A product of a strong creative force constantly developing in Baton Rouge, Leur Magazine is the first LGBTQ arts and culture magazine to hit Louisiana.
The idea for Leur Magazine was created by 24-year-old University alumnus and former photographer for The Daily Reveille Charles Champagne while he was working as a production intern at Country Roads Magazine.
The name of the bi-annual magazine is French for “their.”
“It is not my magazine or your magazine, but their magazine — ‘their’ being an inclusive term for everyone,” Champagne said.
The magazine’s first issue launched in August 2016 with the second issue debuting in February 2017. The third issue is set to come out in August 2017 with a focus on queer people of color in the South.
“The magazine is all about capturing love and self-expression and self-identity,” Champagne said as he flipped through the pink color-themed pages of issue one. “For the longest time, I wanted to cater to straight people on the chance they would read it, but my boyfriend helped me realize that that’s all they have to do — read it.”
Each page is filled with culture, artwork or text from LGBTQ community members and supporters, including gender-neutral fashion designer Les Patin and painter James Kane. Leur’s Facebook is focused primarily on promoting sexuality education.
“We like to promote a healthy sexuality confidence because it’s always back to the sexual acts of gay people. It’s never about men loving other men,” Champagne said. “One of the reasons why I started the magazine was to allow me to learn and help me grow. I’ve had a lot of reality checks through recognizing my privilege as a gay, white cisgender man.”
Champagne begins each issue on a blank slate in InDesign after he’s carefully sifted through his email submissions. After figuring out what content flows well together and designing it page by page, he sends a proof to the artist to get approval and lastly exports, uploads and orders his print editions.
Each magazine is thoughtfully wrapped in colored cellophane paper, layered with a postcard and thank you card, put into a cardboard and mailed to the customer. A one-year digital subscription is $20 while a one-year print subscription is $50.
Originally the project had three parts: Leur Magazine, Leur Louisiane, an online blog focused on Louisiana that now consists of the “community board” and “grid” on Leur’s website, and Leur Maison, a gallery space and safe haven for youth to relax, collaborate with other artists or to look at art.
Leur Maison is the end goal and it would be used as a resource for the younger community to be themselves and to continue expressing themselves through art, Champagne said.
Leur’s first issue won two awards at the American Advertising Federation Baton Rouge ADDY awards in March: the Mosaic Award, which recognizes companies, agencies and individuals whose commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident through their creative work and initiatives and the Silver ADDY award for magazine design.
For this year’s Pride Festival, Leur is hosting an LGBTQIA arts show with its own room and ten vendors that will showcase their artwork. Leur is currently looking for more vendors and asks interested artists to contact Champagne at www.leurmag.com/events.