Bob Sillick | for E&P Magazine
Any news outlet that has survived the past 40 years, remains financially stable and serves its readers, advertisers and community faithfully deserves our respect. When a news outlet and the community it serves have had to endure antiquated laws, deeply held prejudices, police harassment and the ravages of HIV/AIDS — while publishing an LGBTQ newspaper deep in the heart of Texas — its achievement is exceptional and deserves a standing ovation.
Despite all the challenges, setbacks and losses, Dallas Voice has been persistent and undeterred in its mission since 1984 to speak loudly and proudly for the Dallas LGBTQ community. Dallas Voice tells the community’s many stories and advocates for the advances in equality, legal rights and basic human respect the community enjoys today.
Twenty-nine years after Dallas Voice was founded, Leo Cusimano became the second owner/publisher in 2013 and remains so today. He started with the publication in 1992, first as a part-time graphic artist and then full-time in advertising sales, eventually becoming the advertising director for almost 20 years.
“From the beginning, I was drawn to the publication’s mission. Dallas Voice wasn’t just a newspaper; it was a vital platform for the LGBTQ community in North Texas. I found my passion in helping businesses connect with our audience and ensuring the financial sustainability of the publication. Looking back, I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent more than 30 years growing with Dallas Voice, evolving with the industry and ensuring that we remain a trusted and vibrant voice for LGBTQ Texans,” Cusimano said.
Although starting and operating an LGBTQ publication in very conservative Texas may seem like an impossible undertaking, Cusimano explains Dallas is progressive: the “bright blue hub” in a “big red state.” He’s convinced that is a reason Dallas Voice has been successful. Challenges still exist, especially in navigating the political climate in Texas. Advances may have occurred, but attacks on LGBTQ rights continue, which can affect Dallas Voice’s ad revenues and operations.
“We must be vigilant in our reporting and advocacy, ensuring Dallas Voice remains a trusted resource even in difficult times. Our LGBTQ community is also notably cohesive: men, women and nonbinary individuals work together in a way that isn’t always seen in larger cities with divided subcultures. That unity has helped Dallas Voice remain strong, even in the face of challenges,” Cusimano said.
Collaborating with another pillar of the Dallas LGBTQ community
Robert Emery, co-founder of The Dallas Way and Dallas Voice’s 2022 LGBTQ Texan of the Year
Improving the lives of the citizens of Dallas’s LGBTQ community has always been a collaborative effort. Dallas Voice is one of the leaders of that effort, but other dedicated leaders and organizations also contribute support and activism. Robert Emery is one of the most notable, named Dallas Voice’s 2022 LGBTQ Texan of the Year. He also received a Kuchling Humanitarian Award that year. It honors the extraordinary contributions of individuals to the LGBTQ+ community. Much of that recognition is for his many years in leadership roles at The Dallas Way. Founded in 2011, it “has led the effort to gather and preserve the untold and under-told stories of the Rainbow Community of Dallas” for preservation in a historical archive.
Emery was one of the co-founders, president from 2021 for four years, and a 2025 board member. He is now an active curator for The Dallas Way. Emery also serves as the chairman of the Coalition for Aging LBGT, which advocates for the 400,000 LGBT seniors living in North Texas. Dallas Voice is a primary platform through which the coalition can communicate with its members.
“I’ve been mostly focused on the entire 13-year history of The Dallas Way. We have 300,000 distinct historical documents in our archives. During March 2024, we reached the milestone of one million users of our archives, which are accessed worldwide by authors writing articles and books and academics writing theses and dissertations,” Emery said.
Robert Emery standing with the Historical Marker he secured through the Texas Historical Commission when he was vice president of The Dallas Way from 2017–2019
Emery has witnessed progress in the Dallas LGBTQ community since the 1970s and 1980s, when individuals couldn’t marry or be schoolteachers or police officers. Today, the environment is less toxic and confrontational, especially with the Dallas Police Department. From raiding bars and homes of LBGTQ citizens, the department now has an LGBTQ liaison.
“Visibility is one of Dallas Voice’s greatest contributions. Visibility leads to understanding, and understanding leads to equality. What haven’t we overcome? There are always unenlightened, uneducated and unevolved people who are loud and pushing back against happy progress,” Emery said.
An unwavering editorial stance
A testament to the power of Dallas Voice’s mission and journalistic integrity is the story of Tammye Nash, managing editor, who returned to the newspaper twice since first being hired in 1988. After Cusimano purchased Dallas Voice, she returned in June 2014 and expects to stay until she retires.
