Velvet Mafia: After a Decade Online VelvetMafia.com was launched in the fall of 2001 to publish gay and queer fiction and poetry that refused to be assimilated. We mashed up a lot of diverse elements into a heady literary brew that broke new ground and offered a platform for work that was not being published anywhere, online or in print. The stories that ran with us were regularly picked up by print anthologies and a hunting ground for readers who wanted a little something extra. Above all, VelvetMafia.com was formed as a community and the site has introduced many of us to one another, first digitally, then in person. I have gained a number of friends and acquaintances through the site, to which I will always be eternally grateful. After a decade online it is time to put down the reigns and focus on new projects. Although the site is coming down, we wish to extend our thanks to the writers who volunteered their work to our forum, to the readers who made it all worth the effort. A special thanks goes out to those who helped keep the ball rolling: Greg Wharton, Jameson Currier, Philip Clark, Michael Graves and also to Jack Slomovits for his photography which defined the style of the magazine. Sean Meriwether
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