6 days ago
The future of LGBTQ+ journalism begins with you
In November 2023, I sat at a bar in Colorado Springs. Survivors of the Club Q mass shooting had gathered with friends and supporters for a night of remembrance before the first anniversary of a night that forever changed their lives.
One survivor hosted the night. There were maybe 20 people there in total. There were drag performances, laughter, tears, and memories shared among this group of people who were acquaintances before Nov. 19, 2022, but were forced to become more after the shared traumatic experience.
I sat at the dimly lit bar, having been invited by one of the survivors I interviewed for a story on the shooting. When I first got there, an activist from Denver who had become a dear friend and support to many of the survivors took me aside before I even walked in.
'Who are you with?' they asked, protectively. I told them I worked for The Advocate, and I assured them I was just observing, getting contact information from folks, and wouldn't record what was said inside the bar.
I drank with them.
I danced with them.
I listened to them.
Mental notes were taken, but something that kept piercing through my mind even then was that this is what journalism should be. It connects. It reveals. It honors. It reopens wounds to let them air out.
I wrote in my oft-forgotten notes app: 'An observer reaching for the impossible idea of objectivity will never be privy to this. So, they lack the story. It's listening and talking and being.'
All journalists have an ethical duty to uphold the truth, and in queer journalism, we have an ethical duty to report and write factually about LGBTQ+ lives and experiences. Us in queer media — to borrow from my colleague Tracy E. Gilchrist — are authentic in our journalism because we're approaching our work through sympathetic yet informed lenses (we're often queer ourselves).
I think about (queer) journalism a lot. Are our sources diverse enough? Would this make a good series? How can we get funding for investigative stories? How do we ensure we can keep doing this work for the next month, next year, next decade?
Support queer media. .
The Advocate has brought queer news to readers since it was a newsletter in Los Angeles, first drafted after a police raid at a gay bar in 1967. A small group was spurred to act, driven to help LGBTQ+ people in L.A. know what was happening in their community.
Our mission remains largely the same since then: To inform the queer community. While we've grown to a national (and international) audience, that focus has stayed on what news our readers need to know to live their best lives — from the latest Supreme Court ruling to what's happening at local Pride events.
This is a precarious time for journalism. NPR has sued the Trump administration after the president signed an executive order slashing its funding. CBS News cowered to a lawsuit that experts say it could have won against Trump. The Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have been decimated by cuts of their federal funding. The Trump White House has repeatedly attacked the press — see the Associated Press debacle over the Gulf of Mexico. It's clearly becoming more risky for journalists to criticize this administration.
Just as journalism is under attack, so too are queer lives. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the U.S. this legislative session alone. The right-wing backlash against gay and trans rights has led many corporations to pull back from publicly supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. That includes funding things like Pride events, and yes, advertising in LGBTQ+ publications.
Queer media — reported by, reported on, and involving LGBTQ+ people — is needed more than ever. It's a journalism that goes beyond superficial attempts to see the world in binaries and instead accepts the nuances and variety of people and their stories. It's why we're asking you, our readers, for your direct support.
Today, we launch a membership program for The Advocate. Your financial support will go directly to the sort of reporting I did in Colorado Springs, and much more.
When you become a member, you'll back the community The Advocate created in 1967 – you'll also get special perks like a behind-the-scenes newsletter from me, with exclusive insights into our reporting. If you join at The Advocate's founding level – for $19.67 a month – you'll receive a free print subscription to keep or give to someone, as well as a specially designed enamel pin to show your support of LGBTQ+ journalism. Celebrate this Pride Month by directly supporting The Advocate's work. Become a member today, and let's keep providing our community with the news it needs.
I go back to that night in Colorado so often because for me it is what queer journalism is: Empathetic storytelling that reports the real LGBTQ+ experience. It's what we strive for at The Advocate.
Since our founding in 1967, the LGBTQ+ community has been our north star. It continues to be. In this moment, we are fighting to keep bringing audiences the best of queer journalism.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting The Advocate.
