‘The Gay Pages’ Is Printed After All

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Promised in January, then by March, then by Utah Pride, The Gay Pages, a phone directory of gay-friendly businesses (not to be confused with The QSaltLake Pages, published by QSaltLake), has begun hitting the porches of houses in Salt Lake City this month.

A Salt Lake Tribune story in March reported that advertisers in the book were concerned that the publisher had skipped town. The addresses given for the company were a UPS Store mail box company and a Holladay office building where current tenants had never heard of the Pages.

The house the publisher was living in was empty and up for sale and cell phone numbers had all been disconnected. The main number for the company rang to an automated voice message, but calls were not being returned, according to advertisers. Emails received the same response.

A letter sent to advertisers at the beginning of the year explained the delay was caused by a burglary of Wright's home of computers, with all advertising data, in December. The letter said that the company was working with its insurer to replace the computers and software and would post a publication date on its Web site "as soon as possible."

The Tribune reported that a report had been filed about a burglary at the home, but Wright and two female occupants of the home never returned phone calls by sheriff detectives, so the case was closed.

In response to the Tribune story, publisher Sean Wright said that his company was not out of business and that the books would be out "soon."

One possible reason for the delay may have been a problem in sales. Wright told FOX News in 2007 that he hoped for 300 advertisers for the 2008 edition. Only 126 businesses advertised in the book, a slight increase over the inaugural edition with 120 advertisers, according to Salt Lake City Weekly.

QSaltLake and The QSaltLake Pages publisher Michael Aaron said he is glad the book has been published.

"The last thing we as a business and we as a community need is for those trying to reach our community to get ripped off," he said.