New York's Gay Problem

THEY'RE HERE ... GET USED TO IT New York's undercovered: Adam Moss, Carl Swanson, Jesse Oxfeld, and the very hetero John Homans New York City is the birthplace of the gay rights movement. It also happens to be the capital of the media business, which, as industries go, is about as homo-friendly as Broadway.

So why is it that New York magazine—a purportedly progressive publication with an openly gay editor, a deep-pocketed liberal owner, and an abiding interest in all things queer—refuses to extend health benefits to the domestic partners of its employees?

In the past, New York's editor in chief, Adam Moss, has been a vocal advocate of gay issues in the newsroom. But on this particular issue, he's been surprisingly silent. Instead, he referred our calls to New York spokeswoman Serena Torrey, who dashed off a robotic statement blaming the magazine's regressive health insurance policies on the government.

"Because of the complexity of the laws governing corporate benefits, and the difficulty of complying with changing domestic partnership regulations, New York Magazine Holdings LLC has not, in the past, been able to offer benefits to unmarried partners of our employees," Torrey explained. "As the applicable state and federal regulations change and as our company grows, we will definitely look into expanding our benefits offerings."