Equalpride Layoffs Hit The Advocate and Out

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Correspondent | LGBT Business Finance News

NEW YORK — (March 2, 2026) — Equalpride, the parent company of LGBTQ+ media brands including The Advocate, Out, and Pride.com, has initiated a round of staff layoffs impacting both editorial leadership and corporate teams, even as the company expands its portfolio with the acquisition of digital LGBTQ outlet Them from Condé Nast.

The layoffs, which took place Friday, February 20, 2026, affected several high-profile staff members. Those confirming their departures via LinkedIn and industry reports include The Advocate editor-in-chief Alex Cooper, Pride.com editor-in-chief Rachel Shatto, community editor Marie-Adélina de la Ferriére, and Out staff writer Moises Mendez. Brand partnerships personnel were also reportedly impacted.

Cooper, who joined the company in 2021, reflected on his tenure in a public statement, writing that leading the “legendary LGBTQ+ news outlet” had been a privilege and thanking his team for their work over the past four years.

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The workforce reductions follow an earlier round of cuts in October 2025 and come amid broader contraction across media and nonprofit sectors. In recent months, organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and GLSEN have also announced significant staffing reductions.

Despite the layoffs, Equalpride announced it had acquired Them, a digital-first LGBTQ media brand founded in 2017 under Condé Nast. In a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Equalpride CEO Mark Berryhill described the move as part of a strategy to “elevate, celebrate and protect LGBTQ+ storytelling at scale” by consolidating brand strengths into a unified ecosystem.

Equalpride indicated it plans to restructure operations by merging departments and reallocating remaining staff toward revenue-focused initiatives beyond traditional advertising models.

It remains unclear how editorial responsibilities across the company’s publications will be redistributed following the layoffs, or how the integration of Them will reshape the organization’s newsroom structure.

Industry analysts note that the developments reflect ongoing economic pressures facing digital media companies, particularly those heavily reliant on advertising revenue in a fragmented marketplace.

The situation underscores a broader shift in LGBTQ media economics, as publishers navigate consolidation, digital-first transitions, and evolving monetization strategies in 2026.

As LGBTQ media companies navigate consolidation, workforce reductions, and digital transformation, the long-term sustainability of legacy publications remains under close industry watch. Stay with JRL CHARTS LGBT Business Finance News for continued reporting on media restructuring, corporate acquisitions, and the evolving economics shaping LGBTQ journalism in 2026.