Velvetpark: Dyke Culture in Bloom

Velvetpark began in New York City in the winter of 2002 by a handful of intrepid artists, writers, designers, photographers, and pop culture aficionados.

Velvetpark began publishing in print, July 2002. We are now an exclusively on-line magazine.

In 2004 Velvetpark applied for the trademark including the tag-line “dyke culture in bloom”. The United States Patent and Trademark Office rejected the mark on the grounds that the word “dyke” is “immoral and scandalous”. The Vista IP Law Group in Irvine, CA amended our application in 2005 in an effort to have the USPTO recognize the word “dyke” as an accepted and welcomed signifier by the lesbian community. “Velvetpark, Dyke Culture in Bloom” trademark passed in April 2006

Our Mission is to articulate and foster the inherent aesthetic and cultural values of the contemporary queer and women’s movement. To honor our LGBTQ cultural heritage and bring it’s discourse into everyday dialog.