(GayWebSource.com – Gay Media & Press Network) – Posted by Doug Magditch – HisBigD.com

Magazines are fighting to stay relevant these days. Think about it….. When is the last time you bought one? The airport? Me too. Besides that?

Uhh… High school?

Magazines need new readers, and the only way they’ll get them is to attract your attention at the newsstand. If they’re really lucky, they’ll attract your attention through a big media controversy.

Well, it’s Rolling Stone’s time for that kind of attention. Its August issue (which comes out today) features accused Boston marathon bomber Dzokhar Tsarnev on the cover. That has drawn a ton of controversy. Many stores, including Dallas-based 7-Eleven, have refused to carry it.

It’s the latest in a long history of magazines that have stirred up controversy with their cover choices. …and plenty of those choices were controversial because of their gay content.

Here are seven gay magazine cover controversies:

1. Ellen DeGeneres

“Yep I’m Gay” – Time Magazine, April 14, 1997

Long before her current talk show, Ellen DeGeneres came out in this 1997 issue of Time magazine. Many TV outlets pulled her show over the controversy that followed.

2. President Barack Obama

“The First Gay President” – Time Magazine, May 21, 2012

Again, with the Time magazine. Are you surprised a cover with a big rainbow halo over the President raised controversy? Yeah… It came shortly after President Barack Obama announced his support for gay marriage.

3. Elton John

“Elton’s Baby!” – Us Weekly, Jan 19, 2011

This cover drew a lot of ire, especially in conservative states. Stores in Arkansas covered it up like they would a porn magazine.

4. Bert and Ernie

“Moment of Joy” – New Yorker, July 14, 2013

The Sesame Street characters have long been rumored to be a gay couple. However, Sesame Street’s creators have always said that Bert and Ernie’s sexuality isn’t relevant. As it turns out, 52% of Texans are unsure of Bert and Ernie’s sexuality.

5. k.d. Lang

“k.d. lang’s Edge” – Vanity Fair, August 1993

Lesbian singer k.d. lang came under fire for this cover with supermodel Cindy Crawford, by famed photographer Herb Ritts.

6. Mothers Day

“Happy Mothers Day” – New Yorker May 13, 2013

The 2013 New Yorker cover featured a lesbian couple, reading a card in their kitchen, on Mothers Day. The assumed goal was to normalize same-sex relationships.

7. Taylor Lautner (FAKE)

“Out & Proud” – People, January 12, 2012

This one got a lot of attention, but (sadly) isn’t real. It’s a photoshopped fake cover. Even if it isn’t a real gay magazine cover, it sure was controversial. A few celebs even tweeted about how proud they were of Lautner before the hoax was revealed. Isn’t it funny how fast things can spread on the internet?

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