Didier Lestrade

Didier Lestrade

Didier Lestrade (born 22 February 1958), is a French author, magazine publisher, AIDS and LGBT rights advocate.

Didier Lestrade, 2010

Contents

Biography

Didier Lestrade was born in Mehdia, Algeria. He grew up in the Southwest of France, and left home in 1977 after failing twice to graduate from the French Baccalaureate. He then went to Paris, where he began working for the first French independent gay publication, Gaie Presse. This magazine was short-lived (four issues only). At the age of 22, he then decided to found Magazine Trimestriel, with Misti who soon became art director for the leading 1980s French gay newspaper, Gai Pied. Magazine Trimestriel was considered by many to be the most influential all male underground gay publication of its time. Dazed[1] and the New York Times website wrote a small story[2] about recent Magazine exhibit in Paris, at the gallery 12Mail.[3] Since then, Magazine is enjoying a revival of sorts with Butt magazine publishing an interview of Didier Lestrade. All the issues of Magazine can be now found on Didier Lestrade's personal website.

In 1986, the publication folded after conducting ninety full-length interviews, in both English and French, including David Hockney, Bronski Beat, Brion Gysin, Divine, Gilbert & George and Tom of Finland. Magazine was also a leading outlet for cutting-edge European and American male photography of that time, introducing vintage work from Pierre & Gilles, Patrick Sarfati, Erwin Olaf, and Paul Blanca, Stanley Stellar and many more. The last issues were up to 190 pages.

As an AIDS activist

In 1986, at the age of 28, he discovered he was HIV positive, Lestrade developed a career as a freelance music journalist, writing for Gai Pied, Libération and Rolling Stone. He played an influential role in the new house/techno music scene, writing weekly reviews in Libération that where widely read. In 1989, at 31, he shifted his focus to AIDS activism, and founded the first French chapter of ACT UP with close friends and journalists Pascal R. Loubet and Luc Coulavin. He was president of Act Up-Paris for the three first critical years. In 1992, he played an important role in founding of TRT-5, a coalition of major French AIDS organizations. TRT-5 was at the forefront of AIDS treatment issues, and Lestrade was one of its administrators until 2002. By 2000, Lestrade switched from treatment issues to AIDS prevention and became a leading voice against barebacking and confronted the ground-breaking writer Guillaume Dustan. The romanesque story of this fight was written (without Lestrade's approval) in the first book by Tristan Garcia, awarded by the prix de Flore, La meilleure part des hommes in 2008.[4]

As a journalist

In 1995, at 37, he co-founded the leading French gay & lesbian monthly magazine, Têtu, again with the help of Pascal R. Loubet. Financed by Pierre Bergé, of Yves Saint Laurent fame, and run by Thomas Doustaly, its editor in chief, Têtu is the most successful gay magazine in Europe. In 2008, he left Têtu and revamped a year later the website Minorités.org with fellow journalists Laurent Chambon from Netherlands and Mehmet Koksal from Belgium. He is editor in chief of the Minorités's weekly newsletter. The purpose of Minorités is to gather issues regarding minorities around the world.

As a writer

In 2000, Lestrade published his first book, Act Up, une Histoire (Denoël), a personal history of the first eleven years of Act Up-Paris.[5] This was followed by Kinsey 6 (Denoël, 2002), an intimate cultural and sexual diary of the eighties,[6] during the time he published Magazine. His next book was The End (Denoël, 2004), a fierce and controversial essay on the failure of AIDS prevention, and the phenomenon of barebacking in France.[7] Lestrade left Paris in 2002 to live in rural French Normandy, near Alençon. He has always been a nature lover and a garden enthusiast. The following book, Cheikh, journal de campagne,[8] was published in 2007 by Flammarion and related his five years of loneliness in the countryside after leaving Paris, influenced by the work of Henry David Thoreau. For this purpose, he travelled to Concord, MA and visited Walden Pond. His fifth book, Chroniques du dance floor, Libération 1988-1999 is published in May 2010 by "l'éditeur Singulier".[9] Lestrade has been featured in the 2006-2007 edition of Who’s Who in France.

As a club promoter

In 2000, Didier Lestrade along several friends opened,[10] a monthly review at the Boule noire. This mixed house gay club with DJ resident Patrick Vidal lasted until 2004. Then he followed with Otra Otra with DJ resident Nick V until 2006.[11] Lestrade also released two music compilations with Patrick Thévenin : Paradise Garage[12] (Pschent, 1997) and Paradise Garage 2[13] (Pschent, 1999). Another compilation came in 2008 : Slow Jamz & Hot Songs[14] (WEA).

