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Xtra!, Xtra! West and Capital Xtra! are gay magazines, on newsprint in tabloid format, published by Pink Triangle Press in Canada.
Xtra! and Xtra! West are published biweekly, and Capital Xtra! is published monthly. All three publications feature news, articles of interest to the gay community, events listings and advertisements from gay-run, gay-friendly and gay-related businesses and organisations. There is also a classifieds section.
The paper has been criticized for its often explicit photographs, including images of erect penises; the magazine often carries advertisements for pornographic movies, magazines and websites, and sex-oriented clubs such as gay bathhouses, frequently accompanied by photographs. The paper has also been criticized for its focus on sex-related topics: at least three regular columns in Xtra! West have sex as their primary focus. Pink Triangle Press also operates an online guide to cruising, or sex in semi-public locations, for men seeking sex with men.
For this reason (as well, as many have pointed out, because of homophobia and anti-gay prejudice), Xtra! West has been the subject of attempted bans.
Xtra!
Xtra! was introduced as a four-page tabloid in 1984, as a way to broaden Pink Triangle Press's Toronto readership. (Pink Triangle Press had previously published The Body Politic.) By 1985, it had become the premier source of local gay entertainment and community event listings.
Xtra! West
Xtra! West is published in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was launched in 1993.
Capital Xtra!
Capital Xtra! is published in Ottawa, and was launched in 1993. Unlike the Toronto and Vancouver publications, however, Capital Xtra is published monthly rather than biweekly.
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