NLGJA - The Association of LGBTQ Journalists

We are proud to name Erin Reed the winner of our 2024 Jeanne Córdova Award, which honors LGBTQ+ women for their body of work in journalism and/or opinion.

“Erin Reed is a clear demonstration of how much a single journalist can accomplish,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Her extensive work has helped uncover the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and has been relied upon by thousands of readers. It is an honor to recognize her and her thorough and insightful work with the Jeanne Córdova Award.”

Reed has been one of the most visible journalists tracking and analyzing the spread of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the country. Her research has been cited by outlets like The Associated Press, The Washington Post, LGBTQ Nation and more. As an independent journalist, she frequently leverages social media to share her findings and her work has amassed millions of views across X, Instagram and TikTok. Her blog, Erininthemorning.com, reaches over 50,000 subscribers. She is engaged to Rep. Zooey Zephyr.

Congratulations Erin! Read the full announcement at https://www.nlgja.org/blog/2024/08/erin-reed-named-the-recipient-of-the-2024-jeanne-cordova-award/.

We are proud to name Lauren McGaughy the winner of our 2024 Randy Shilts Award for LGBTQ+ Coverage, which honors journalists who consistently bring stories of the LGBTQ+ community to life in mainstream media outlets.

“Throughout her career, Lauren has worked tirelessly to cover LGBTQ+ issues and communities. She has followed in Randy’s trailblazing footsteps, even going so far as to bring the gender, sexuality and politics beat to The Dallas Morning News,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Her work has spanned multiple mediums and she has brought her incisive and empathetic approach to every outlet she has worked for. It is an honor to recognize her contributions to the industry.”

McGaughy is an investigative reporter and editor for The Texas Newsroom, a collaboration of NPR member stations in Texas. Her specialty areas include criminal justice, governmental ethics and q***r issues. Previous to joining the Texas Newsroom, McGaughy worked for The Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Congratulations, Lauren!

As another round of layoffs sweeps through the industry, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists continues to offer assistance to those affected. Our Job Board is updated on a daily basis, and members can use our resources to connect with hiring managers across the country.

Reach out to [email protected] with a request and we will waive your membership fees.

🌈 Let's give an for our 2024 Scholarship recipients, Desmond Meagley and Edward Franco!

📢 Congratulations to our 2024 Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship recipient, Desmond Meagley! Meagley got their start writing professionally at YR Media (formerly Youth Radio) a non-profit multimedia news network based in Oakland, California. Today, Desmond is a staff writer and lead photo editor at The Citizen, the Peralta Community College District’s award winning student-run news publication, and is part of the 2024-2025 CalMatters College Journalism Fellowship cohort.

💜 The Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award is given yearly to an LGBTQ+ student pursuing a career in journalism, with a commitment to fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community.

📢 Congratulations to our 2024 Kay Longcope Scholarship recipient, Edward Franco! Franco is a rising senior at New York University where he is pursuing a double major in Journalism and Social and Cultural Analysis with a focus on broadcasting. He has been working at NBC News for over a year as a production assistant intern reporting on national stories. As an Emma Bowen Foundation Fellow, he interned at WKMG CBS News 6 Orlando during his summers where he covered the failure of the onePULSE foundation. Franco was also the video director for Washington Square News, NYU’s independent newspaper.

Learn more about our awards at nlgja.org.

🏆 We are delighted to announce the recipients of our 2024 Excellence in Journalism Awards and recognize the exemplary work they produced in 2023!

“It is always a pleasure to recognize the recipients of our annual Excellence in Journalism Awards,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “This year’s winning pieces show that LGBTQ+ people are living full and unfiltered lives all over the world: from q***r roller derby stars in the Bay Area, to drag performers in rural Appalachia, to thrifting collectives in Nigeria, our communities are everywhere.

"As important as it is to tell stories of everyday q***r joy, it is also vital that journalists cover the coordinated and systematic assault on the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. This year, we’ve recognized pieces that reveal the spread of this campaign, like a Los Angeles Times article exposing the anti-LGBTQ+ crusade sweeping through California school boards and a Reuters investigation into the rise of anti-trans bills across the country. Others, like an NBC News article on a trans Missouri teenager and her family, put the spotlight on the people impacted by these legislative efforts. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you for your vital coverage of LGBTQ+ communities, people and issues.”

View the full list of recipients at https://www.nlgja.org/blog/2024/07/2024eij/ ➡️

Help shape the future of our association with a leadership role!

We are now accepting nominations for the following National Board positions:
🔹 President
🔸 Vice President of Print & Online
🔹 At-Large Director (4)

Learn more and download your nomination form at https://bit.ly/nlgjanominations.

Nomination forms must be emailed to [email protected] by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 1.

We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Curve Award for Emerging Journalists, presented in partnership with The Curve Foundation!

The winners of this year's award are Maura Barrett (NBC News), Ashley Dye (The Marshall Project), Catalina Gaitán (The Seattle Times), Zakiya Gibbons (POC in Audio Directory) and Josie Norris (San Antonio Express-News.)

