Equalpride, the parent company for Out Magazine, The Advocate and Pride.com, recently laid off a number of staffers, including several of its editorial leaders.
Rachel Shatto, who served as Pride.com’s editor-in-chief since 2021, confirmed in a Monday LinkedIn post that her last day at the company was Friday, writing, “It’s a period of my life I’m looking back on with enormous satisfaction and humility. It meant the world to me to be part of a publication that made joy its core ethos and told stories that uplifted as much as they informed and entertained.”
As Shatto continued, she shouted out her team, noting her success at the publication wouldn’t have been possible without their “incredible work.”
“I’m deeply grateful for their drive, dedication and talent. I will miss working alongside them most of all,” she added. “What this means for my future is a page not yet written, but I’m eager for what this new chapter brings professionally.”
Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière issued a similar statement on Instagram, where the Out Magazine community editor shared she was “laid off after nearly four years” after helping “shape newsroom, editorial and content for the publications under their umbrella.”
“I understand the realities of today’s media landscape, but I am still heartbroken that this decision was reached,” she continued. “Championing queer media as a Black trans creative has been one of the greatest honors of my career.”
Alex Cooper, who served as the editor-in-chief for The Advocate, also signaled their exit from the company on LinkedIn. Specifically, Cooper updated their banner to read, “Open to Work,” and edited their experience to show that they left Equalpride in February 2026.
Mey Rude, who contributed to both Out Magazine and The Advocate for the last several years, shared Thursday that she too was pink-slipped by Equalpride during the recent layoffs.
“This is hard to say, but after nearly six wonderful years, my career at out.com is over,” Rude wrote on Instagram. “Last Friday I was one of several writers, editors, and staff members laid off from equalpride.”
She continued: “I’m proud to have been able to highlight and champion lesbian, trans and qtpoc voices and contribute to queer journalism and criticism in these times when queer media is so often under attack.”
While Rude noted that they would’ve “loved to work there another twenty years,” she wished Equalpride “nothing but the best,” adding, “[I] hope that it can continue to produce quality queer journalism when it’s needed most.”
Representatives for Equalpride did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
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