The United States' largest gay newspaper publisher has ceased operations, but former employees are already planning new publications to fill the void.

Window Media papers — including Atlanta’s Southern Voice, the Washington Blade, Houston Voice and the South Florida Blade — were shut down Monday as their parent company reportedly went out of business.

Staff at the Southern Voice arrived at work Monday morning to find the locks changed. A note taped to the door said employees could return on Wednesday to collect their personal belongings.

"While the 20 years of SoVo have come to an end, our civil rights movement is only beginning," wrote editor Laura Douglas-Brown in a message posted on Southern Voice’s Facebook page. "I am personally grateful to all of the staff, and to all of you who have had the courage to share your stories. It has been the honour of my life to help you tell them." 

Window Media's financial troubles were widely reported, but Douglas-Brown told the Associated Press that the closure came as a shock. "We had all been told that the companies would be sold," she told AP. 

Editors at the Washington Blade continue to update the paper’s Twitter account. Former Blade editor Kevin Naff said there are plans to start a new gay publication in Washington — filling the void left by the closure of the Washington Blade, which just recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

"The staff is united," Naff told Politico. "We’re all together. Our first meeting for our new venture is tomorrow morning."

The Washington City Paper takes a look at the final hours of the Washington Blade.