This is a sad and extremely frustrating story.
James Larkin – Co-Founder of BACKPAGE & The Village Voice (apparently) took his own life in August of 2023.
Backpage Founder, Alt-Weekly Entrepreneur, and Free Speech Warrior James Larkin Has Died
Larkin was 74.
He died just over a week before he was slated to stand trial for his role as Co-founder of Backpage. Which the ‘authorities’ said they were running in a way that was unlawful.
James Larkin sits to the left and his business partner Michael Lacey is on the right.
They are in a hearing regarding their actions as co-founders of Backpage.
Larkin, along with his friend, fellow journalist and business partner Michael Lacey built the Phoenix New Times.
They took it from an anti-war student newspaper into a broad—and still-thriving—record of Maricopa County culture and politics.
Larkin and Lacey were natives of Arizona.
With their publishing skills and success, along with their dedication to FREE SPEECH, they had a far reaching voice.
This of course, pissed off a lot of people in powerful positions.
So, it stands to reason that Larkin and Lacey had some runs ins with law enforcement and high level political figures. This includes people like Sen. John McCain and his wife Cindy.
Larkin and Lacey played hardball in the game of publishing. They did not shy away from controversial topics such as abortion, immigrant rights, or the 1976 murder of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles.
They were vigilantes and revolutionists in their own way.
To sum up the attitudes of both Lacey and Larkin here is a quote from James Larkin in 2018 regarding the governments attempt to shut them down;
“We weren’t trying to curry favor,” Larkin told Reason in 2018. And they took a “stubborn approach to bureaucrats telling us ‘you can’t do that’ or ‘we’re not going to allow you to do that.’ We knew what our rights were.”
“Law enforcement, politicians, bureaucrats, regulatory types. They don’t really understand the First Amendment,” Larkin added.
It’s important to remember that Lacey and Larkin had been in many court battles over the years regarding the issue of free speech.
One of these was against the infamously degenerate Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff Joe was demanding data on New Times readers which of course, no publication is required by law to do.
Eventually, Sheriff Joe was forced to pay Larkin and Lacey the tidy sum of $3.75 million as a settlement.
That was a definite win.
However, the stomping out of Backpage has been an exercise in unlawful destruction by our US government.
It has included the authorities keeping Lacey and Larkin under house arrest, closing off their bank accounts and denying and ignoring their right to due process.
*As a side note; it was in direct response to the shutting down of Backpage that I started The Body House Chronicles. I didn’t have a newsletter before that – not a steady one – but I wanted to be a part of the group that was standing up for freedom.
Additionally, I wrote about this topic (a few times). Once when the co-founders of Backpage were first fighting the government to stay open. Find the article on Sheriff Joe here…
As Well…
I encourage you to read the entire Reason.com article which outlines nicely the full gist of what went down with Larkin.
Many don’t agree with Larkin and Lacey on who and what they supported over the years, but there was nothing illegal about their actions.
It is undeniable though, their contribution to publishing and freedom of speech has helped millions of people over the years, myself included.
I remember, often, pulling out a free Village Voice paper from one of the ubiquitous plastic stands. They were set up at nearly every corner of the street in Manhattan. I’d use it to look for a place to stay or a place to work. It was loaded with classified ads.
Lacey and Larkin spent their careers publishing and exercising free speech. Their empire grew to the point where they were running 17 free papers. Including the Miami New Times, Westword, the Dallas Observer, and The Village Voice.
I wish James Larkin’s family and loved ones peace in this difficult time.
Thank you for reading.
Dyann Bridges is a writer, voiceover performer and coach/confidante for men
Contact Dyann at: thebodyhouse.biz@gmail.com
ALL Links – https://linktr.ee/bodyhouse1
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