As a blogger

After leaving Têtu, Didier Lestrade tried to focus his writing on Internet, as most of his articles during the last two decades can't be found online. He opened his blog[15] which has been considered by French GQ website as one of the twenty most influential ones.[16] In 2010, he started his own website. This site is dedicated to archives from his career as a journalist, on topics like music, photography, AIDS activism and gay porn.

Bibliography

Didier Lestrade, Act Up. Une histoire, Paris, Denoël, 2000 (ISBN : 2-207-24883-6).

Didier Lestrade, Kinsey 6 : Journal des années 80, Paris, Denoël, 2002 (ISBN : 978-2207252192).

Didier Lestrade, The End, Paris, Denoël, 2004 (ISBN : 2-207-25424-0).

Didier Lestrade, Cheikh. Journal de campagne, Paris, Flammarion, 2007 (ISBN : 978-2-08-068964-1).

Didier Lestrade, Chroniques du dance floor. Libération 1988-1999, Paris, Singulier, 2010 (ISBN : 978-2953346718).

References

  1. ^ (en) A Paris expo at 12Mail charts the history of the influential French gay publication 'Magazine' on Dazed & Confused
  2. ^ (en) Department of Back Issues | Magazine on nytimes.com
  3. ^ (fr) MAGAZINE, un fanzine underground (1980 – 1987) on 12mail.fr
  4. ^ (fr) Tristan Garcia remporte le prix de Flore
  5. ^ (fr) Act Up : L’épopée rose et noire de Didier Lestrade on fluctuat.net
  6. ^ (en) Review of the book on goodreads.com
  7. ^ (fr) The End : le dernier livre de Didier Lestrade on arcat-sante.org
  8. ^ (fr) Didier Lestrade, le bonheur est dans l’après on rendezvousmagazine.fr
  9. ^ (fr) News > Didier Lestrade : Chroniques du dancefloor (Libération 1988-1999) on Soul Kitchen
  10. ^ http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7706287133 K.A.B.P.
  11. ^ (fr) RFI Musique - Portrait du mardi : Didier Lestrade on rfi.fr
  12. ^ Paradise Garage on discogs.com
  13. ^ Paradise Garage 2 on discogs.com
  14. ^ Slow Jamz & Hot Songs on discogs.com
  15. ^ (fr) (en) Didier Lestrade's blog
  16. ^ (fr) 20 blogs influents on French GQMagazine

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Didier Lestrade — (* 22. Februar 1958 in Mehdia, Algerien) ist ein französischer Autor, Journalist und LGBT Aktivist. Leben Nach seiner Kindheit, die er im Südwesten Frankreichs verbrachte, ging er auf das Gymnasium in seiner Schulzeit, schaffte aber das… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Didier Lestrade — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Lestrade. Didier Lestrade en 2010 Didier Lestrade, né le 22 février 1958 à …   Wikipédia en Français

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  • Magazine (revue gay) — Magazine est un trimestriel à destination de la communauté homosexuelle, publié au début des années 80 par Didier Lestrade et Misti (fondateur de Gaie Presse). Magazine a souvent été considéré comme la plus belle publication gay des années 80. En …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Act-Up — Paris Date de création 1989 Réunion hebdomadaire tous les jeudis à 19 h à l École des Beaux Arts 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris Nombre d adhérents 150 revendiqués Site internet …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Act-up — Paris Date de création 1989 Réunion hebdomadaire tous les jeudis à 19 h à l École des Beaux Arts 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris Nombre d adhérents 150 revendiqués Site internet …   Wikipédia en Français

  • ActUp — Act Up Paris Date de création 1989 Réunion hebdomadaire tous les jeudis à 19 h à l École des Beaux Arts 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris Nombre d adhérents 150 revendiqués Site internet …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Act Up — Paris Date de création 1989 Réunion hebdomadaire tous les jeudis à 19 h à l École des Beaux Arts 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris Nombre d adhérents 150 revendiqués Site internet …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Act Up-Paris — Date de création 1989 Réunion hebdomadaire tous les jeudis à 19 h à l École des Beaux Arts 14, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris Nombre d adhérents 150 revendiqués Site internet …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Minorités — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Minorité. Minorités Pays  France …   Wikipédia en Français

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