Blacklight was the first national Black gay periodical in the United States. It was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1979 by Sidney Brinkley. It began as a four page newsletter in 1979 (with a circulation of 300 copies) and by early 1980 had doubled in length to eight pages, and doubled again to 16 pages by the end of that year. At its peak, Blacklight had a circulation of 7,000 copies, and was carried in bars, bookstores, and libraries in the city. Blacklight primarily covered the lifestyles and concerns of Washington’s Black gay men, although it occasionally addressed issues affecting the greater LGBTQ community.