David Magazine

David magazine subtitled "Entertaining and Informing Gays" was originally published out of Jacksonville, Florida before moving headquarters to Fort Lauderdale in 1974. David was the precursor to popular gay magazines of later decades. Originally focusing on GLBT happenings in Florida, and Georgia, it expanded it's coverage nationally in the mid 1970's. It was published by Henry C. Godley (b. April 13, 1927) in New Hanover, North Carolina and Mark W. Riley (July 29, 1941).

In 1973 the recession caused the publishers to shrink the size of the publication to half of the former size. In January 1974 the publication moved its base of operation from Jacksonville to Fort Lauderdale where it stayed based until the 1990s. The magazine at this time went from monthly to bi-monthly. Then after the January/February issue began being published at it's original large size but only every six months.

From 1974-75 there was a seperate monthly travel guide called Little David that was also published by Godley and Riley.

In 1974 there was a bitter feud between David and the newly formed magazine Michael's of Florida Travel Guide which started publishing that year. The loss of advertisers coupled with the recession to change the format of the magazine to a poorer quality paper printing and a return to foucsing on the Florida and Georgia areas only thus becoming from 1975 - 1979 a weekly called This Week with David.

In 1975 Godley and Riley diversified from magazine publishing to form the International David Society. The IDS focused on providing a wide range of services for GLBT members from travel to health insurance. In 1980 the magazine returned to a monthly format.

The IDS dissolved in 1990. Godley died in July 1991 and Riley in November 1993.The magazine lasted until the mid 1990's when it was replaced by David magazine in Atlanta in October 1998. That version of the magazine folded in November 2009.

On March 11, 2010, David Atlanta returned to publishing weekly issues after being purchased from the bankruptcy court by Gaydar Atlanta.