Read more about the winners at https://www.nlgja.org/blog/2024/07/2024curvewinners/

⏰ There are just hours left before our Pride Month fundraising deadline!

Because of donations from supporters like you, we’re just over halfway to our goal! Right now, we have just $2,275 to raise by midnight tonight.

Can you help us meet our goal by making a gift at nlgja.org/donate/?

📬 Throwback to when our newsletter arrived in your mailbox, not your inbox!

“A dedicated LGBTQ+ journalism space where journalists can come together and support each other is crucial, especially in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that threatens our very existence.

Being part of a q***r community means collaborating to report on our experiences authentically and finding ways to create safe spaces for ourselves. It also involves supporting the next generation of journalists in an unstable industry and challenging world.”

- Member and CONNECT Program alumni Gisselle Medina

💟 It is our honor to build and protect this space for LGBTQ+ journalists but it takes work to maintain it. Our supporters play a crucial role in helping us offer programming like our National Convention, our Excellence in Journalism Awards, our Stylebook on LGBTQ+ Terminology and more.

We’re asking for your help this Pride month - can you make a donation of $100, $50, $25 or $10 to keep our community thriving? Donate today at https://www.nlgja.org/donate/

Not in a place to donate? No worries! Help support our cause by sharing this post with your followers.

Gisselle Medina covers religion, culture and community development in the Central Valley for Fresnoland. Prior to joining Report for America, Medina built an education beat from scratch at The Frisc, a small newsroom in San Francisco. Their work has been published in the L.A. Times, The Oaklandside, The Daily Californian, Greater Good Science Center, and much more. Medina was a 2023 White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship recipient and was part of the 2023 NAHJ and NLGJA student projects. Medina received a master’s degree in journalism, with concentrations in investigative reporting and multimedia, from UC Berkeley, where they also studied English as an undergraduate. Originally from Los Angeles, Medina lived in Fresno for 10 years, where they cultivated a passion for helping people while residing in a room and board facility and uncovering the disparities faced by the residents. Outside of work, Medina loves to spend time with loved ones, playing board games, dancing to music, traveling to new places, and reading poetry.

📅 RSVP now for next week's Book Club! We’ll be gathering on Zoom to discuss “The Race to Be Myself” by Caster Semenya.

📚 Join us next Wednesday, June 26 at 8:30! Attendees must be verified members of either NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists or the Trans Journalists Association.

🖇️ Register at https://forms.gle/RgvAugU7SWbjk59n8

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists supports the Baltimore Sun Guild in their recent call on newsroom leaders to return to the ethical standards and practices employed by the paper prior to its recent acquisition.

The people of Baltimore deserve a paper that fully represents their city and that can only happen with a diverse and representative newsroom: one that welcomes the voices and perspectives of trans people.

View our full statement here: https://www.nlgja.org/blog/2024/06/a-statement-on-recent-coverage-from-the-baltimore-sun/

🏡 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is the largest community of LGBTQ+ journalists in the world, and we are committed to growing and building that home.

National Board Vice President of Print & Online Erik Hall spoke about how fulfilling this community was for him:

"Through my involvement with NLGJA, I have forged incredible friendships and found a sense of camaraderie that had been missing in my professional life."

💟 We're proud of the home we've built, but we need your help to support it's growth! We're trying to raise $5,000 by the end of Pride month - can you help us reach our goal with a donation? Any amount helps. You can give at https://www.nlgja.org/donate/

🌈 The second weekend of Pride is here and we hope you'll come out to celebrate with some of our local chapters!

📅 Here's what we have on the calendar:

🔸 a Chicago Pride Picnic, happening tomorrow 6/8 from 12-4 p.m. CT | RSVP at https://bit.ly/24nlgjachipride

🟣 a DC Media Mixer, Thursday 6/20 from 6-8 p.m. ET | Register at https://bit.ly/24nlgjadcmixer

🔸 an LA Bad Drag Fundraiser, Sunday 6/23 at 7 p.m. PT | DM on IG or email [email protected] for more info

🟣 a Philly Pride Picnic, Sunday 6/23 from 12-3 p.m. ET | DM on IG for more info

(📸 is of New York Chapter members at their latest Pride mixer, sponsored by Cunard)

“I have seen firsthand how important NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is to our members. People who once felt alone in their newsrooms now know they have a community standing behind them. The Association is here to help journalists fight for the kind of coverage that our communities deserve.” - our fearless Executive Director Adam Pawlus

This Pride month, we're asking for your help. We're trying to raise $5000 by June 28 so we can continue building a home for all LGBTQ+ journalists. Every dollar makes a difference, and we're grateful for your support. You can donate today at https://www.nlgja.org/donate/

Not in a position to give? No problem! Help us reach our goal by sharing our posts throughout the month and letting your friends know what your NLGJA community means to you.

We are proud to announce the 2024 cohort for our CONNECT Student Journalism Training Project! Our 2024 scholars are Alyssa Bickle, Theia Chatelle, Joe Destra, Drew Filipski, Jocelyn Landon, Amira McKee, Desmond Meagley, Chinanuekpele “Chinanu” Okoli, Herman Roberts and Hong Ta.

