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