Pink Triangle Press

Pink Triangle Press is a Canadian non-profit organization which specializes in LGBT media including publishing, online interactive media, and television. PTP's main asset is the LGBT magazine, Xtra! and its spinoffs Xtra! West and Capital Xtra!. Its headquarters are located in Toronto, although it has offices in Ottawa and Vancouver as well.

History
Pink Triangle Press' roots trace back to 1971 (although not in name) in Toronto, when a group of volunteers began to produce The Body Politic, a paper containing news and opinions on gay liberation. By 1976 TBP was being published monthly, and in the early 1980s it claimed a circulation of over 9,000 nationally, and boasted contributions from writers all over the world.

In 1978, Pink Triangle Press was incorporated, its name was chosen as a symbol of history and commitment, as it comes from the symbols placed on suspected homosexual men in Nazi concentration camps. Later that year, PTP was charged with "publishing immoral, indecent and scurrilous material" because of an issue of The Body Politic which included Gerald Hannon's article "Men Loving Boys Loving Men".

The Press was brought up on similar charges again in May 1982, this time for "Lust With a Very Proper Stranger", an article on fisting. PTP however won both cases.

In an attempt to broaden PTP's Toronto readership, the collective launched Xtra! in March 1984. Xtra! was meant to be more upbeat and accessible than TBP. By 1985 Xtra! had taken over its parent publication's role of providing local entertainment and community event listings.

Xtra!'s circulation had soon overtaken TBP which was in financial trouble, so in an effort to save PTP and keep Xtra! going, TBP was discontinued February 1987.

''Xtra! West in Vancouver and Capital Xtra!'' in Ottawa followed in 1993.

Other investments
In July 2004, Pink Triangle Press became a minority partner in PrideVision when the channel was sold by Headline Media Group to William Craig. PrideVision was subsequently split into the separate channels OUTtv and HARD on PrideVision (now HARDtv). On July 19 2006, it was announced that Shavick Entertainment, a producer of gay-themed programming such as Dante's Cove, will acquire a majority interest in OUTtv and HARD on PrideVision from William Craig (former 80.2% owner), while Pink Triangle Press' share will increase to 21.43 per cent.

Previous to PrideVision being sold, Pink Triangle Press became partners with television producer Les Tomlin, forming Bumper2Bumper Media Inc. which produces Bump!, the world's first gay travel show, initially airing on PrideVision and now in its third season on OUTtv.

As well, Pink Triangle Press was a partner in Evanov Radio Group's license application for 103.9 PROUD FM, a new radio station to serve Toronto's LGBT community. PTP's agreement with Evanov was discontinued in late 2005 after PTP expressed reservations about the depth of Evanov's commitment to serving LGBT audiences.

Pink Triangle Press also operates a gay telephone personals service under the Cruiseline banner in all three cities where the Xtra! papers publish, as well as eight other major Canadian centres across the country.

In June 2006 Pink Triangle Press acquired Boston-based publication The Guide, an international gay travel magazine in existence for more than 25 years.

In February 2008 Pink Triangle Press acquired Toronto-based publication fab, a gay scene magazine.

Subsidiaries

 * Xtra!
 * Xtra! West
 * Capital Xtra!
 * Squirt.org - online cruising website
 * Cruiseline - gay telephone personals service
 * Xtensions
 * The Guide - a Boston-based international gay travel magazine
 * OUTtv - own stake in world's first GLBT cable channel
 * HARDtv - gay adult subscription channel
 * fab - as of February 2008