Matthes successfully ran Lesbian News Magazine from 1994 until 2022. The Lesbian News, more commonly known as the LN, had the distinction and responsibility of being North America’s longest running lesbian publication. Founded in 1975 in Southern California by Jinx Beer, LN began as the lone voice for lesbian issues and evolved throughout the years under Matthes’ leadership to become the nation’s foremost voice for lesbians of all ages.

Some of the iconic cover stories have included names such as Melissa Etheridge, kd lang, Ellen DeGeneres, Marlee Matlin, Hillary Clinton, Toni Braxton, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, Judith Light, and Janet McTeer.

Her numerous contributions to the LGBTQ+ community earned her a slew of recognitions and awards. She was the recipient of the 2002 Women’s Night Gay & Lesbian Center’s “Lesbian & Bisexual Women Active in Community Empowerment Award;” the 2002 “Business Alliance of Los Angeles Community Involvement Award;” the 2003 Southern California Women for Understanding “Community Service Award;” and the 2012 Vox Femina Los Angeles “Aria Award.”

A native of Los Angeles, California, Matthes graduated from Dorcey High School and attended UCLA for a brief period. She played the saxophone in high school and was a competition bowler for many years.

At the young age of fifteen, she went to work at Great Western Savings in the print shop and developed a passion for printing. By the time she was in her twenties, she purchased Superior Printers and ran it for decades. However, something else kept tugging at her heartstrings. Ella felt lesbians weren’t receiving a lot of support and visibility and wanted to do something about it. So, in 1994, she purchased Lesbian News Magazine from Deborah Bergman who had acquired it from its original owner, Jinx Beers.

Ella Matthes built a mission statement around her vision for all lesbians. “The editorial vision of the LN has always been to inform, entertain, and be of service to women who love women of all ages, economic class, and color. We hope women from all walks of life will not only find something of themselves in the LN, but also be accepting of those with differing opinions. Lesbian News is our small contribution to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liberation movement.”

She is survived by her brother Carl Matthes and her wife Gladi Adams. Ella and Gladi had been together for 26 years and married July 13, 2013.

Donations in her name can be made to the June Mazer Archives in West Hollywood, CA.

The post Beloved Lesbian News publisher Ella Matthes dies first appeared on Lesbian.com.

A proud marching band trumpet player in Miami Palmetto Senior High, JD went on to study communications at Boston University, absorbing as much as she could from her creative writing and film classes. After graduating she packed her bags, pointed her car toward Los Angeles and never looked back. That trip started what would become a long and storied career.

As a filmmaker credits include Eating Out 2, A Marine Story, Gay Propaganda, Elena Undone and the multi award-winning Shelter, which won a GLAAD Media Award for best feature film in limited release and in 2012 topped the list of The 100 Greatest Gay Movies Of All Time newnownext.com’s.

In 2009, JD was honored at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s An Evening With Women with a LACE Award for her work in the community, was featured in Go Magazine’s “100 Women We Love” and this past March was honored with a West Hollywood Women in Leadership Award. She was also on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, where she served a term as Vice President of the Board and was last President of the Board of Directors of the Frontiers Foundation.

JD’s love of film and writing skills extended to magazine and newspaper outlets including Clout, Curve, GayWired.com, PlanetOut.com, Gay.com, QTMagazine, Power Up and here! online in addition to her daily blog on Gay and Lesbian entertainment. JD was, by habit, a facilitator, linking her peers to collaborate and her mentees with mentors. Her love of connecting people came together with her enjoyment of a good cocktail in the creation of the very popular Smoking Cocktail, a monthly networking cocktail event to bring members of the LGBT film and film-loving community together.
It’s mathematically impossible to calculate all the hours JD logged for the causes she cared about, including Outfest, The Point Foundation and the East Valley Animal Shelter. For Outfest JD worked as Festival Manager in 1999 and 2000, continued to be actively involved as a volunteer and was a constant presence at events and functions with beloved camera in hand. In 2014, Outfest awarded JD with the Tom | Thom Award for her volunteer service throughout the years. Through the Point Foundation JD worked as a mentor to contribute to their mission to empower promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full potential. Always a passionate lover of animals, in the last few years, when cancer slowed her down in other ways, JD amped up her dedication and commitment of time and fundraising skills for her favorite cause of all – animals. If you were marginalized in any way or had four legs, JD had your back with a megaphone in hand.

JD leaves behind a large family of friends, her brother and sister Roanne and Carl DiSalvatore, and a grateful LBGT community. Her huge activist heart, passionate spirit for filmmaking and her indomitable, fighting spirit will not be forgotten.

A Memorial party will be planned for the near future.

If you would like to honor JD please donate money to Outfest, Point Foundation and/or the East Valley Animal Shelter.

The post Award-winning LGBTQ filmmaker JD Disalvatore lost her long battle with cancer first appeared on Lesbian.com.