Learn more about the project and the scholars here: https://bit.ly/nlgjaconnect24

🥳 We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member, Caitlin DeLatte, to the National Office!

📝 DeLatte will serve as the Association’s new Development & Partnerships Director. Her non-profit career has focused on building collaborative partnerships that connect individuals and organizations with the opportunity to make a lasting positive impact on their communities. A proud University of Maryland alum, DeLatte has a background in public health, development, and music. She is excited to join the Association team and advance fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community.

👏 Welcome to the team, Caitlin!

📅 RSVP now for next week's Book Club! We’ll be gathering on Zoom to discuss “Love in the Big City” by Sang Young Park.

📚 Join us next Wednesday, May 22 at 8:30! Attendees must be verified members of either NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists or the Trans Journalists Association.

🖇️ Register at https://bit.ly/maybooknlgja

There is just one week left to apply for one of our student scholarships! Applications for the Leroy F. Aarons and Kay Longcope scholarships are due at midnight ET on Monday, May 20.

Learn more and apply at https://www.nlgja.org/scholarships/

🎓🏳️‍🌈 Attention student members!

📚 Applications for our Kay Longcope and Leroy F. Aarons scholarship awards are due on Monday, May 20!

📝 Don't miss this chance to advance your education! Learn more and apply at https://www.nlgja.org/scholarships/

🌈 Please welcome the newest addition to the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists family: a student chapter at Loyola University New Orleans!

👥 If you are interested in joining a local chapter, you can learn more about them at https://www.nlgja.org/chapters/

📝 If you would like to start a chapter in your area, please email [email protected]!

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Thursday night for the return of Headlines & Headliners!

We welcomed close to 200 guests for the 25th anniversary of our landmark New York event. Thank you to our sponsors and supporters - we can't wait to see you again next year!

View all the photos at the link our bio!

Photos by Emma Bergman.

According to Special Guest Sunny Hostin, Headlines & Headliners "not only shines a spotlight on LGBTQ+ representation but also stands as a pillar of support for NLGJA's crucial mission for fair and accurate coverage."

Join Sunny and many other special guests this Thursday evening at Headlines & Headliners! The event will take place at the Prince George's Ballroom in New York from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are still available, but they're going fast -grab yours now at https://www.nlgja.org/headlines-and-headliners/!

With less than a week left until the return of Headlines & Headliners, make sure to grab your tickets ASAP!

Join us at the Prince George's Ballroom in New York next Thursday, April 18 at 6:30. Tickets are $150 for non-members, $100 for members and $50 for students. Register at https://www.nlgja.org/headlines-and-headliners/

We are thrilled to announce that Yvette Miley is the recipient of our 2024 Leadership Award! The award recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on their newsrooms by increasing diversity and improving coverage of the LGBTQ community.

Award-winning journalist Yvette M. Miley serves as Executive Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the NBCU News Group and Head of NBCUAcademy. Her responsibilities include recruiting and retention, training and development, employee engagement, strategic partnerships, and editorial initiatives across all four networks.

“In honoring Yvette Miley with the 2024 NLGJA Leadership Award, we celebrate not only her profound impact on newsroom diversity but also her unwavering commitment to amplifying LGBTQ+ stories,” said Executive Director Adam Pawlus. ”Yvette’s dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion serves as a beacon of inspiration for us all, and we are honored to recognize her remarkable contributions to our industry.”

Read more at https://www.nlgja.org/blog/2024/04/yvette-miley-named-the-2024-recipient-of-the-nlgja-the-association-of-lgbtq-journalists-leadership-award/

We are less than two weeks away from the return of Headlines & Headliners! Join us on April 18 at the Prince George's Ballroom for a night of community and celebration, all in support of fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. The event will be hosted by Stephanie Ruhle, host of MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle and NBC News Senior Business Analyst.

Grab your tickets at nlgja.org/headlines-and-headliners! Tickets cost $150 for non-members, $100 for members and $50 for students.

Interested in attending but can't fit it in your budget? Apply to volunteer at https://bit.ly/3VJ9mna

There's still time to apply to volunteer at Headlines & Headliners! The deadline to apply has been extended to Monday, April 8.

Headlines & Headliners is our landmark New York fundraising event dedicated to raising money in support of fair and accurate journalism. This star-studded night is returning for the first time since 2019 and will be held at the Prince George's Ballroom on Thursday, April 18 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Volunteers will only serve a 90 minute shift, giving them plenty of time to enjoy a night of conversation and camaraderie! This is a fantastic opportunity for a student, early-career journalist or anyone who wants to support fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities. Apply now at https://bit.ly/3VJ9mna

🏆 Nominations for the 2024 Curve Award for Emerging Journalists are now open!

🌈 The Curve Award for Emerging Journalists, sponsored by The Curve Foundation, provides financial support to emerging journalists whose work fosters fair and accurate coverage and elevates the voices of LGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary people. The award is open to le****ns, q***r women, trans women and nonbinary people.

📅 Nominations are due April 30! Submit your nomination at https://www.nlgja.org/awardsinfo/curve-award/