York City
This highly entertaining event launched the debut of VENUS Magazine
as a national publication. Featured guests for the evening
included Rockmond Dunbar of the television series Soul Food,
and executives from New York’s advertising, entertainment and
fashion industries.
Cothran has been
recently interviewed by numerous global media outlets. She
is also the recipient of several awards of recognition for
service to her local community.
Her Favorite Scripture: Jeremiah 1; 5 "Before I formed thee in the
belly, I knew thee…"
Her Favorite Book: “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale
Hurston
Her Favorite Quote: “We Have Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself” by
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Venus
Publisher,
Charlene E. Cothran
shares her
testimony on
The 700 Club!
Web Exclusive: Inside Gay Activism
Go to CBN.com, search
'Web Exclusive' to view a full 30 minute interview
with VENUS Publisher,
Charlene E. Cothran
by CBN News reporter Charlene Israel
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