Wichita ? Kristi Parker published the first issue of Liberty Press, the state’s only monthly publication covering gays and lesbians, 10 years ago this month.

Parker, who edits the publication, admits there are days she can’t believe Liberty Press is still going 10 years later.

“We struggled at first,” Parker said.

At one point, Parker had to sell her car to keep the business afloat. Now the publication is grossing $100,000 a year, said Vinnie Levin, managing editor of Liberty Press and Parker’s longtime partner.

Liberty Press, which averages 64 pages, has outlasted 24 other gay and lesbian publications based in Wichita, Levin said. The first issue was 12 pages; the 10th anniversary issue was 72 pages. In 1999, Liberty Press won three national Vice Versa Awards for Excellence in the Gay and Lesbian Press.

Parker, a Wichita native, saw a need for a publication to connect the gay and lesbian communities across the state.

“It’s very easy if you’re gay in Kansas to feel isolated,” said Levin.

About three years ago, Parker and Levin, who worked on the student newspaper at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and at Penny Power in Wichita, made a pact that they weren’t going to continue Liberty Press if they couldn’t support themselves without other jobs.

Parker and Levin print 5,000 copies of Liberty Press, which is published in Wichita, each month and distribute it across the state. The first copy is free. Paid subscriptions also are available.

They credit their success to advertisers hoping to reach out to a niche audience.

Liberty Press also has received volunteer help. It has paid and volunteer writers and designers.

“When we first started, people jumped in to help,” Parker said. “It’s continued.”