Learn to SharE
your voice

"While my reporting doesn't specifically focus on LGBT history and culture, there's no doubt that my background influences who I am and, consequently, my work. We've inherited a rich legacy from boldly honest and courageous individuals. I've studied them and have had the privilege of knowing a few personally. I believe the best way to honor them is to live authentically and fully. At this stage in my life, I find pride in my roles as a friend, colleague, partner, brother, and son. I'm proud of my kindness and my ability to connect with diverse individuals."

"LGBTQ+ history is everyone's history, so yes. It's important to cover milestones and progress being made in my community."

"I do feel an added responsibility to be especially sensitive around LGBTQ+ issues in my work. It’s been so rewarding to see the increased representation over the past three decades since I started my career."

"I feel a huge responsibility as a transgender person with an audience and a platform at this incredibly difficult and perilous time for so many in my community. It was a huge motivation for launching the Letters for Trans Kids project. I knew as a journalist I couldn’t stop all the legislative hate being directed at trans people, particularly trans youth. But I also couldn’t sit back and let the next generation go on thinking there weren’t lots of people who wanted to see them thrive."

"I’m gay and a journalist. And I think the responsibilities go hand in hand. The Constitutional duty of journalists is to be advocates for the people. I’m proud to be a journalistic advocate for the LGBTQ community. Sometimes I don’t see eye-to-eye with my own community, and that’s fine. But as a journalist I try to listen, tell the truth and share stories that educate people about their fellow humans."

"Like any minority, when you’re gay you’re conscious of being a role model. I like to think reporting from war zones might help to dispel myths about gay people."

"I absolutely believe that I have a role to play in helping preserve LGBTQIA+ history and culture. While much of my focus is on destigmatizing HIV and educating the masses through my journalism, I believe it is incredibly vital to preserve and remind people of where we have come from. Preserving the stories that show our resilience is equally crucial as informing people about how far we’ve come because of the blood, sweat, tears, and sequins of those who fought before us."

I absolutely feel like I have an amazing role to play in helping preserve LGBTQ+ history and culture in my work. My work exists in at least 6 LGBTQ+ archives and has been taught at at least two dozen colleges or universities so I know it’s being passed down to the leaders of the future and/or preserved in some way for future generations. I hope that it’s much like when I read newspaper accounts of the killings of gay men in the 1940s and ’50s—they’ll look back at it with raised eyebrows and disbelief at how much farther society has come around acceptance and rights for LGBTQ+ people.

"I do walk that fine line between representing my LGBTQ+ community and not being pigeon-holed as the “gay reporter” in town. I’m OK with that to a certain extent, but I’m not a one-trick pony. Hopefully, the queer community knows I’m there for them and the community at large knows that’s just one of many subjects I cover. After many years of going it alone, we now have multiple queer reporters at The News Tribune."

"There’s a responsibility to tell the truth. As long as I follow that, both about our community and our opponents, merge into one. Telling the truth can be seen as advocacy, but, in the end, the truth is the arbiter. Politics is a grey area. But the truth is black or white."

"I do and I believe that’s why I am so drawn to “untold stories” and “unheard voices” — not just within the LGBTQ community but beyond. If it were up to me, no one would ever be forgotten. The simple fact is we all have a story. Some of the most inspiring stories are the ones that have yet to be told. We are all have a responsibility to help tell each other’s stories."

"Whether it was Philip L. Graham or journalist Alan Barth, who first described news as “the first rough draft of history” the spirit holds true in our work today, and that includes LGBTQ+ history and culture. For some stories, I hope I provide access to voices others may not even consider, and for others, it is important to step aside and allow others to report, to protect the story from an appearance of bias. The risk of becoming a distraction for anyone who would easily dismiss it as self-interest."