Farewell, Edward!

August 2006

Prudence is an under-appreciated virtue. In a culture that trumpets ideas in sound bites and allots fame in 15-minute bursts, the careful attention needed to grow and sustain an endeavor like The Guide magazine can be undervalued. But without wise care, no enterprise reliant upon not-easy-to-obtain resources (in this case, money) will survive long, much less the 22-plus years that The Guide has.

All of us who value The Guide and its message owe publisher Edward Hougen our appreciation for his prudent stewardship of the magazine through these past decades. By carefully marshaling resources, Ed– who retires this month– has kept a unique voice of gay liberation alive. Ed has steered clear of an ideological disdain for money that would limit the reach of “the message” while at the same time not dumbing down the magazine’s content for fear of alienating would-be advertisers.

But prudence should not be conflated with aversion to risk. Ed’s life has been marked by a willingness to confront injustice, to speak out when others are silent, to take action when others remain inert. Ed came out as a gay minister back in 1975, back when such a move carried enormous personal and professional risk. When Anita Bryant launched her anti-gay crusade, Ed helped organize a protest trek across the panhandle of Florida: for two weeks and 180 miles, openly gay folks marched across the most reactionary part of that state, their courage reminiscent of earlier freedom marches in the Deep South. And when Ed acquired The Guide back in 1984, he did so knowing little about publishing, trusting that his faith in the message of gay liberation would make such a bold career leap worthwhile.

Clients, staff, family, and friends of the magazine also all recognize Ed’s remarkable integrity. In both professional and personal relationships, Ed’s associates have always been able to depend on his commitment to fairness and honesty. And prudent tending of resources has allowed Ed to give a deeper meaning to this sense of fair play and justice through his extraordinary generosity. Friends and staff facing legal woes, illness, hardship, and death have been able to count on Ed’s material, not just moral, support. Organizations dedicated to feeding the hungry and treating the sick have benefited from Ed’s generosity, as have groups and individuals fighting for civil liberties now under siege. The richness that Ed enjoys comes not from what he has amassed for himself, but rather what he has so freely given to others.

As his final act of stewardship of The Guide, Ed has sought out new ownership for the magazine that shares the commitment to the fundamental message of gay liberation: same-sex sexual expression is an enlivening part of life to be celebrated, not feared. As the new owners at Pink Triangle Press take the helm next issue, Ed can rest assured that “the message” he has dedicated so much of his life to will continue as the on-going mission of the magazine.

The sage chronicler of gay life Boyd McDonald once remarked that some people have gotten a lot out of their homosexuality and thus have a lot to give back. Boyd was referring to his “Sex History” correspondents, but his words apply well to Ed. By embracing his sexuality as a gift, Ed has shown how love can triumph over fear, and he has been able to share this good news with a world still all-too-fearful of gay sexual expression.

Ed may be retiring, but his example– and the magazine he worked so long and hard for– will live on. Farewell, Edward!

Pasted from <http://guidemag.com/magcontent/invokemagcontent.cfm?ID=CD2F835F-6B2B-4AEC-9C734E6213C72B26>