As many of you have already reported, our community, particularly our transgender and nonbinary family, continues to be targeted by the current administration. Since the inauguration, our community has faced relentless attacks—executive orders impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. Nearly every one of our members has either been directly affected or knows someone who has been. These policies have restricted access to healthcare, undermined job security, curtailed recreational freedoms, and threatened the safety of our schools. Last week, yet another attack took place: a blatant attempt to erase our history. The word “transgender” was removed from the Stonewall National Monument webpage. The monument, part of the National Park Service, also erased the “T” representing trans people and the “Q” for Queer. These policies must be covered thoroughly, sensitively and accurately.
I have heard from many of you about how deeply this has impacted you. To our members, I say this: now, more than ever, we must stand up for fair and accurate coverage of our community. As journalists, we are not only a source of information for the general public but also a vital space where LGBTQ+ people find representation, connection, and truth.
Bethany Grace Howe, a longtime board member, recently put it best: “We must commit to supporting true, accurate, and inclusive coverage of the current administration’s actions. As a journalism organization, we denounce the erasure of history and acknowledge that our community is made more vibrant, dynamic, and whole when we include our trans and nonbinary peers.” I could not agree more.
We are at a generational crossroads. The rights we have today were hard-fought, and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists has been part of that fight every step of the way. We have always championed fairness and accuracy in the coverage of our community—and we must continue to do so.
In 1990, our founder Roy Aarons made history by publicly coming out at the annual American Society of Newspaper Editors meeting. In the years that followed, members like Sherry Boschert and other early leaders advocated for domestic partner benefits from their employers. In the early 2000s, NLGJA helped shape media coverage that supported marriage equality. During the 2010s, groundbreaking reporting on HIV and AIDS influenced public policy that dramatically reduced new infection rates.
But our story as LGBTQ+ journalists didn’t begin in 1990. It is built on the backs, hearts, and minds of those who came before us—and it continues with each of you.
I want to remind you whose footsteps you walk in:
- Randy Alfred, whose groundbreaking 1980 investigation exposed biased and unfair portrayals of San Francisco’s gay community in CBS Reports.
- Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, founders of The Ladder, a groundbreaking publication that, as historian John D’Emilio put it, “offered American lesbians, for the first time in history, the opportunity to speak with their own voices.”
- Mark Segal, founder of the Philadelphia Gay News in 1976, who put himself in harm’s way to call out discrimination.
- Ina Fried, one of the nation’s top tech journalists, who frequently covers technology news on CNBC, NPR, and in print and digital media.
- Lisa Ben, the pseudonymous editor of Vice Versa, the first lesbian publication, which ran from June 1947 to February 1948.
- Monica Roberts, the late blogger, writer, and transgender activist who founded TransGriot, a vital platform for elevating the voices of trans women, particularly trans women of color.
These are just a few of the journalists who inspire me every day. I invite you to learn more about them in the NLGJA LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame.
As you reflect on where you are and why you are here, I urge you to think about your role as a leader for the future. Support your colleagues—subscribe to LGBTQ+ publications, advocate for fair coverage in your newsroom, and stand in solidarity with one another.
We are stronger together.