Raising my "Political IQ"

Q Syndicate has renamed my column, and I'm very pleased with the change. Here's the release. (And yes, it includes enough praise to make me blush bright, bright red, but this is publicity, ya' know.)

Q Syndicate Op-Ed Column Gets New Name

The popular "Lesbian Notions" op-ed column, syndicated since 1997, will undergo a name change in November, when it officially becomes "Political IQ," Q Syndicate announced today.

Veteran journalist Diane Silver will continue giving readers the inside scoop on topics she knows and loves - Washington politics, LGBT families, the religious right, local and state struggles, and the meaning of queer life in the 21st century. Her most recent column, "How to Lose California," for example, predicted the shift against marriage rights in California before Rex Wockner, Andrew Sullivan, or John Aravosis were on the story.

"The column has clearly outgrown its birth name," says Q Syndicate editor in chief Paula Martinac, who created "Lesbian Notions" 11 years ago as a progressive op-ed. "The old title suggests primarily lesbian topics, but in fact it's a really solid, well-written, and savvy op-ed column on all things LGBT - written by a lesbian. The name change will better reflect the actual content of the column."

Silver loves the new name. "I remain an out and proud lesbian, and I certainly continue to be full of notions, but the new, broader name does a better job of reflecting the content of my work," she says. "In this time of upheaval, breathtaking challenge, and an ever increasing role for government, we had all better raise our political IQs, or we’ll suffer the consequences."

A fulltime writer, Silver's work has appeared in Ms. magazine, Salon.com, and other national publications. Her book, The New Civil War, was published by Franklin Watts in 1997. She has covered politics, government, disasters, and even a bit of murder for a McClatchy newspaper and United Press International. Silver has edited magazines and taught reporting and writing at two universities.

During her interlude in politics, Silver served as a press secretary for a Democratic candidate for governor in Kansas, directed communications in a statewide effort to defeat a marriage ban, and helped found the first LGBT PAC in Kansas and the first unified LGBT political organization in that state. Silver can be found online at www.dianesilver.net.

Founded in 1995, Q Syndicate is the largest supplier of content to the LGBT media. More than 100 gay and lesbian newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and websites throughout the world have run Q Syndicate columns, puzzles, and cartoons. If you are already subscribing to "Lesbian Notions," there's no need to do anything - the op-ed will begin to appear on your Q Syndicate content page as "Political IQ" with the November 3 installment. To subscribe to "Political IQ," contact Q Syndicate Editor in Chief Martinac at paula@qsyndicate.com.