About Gay Parent Magazine

Vivian Schepis (she/her)
Advertising Sales Manager

Vivian has been working with Gay Parent Magazine since 2006. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is an accomplished artist who has studied art throughout much of her life. You can view some of her work on https://www.facebook.com/VivianSchepisArt/ and https://www.instagram.com/vivian_schepisart/. In her spare time she enjoys painting, art museums, hiking, and relaxing on the beach.

Nyema Barber (she/her)
Advertising Sales Representative

Nyema Barber was born and raised in Chicago, Il. She relocated to Atlanta, GA with her wife Sondra, and their youngest of 3 children, Kylie. Nyema has a Bachelor's degree in Health Science and Nutrition and is pursuing her Master’s degree in HealthCare Administration. In her free time, Nyema enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and giving back to those in need.

Sarah Jihyun Kang (she/they)
Advertising Sales Representative

Sarah Jihyun is a recent graduate from Queens College with a B.A. in Philosophy. They've worked at all kinds of places since high school (the best was a pay-what-you-can community café). But this is their first time employed in service to the LGBTQIA+ community, which is awesome! In their free time, Sarah likes to swim, draw, and cook up delicious Korean food for queer potlucks.

Brett Cohen (he/him)
Webmaster and Graphic Designer

Brett has been a graphic designer for 30+ years and has worked in many different industries ranging from advertising to direct mail to packaging design. He lives with his wife, daughter and their rescue dog on Long Island and can often be found enjoying various outdoor activities and at the beach with his family.

Ben Suazo (he/him)
Marketing Assistant

Ben has substantial advertising and marketing experience in the private sector and handles social media and administrative marketing duties for GPM. He resides in Manhattan and enjoys spending time with his family at their home on the Jersey shore.

Editorial Contributors:

Deadra Albrecht-Frasch (she/her)

Deadra Albrecht-Frasch lives in the Chicagoland area with her wife Alice and twin daughters Shay and Devlin. Deadra has a degree in Psychology from UNC-Charlotte and works in the healthcare field. In her free time, she enjoys writing and playing the piano and trumpet. She has also written a Children’s book that delves into child anxiety surrounding moving to a new home. Available for order on Amazon via ebook or paperback, Stretch City: Moving Day https://amzn.to/3zAOQKz

Aubree Calvin (she/her)

Aubree Calvin is a part time writer and full time professor of government at a Texas community college. She writes about race, politics, and LGBTQ issues. She is also the co-host of the podcast, Southern Queeries, which talks to individuals about being LGBTQ in the south. Aubree and her wife, Victoria, home-school their preteen daughter and live in North Texas. She can be contacted at aubreecalvin@gmail.com and you can read more of her writing at aubreecalvin.com

Jiana Eisenberg (she/her)

Jiana enjoys learning American Sign Language and spending time with her friends and family.

Flavia Francesquini (she/her)

Flavia Francesquni wrote for Gay Parent Magazine from our first issue in 1998 to 2018. She was an Assistant Editor and integral contributor to the growth of GPM. She wrote the parenting tips column, “No Drama Mama,” until 2018 and has interviewed luminaries for GPM including Judy Gold, Chely Wright, Alec Mapa, Cyndi Lauper, Karamo Brown, and Wanda Sykes. Unfortunately, Flavia passed away in 2021 at the age of 52 after a long illness. She is survived by her son and wife, and family and friends who loved her. Read our loving tribute to Flavia here.

Gary Hurtubise (he/him)

Gary Hurtubise lives in Eastern Ontario with his husband Trevor, their two sons Noah & Meo, and their two yellow labs. Gary attended the Royal Military College of Canada and served in the Royal Canadian Navy before becoming a high school physics teacher, and part time Ghostwriter. Gary finds time to write during those odd moments between life: at 4:30 in the morning, on long road-trips with the kids, while back-country camping, and when he should be doing his share of the chores.

Christopher Katis (he/him)

Christopher Katis has spent his career in public relations and corporate communications. For over a dozen years, he's penned the award-winning column Who's Your Daddy in QSaltLake. He and his husband have been married for nearly 35 years, and are the fathers of two teenage sons.

Mark Maxwell, Ph.D (he/him)

Dr. Mark Maxwell is an author, educator and advocate. He and his spouse, Timothy Young Maxwell live in North Carolina. They are parents to five boys, Brandon, Derrick, Justin, Torin and Michael. Mark holds a Ph.D in Public Policy and Administration. His research interests focus on under served populations including children in foster care and their families. Mark and Tim have worked with the Campaign for Southern Equality and Freedom to Marry. Mark has written for the Journal of Health and Human Services. Mark and Tim's story was told in the video, “A Tale of Two Dads”.