What The Launch of THEM Means For All Of Us

Early this morning Twitter was abuzz about the new Conde Nast media brand, THEM, the multi-platform LGBTQ-centric title led by none other than digital wunderkind Phillip Picardi. With the successful turnarounds of Teen Vogue and Allure under his belt and having been named one of the “50 Most Influential LGBTs in Media” by the Advocate, Picardi seems like an excellent choice to be at the helm of this new venture.

SOME PERSONAL NEWS?! I tell this story kind of a lot, but I was an itty-bitty gayby in an Abercrombie muscle tee, sitting up in my room and reading VOGUE, when I first felt recognized by a magazine. There, Anna Wintour had stressed the importance of marriage equality as a civil right, and called for the fashion industry to stand with her. Around 12 years later, I am so proud to announce that I've been working with Anna — and an incredible team at Condé Nast led by @fsantarpia, Pam Drucker Mann, and more — on the launch of @THEM: the company's first-ever LGBT media brand, and first launch of an independent brand in a decade. (For more information, you can hit the link in my bio!) Please join me in welcoming @1demerith, @tywrent, @michaelcuby, and Alexis Fish to the family as the founding team of THEM, and a special shout to @jtrab and @brunch_money for getting this thing off the ground. NOW, go follow us on all the socials, and subscribe to our newsletter at them.us. We'll be back later this month with our official debut, powered in part by the visionaries at @glaad, @google, @burberry, and @lyft. ❤️💛💜💚💙 🙋🏻‍♂️One last thing: You know how this works already! My email is in my bio if you have any pitches, ideas, or opportunities for us.

A post shared by Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) on Oct 4, 2017 at 2:49am PDT

Already THEM feels like a fresh voice of the movement that is so clearly taking place in our society. As Picardi puts it, “Young people are dominating our culture and they're going to shape it in a way that we really weren't expecting, particularly in matters of gender and sexuality.” The publication's purpose is to create a space for authentic storytelling for members of the LGBTQ community as well as non-LGBTQ allies. 

From my perspective this kind of mission-driven media backed by a major publishing house like Conde Nast could be revolutionary. For the youngest generations the nuances of non-binary sexual and gender identities are inherently understood. However for many people the LGBTQ community remains shrouded in mystery and misconception. Peeling back the layers of the unknown and presenting new ideas through modern media lays a fertile ground for compassion and understanding. I firmly believe that the more we learn about our differences the more clearly we can identify the points where we connect. 

So what does THEM mean for all of us? It means we listen - intently - even if we've never cared to listen before. It means we are patient with each other because not everyone will understand the message the first, third, or eighteenth time around. It means the we evolve past what we think we know or how we may currently feel for the sake of everyone's success. THEM means we all have a new chance to support positivity and love to make the world a better place for each other.

We can look forward to editorial and social media content, video moments, and podcasts as well as physical experiences and merchandise capsules from THEMin the coming months.

xx

Miss Suber