About L-MAG

L-MAG

L-MAG is a German-language magazine for lesbian women, published bi-monthly in Berlin since 2003. Issued by Special Media SDL, the publisher also behind Berlin's queer city magazine Siegessäule, it is the leading print magazine for lesbians in the German-speaking world, available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. With a print run of around 15,000 copies per issue, it is sold at more than 2,000 outlets, including station bookshops, selected magazine retailers and community L-spots, and is also available by subscription, as an e-paper and via the Readly platform. Its content combines lesbian-relevant journalism, from politics and culture to lifestyle and community life, with a clear commitment to independent queer media.

Overview

L-MAG appears every two months, six times a year, and is aimed explicitly at lesbian readers, though its audience includes the broader queer women's community and interested readers beyond. The print run of approximately 15,000 copies per edition makes it a significant player in the German special-interest press: the lesbian print market is small, and L-MAG's national distribution across four countries gives it a reach unmatched by any competitor in the segment. IVW figures from the second quarter of 2014 recorded a sold circulation of 8,780 copies and a distributed circulation of 8,951, reflecting the title's subscription and retail base.

The magazine's content covers the full range of lesbian life and interests: politics, including LGBTQ rights, feminist issues and queer policy; culture, with film, literature, music and art coverage; lifestyle, from travel to relationships; and community life, with reports from the lesbian and queer scenes in Berlin and beyond. The current issue advertised on the website, for example, features a cover story on violence in queer relationships, with guidance on recognising problematic behaviour and finding help, alongside a special on lesbian entrepreneurs. This combination of serious journalism and community service is characteristic of the title.

L-MAG is published by Special Media SDL, the LGBTI magazine and online media publisher founded in May 2012 by journalists Gudrun Fertig and Manuela Kay. The company's best-known publication is the Siegessäule, Berlin's queer city magazine, published since 1984 with a monthly free distribution of around 52,000 copies. Special Media SDL took over the media of the Jackwerth Verlag when its founder Reiner Jackwerth retired from the business; both Fertig and Kay had long served as editors-in-chief at Jackwerth. The publisher describes itself as a classically journalistic special-interest publisher with a clear separation between editorial content and sold advertising and a clear commitment to the values of independent journalism.

History

L-MAG was founded in the summer of 2003, at a time when the German lesbian press consisted largely of small, scene-based publications with limited distribution. The co-founder and editor-in-chief from the beginning was Manuela Kay, a journalist who had made her name in the queer press. The magazine was conceived as a professional, nationally distributed print magazine for lesbians, filling a gap in the market: while gay men's magazines had established national titles, lesbian readers lacked a comparable glossy, widely available publication.

The magazine was initially published within the Jackwerth Verlag, the Berlin publisher of gay and lesbian media. When Special Media SDL was founded on 1 May 2012 by Gudrun Fertig and Manuela Kay, taking over the Jackwerth media, L-MAG moved with it to the new publisher, based in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Under Special Media SDL, the magazine continued its bi-monthly rhythm and expanded its digital presence, with the website l-mag.de offering news, issue previews and subscription services.

Manuela Kay remained editor-in-chief until 2020, after which the editorship changed hands; the German Wikipedia records Franziska Schulteß and Sonya Winterberg as editors-in-chief in recent years. A significant structural change came in 2026, when Special Media SDL was transformed into the SIEGESSÄULE – Queere Medien eG, a newly founded cooperative that took over the products Siegessäule, L-MAG and place2be.berlin in February 2026. From October 2026, Anna Motzek and Markus von Goessel were to take over the management of the cooperative. This conversion of a commercial queer publisher into a cooperative reflects the economic pressures on independent queer media and the community's effort to secure its future through collective ownership.

Content and Sections

L-MAG's content is organised around the interests and concerns of lesbian readers. Political coverage addresses LGBTQ rights, anti-discrimination policy, feminist debates and queer community politics, with a perspective rooted in lesbian-feminist and queer activism. The magazine reports on legislative developments, court decisions and political campaigns affecting lesbians and queer women, in Germany and internationally.

Cultural coverage is a strong pillar: film reviews and features, including coverage of queer film festivals; literature, with book reviews and author interviews; music, from lesbian and queer artists to the broader scene; and art, with exhibition coverage. Lifestyle content covers travel, relationships, health and everyday life, while community reporting covers the lesbian scenes in Berlin and other cities, events, initiatives and personalities.

Service journalism is woven through the magazine: the current issue's focus on violence in queer relationships, with practical guidance on recognising abuse and finding help, exemplifies the title's role as a trusted resource for its community. Specials on topics such as lesbian entrepreneurship connect the magazine to the economic life of its readers. The overall editorial line is engaged, feminist and queer-positive, combining professional journalism with community advocacy.

Publisher and Organization

L-MAG is published by Special Media SDL, founded in May 2012 in Berlin by Gudrun Fertig and Manuela Kay, and since February 2026 continued as the SIEGESSÄULE – Queere Medien eG cooperative. The publisher is based in Berlin-Kreuzberg and employs more than twenty people. Its portfolio centres on the Siegessäule, Berlin's queer city magazine, and L-MAG, the national magazine for lesbians, alongside the online city portal place2be.berlin.

The publisher's self-description as a journalistic special-interest publisher with a strict separation of editorial and advertising reflects the professional standards of the German magazine industry, applied to the queer press. The conversion to a cooperative in 2026 was presented as a response to the difficult political and financial conditions facing independent queer journalism: the magazine's website appeals directly to readers for support, arguing that independent queer media, operating outside social media bubbles, needs its community to survive.

The business model combines retail sales, subscriptions, e-paper and Readly distribution, and advertising. Advertising clients include LGBTQ-friendly businesses, travel operators, cultural institutions, publishers and community organisations. The magazine's distribution through more than 2,000 outlets, including station bookshops and community L-spots, gives advertisers access to a precisely defined target group.

Digital Presence

The website l-mag.de is the magazine's digital home, offering news, issue previews, subscription and e-paper services, and contact information. Recent articles on the site cover the Queerfilmfestival 2026, community issues and cultural topics, confirming the magazine's continued active publication. The magazine is also available digitally through the Readly platform, extending its reach to digital subscribers.

The publisher's digital strategy reflects the realities of the queer press: the print magazine remains the flagship product and the primary source of identity and revenue, while the website and social media channels serve to engage the community, promote the current issue and drive subscriptions. The direct appeal for reader support on the website underscores the economic model of independent queer media: community-funded journalism, sustained by the readers it serves. As the leading lesbian print magazine in the German-speaking world, L-MAG remains a distinctive and resilient voice, now secured for the future through cooperative ownership.