Michael Yamashita has become the first Asian American to both own and publish a LGBT newspaper.
He will take over the Bay Area Reporter, a publication he has been involved with for 20 years.
The 51 year old has been publisher of the paper for four years. He became the majority owner after purchasing shares from two investors.
The move ensures the San Francisco publication will remain locally owned and operated by someone from the gay community.
Yamashita will also run BAR Media, which formed four years ago as part of the paper’s restructuring. Bob Ross founded the paper in 1971. Ross hired Yamashita as assistant editor and made him the paper’s general manager six years later.
“I believe in the B.A.R. as a community resource in our fight for equal rights and am honored to play a role in keeping it a local institution and connected to San Francisco,” said Yamashita.
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