Tammye Nash, managing editor of Dallas Voice
“As an LGBTQ journalist, I feel I’m contributing to my LGBTQ community working at the Voice. Often, we’re criticized for being cheerleaders, and we are cheerleaders. We’re supporting a community fighting for equality and have been all along. We are struggling to keep and maintain what we’ve accomplished. We can be a cheerleader for our community while also holding our community accountable,” said Nash.
She has seen Dallas Voice’s editorial perspective evolve during her many years with the publication, primarily because it is now recognized as a legitimate newspaper by local government and mainstream media in Dallas and across the country. During her early years with Dallas Voice, Nash said she didn’t receive a response from the police department or local, county or state government when she asked them to comment on a story relevant to the LGBTQ community.
“Now the police departments have liaison officers. There are openly LGBTQ people in office at all levels, and they will respond to us. They see us as a legitimate newspaper,” Nash added.
Another change she has witnessed is the summer interns at Dallas Voice are more interested in the opportunity from a professional point of view than because they may be LGBTQ journalism students. Nash cites Melissa Whitler, a Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate who interned in the summer of 2023. The rapport that developed between the newspaper and Whitler resulted in they/them becoming a freelancer and then being hired when Dallas Voice received a grant for an NBCU Fellow. In Nash’s words, “A societal evolution makes it reasonable for people to come to us for jobs.”
Chad Mantooth, associate publisher of Dallas Voice
As Dallas Voice gains more professional respect, it has more opportunities to share its stories and perspectives with documentarians and other Dallas media. Nash says helping mainstream news allows her to suggest an angle or undercurrent to a story about the LGBTQ community that is missing. She wants them to report accurately; otherwise, it stokes the fire of misinformation.
Nash heads an editorial staff of four: David Taffet, senior staff writer; Rick Lopez, arts & entertainment writer; Whitler, NBCU Fellow; and Caroline Savoie, East Texas reporter. Other Dallas Voice staff include Chad Mantooth, associate publisher; Kevin Thomas, art director; Mathew Dominguez, social media manager; Linda Depriter, circulation director; and Tony Cuevas, comptroller. Several freelancers and summer interns also contribute to the publication.
More ways to serve the LGBTQ community
Soon after purchasing Dallas Voice’s parent company, Voice Publishing Company, Inc., Cusimano launched OUT North Texas magazine, an annual glossy publication and comprehensive LGBTQ visitors’ guide for North Texas.
2025 covers of Out North Texas Magazine
“I saw an opportunity to explore a magazine format, knowing that magazines tended to generate more revenue and had a longer shelf life, and we’re seeing steady subscription growth. It complements Dallas Voice by offering in-depth features, travel insights and community resources that serve both residents and visitors,” Cusimano said.
Dallas Voice also publishes a business and organizational directory with a myriad of resources for the LGBTQ community, from attorneys to transgender wellness clinics and advocacy groups to educational opportunities.
A primary goal for Cusimano and Dallas Voice is to expand its digital presence as it continues producing video content as it has for more than 20 years and invest in SEO expertise. Cusimano said he is also exploring streaming TV as another platform to increase audience engagement.
“We’ve invested in reader revenue campaigns, branded content and events. Additionally, we actively participate in media collaborations that help us secure grants and philanthropic funding. Working with the Local Media Association (LMA) has been instrumental in teaching us how to elevate our revenue. LMA’s support, resources and industry collaborations have helped us diversify our revenue streams, secure grants and implement innovative strategies to strengthen Dallas Voice’s sustainability and growth,” Cusimano said.
Dallas Voice also provides its advertisers and businesses with a greater digital presence. It offers complete digital services, from social media management to Google business view to digital expertise. All have multiple levels of engagement, so customers can choose only the services they need at an affordable price point.
A success story with an impact
Dallas Voice’s longevity and record of service to the Dallas LGBTQ community and beyond have its greatest meaning when it impacts an individual’s life. A recent grant from Press Forward allowed Dallas Voice to share its content in a news desert.
“After our outreach efforts, we received a letter to the editor from a man living in a news desert. In his letter, he shared something deeply personal: how Dallas Voice saved his life. He spoke about feeling completely alone, struggling, and even considering ending his life. One day, he picked up a copy of Dallas Voice. In those pages, he found something he hadn’t felt in a long time: a connection. He realized there was a whole community out there, people like him, stories that resonated. In addition, he found a therapist. That moment changed everything.
“He credits Dallas Voice for saving his life. This is why we do what we do. This is why it’s vitally important to support local journalism. It’s the kind of impact that Press Forward made possible,” Cusimano said.
Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.
