VAN NUYS, Calif. – Caryn Goldberg, a feminist lesbian activist and iconic figure in the gay male publishing industry, has died. She was 60.
According to a statement released by her wife of 20 years, Jane Loyd, Goldberg lost a long battle with ovarian cancer Oct. 30. She passed peacefully and quickly at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, surrounded by Lloyd and friends, the statement noted.
Goldberg, born in Brooklyn, NY, led her feminist sisters in marching against pornography in the 1970s. Ironically, 20 years later she became one of staunchest, most reasoned voices supporting gay porn.
Goldberg began her career in adult in 1993 by selling ads for Liberation Publications Inc., then home to the Advocate, Men, Freshmen and Unzipped magazines. She worked her way up into the publisher’s chair, which she inhabited for five years.
“I met the most amazing people in the all-male industry who I really liked and I got to know…,” she said in explaining her conversion from anti-porn activist to gay content supporter. “It was nothing like I expected.”
When Liberation Publications spun off its adult lines into the separate company Specialty Publications in 2000, Goldberg was named president for the new entity. Under her leadership, the company developed the popular websites MenMagazine.net and BuyGay.com, plus a video production company under the Unzipped label.
When PlanetOut.com parent company Regent Media acquired Specialty Publications in 2007, the new owner eliminated Goldberg’s position. Goldberg and Lloyd wasted no time in founding their own firm, Minds Over Matter, which continues to serve as a consultant to adult industry players including Zinio, UndercoverMags.com and SinkMagz.com.
“Caryn left her indelible stamp on the gay porn industry in that she got the major players to all work together in the early days of internet porn,” Lloyd said. “She was very proud to have known some of the most well-known industry leaders up-close and personally.
“She will be missed for her tough business style and her incredible negotiating savvy,” Lloyd continued. “‘I just made a deal with Caryn Goldberg!’ ‘Oh really, do you still have your socks on?’ was a common joke during her time.”
Lloyd asked that those wishing to celebrate Goldberg’s indomitable spirit and honor her for her enduring contributions to the gay adult industry make donations in Goldberg’s name to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
