The Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBT newspaper, plans to launch a sister publication in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Blade, which plans a March 24 debut with 20,000 print copies, will cover Los Angeles and California news, opinion, and entertainment beginning on a bi-monthly schedule, with future plans to publish weekly. The publication will also include national and international reportage from the Washington Blade.

The first edition will be distributed in locations popular with the LGBT community, including bars, restaurants and gyms.

“Los Angeles is the No. 2 market in the country and its large LGBT population is underserved,” said Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff, who is co-owner of the Los Angeles publication and will also serve as its national editor, in an e-mail. “We are looking to extend the Washington Blade’s nearly 50-year commitment to quality journalism to L.A. at a time when many in the community are feeling under attack.”

Troy Masters, a veteran of LGBT media who founded Lesbian and Gay New York and The Pride LA LGBT newspaper, will serve as publisher and editor of the new venture. Karen Ocamb, former news editor of Frontiers in LA, was named senior contributing writer.

The Los Angeles Blade website is already live but does not yet contain any news or informational content. Naff said the website will eventually be updated daily with additional content to that found in the print publication.

“It’s important to tell our community’s stories through our lens; to cover hate crime attacks, like those we’re seeing targeting trans women of color and our LGBT community centers around the country,” Naff said in an e-mail. “We do not have plans to expand to other cities. This was a unique opportunity to help fill a void in one of the country’s largest markets.”

Contact media and entertainment reporter Diane Haithman at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @dhaithman for the latest in L.A. business news.