NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists

🌈 Next in our series of trailblazing queer journalists for #LGBTQHistoryMonth is Edythe Eyde, also known as Lisa Ben! Born in 1921 in San Francisco, Eyde created the first lesbian publication in American history: Vice Versa. At a time when being openly gay was dangerous, Eyde worked by day as a secretary at RKO Pictures in Los Angeles and used her lunch breaks to type copies of her magazine. From 1947 to 1948, she distributed nine issues of Vice Versa, filled with book and film reviews, essays, and original poetry celebrating queer women. Although the magazine was simple in design, its message was revolutionary: queer voices matter, and queer women deserve a platform. Vice Versa was produced during a time when U.S. laws deemed publications about homosexuality “obscene,” so Eyde's work carried significant risk. Her magazine was not just about visibility but also about connection, providing a rare platform for lesbians during an era of fear and repression. Eyde's courage in putting her words to paper, knowing they could be used against her, speaks to her bravery and vision. Though Vice Versa had a brief run, Eyde's work set the stage for future LGBTQ+ media. She imagined a time when queer publications would be freely available, paving the way for the vibrant LGBTQ+ journalism we see today. In 2010, Eyde was inducted into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, and her legacy is honored through the Lisa Ben Award for Achievement in Features Coverage, which recognizes impactful journalism on LGBTQ+ issues. Edythe Eyde’s work remains an inspiration, proving that even in the face of repression, creativity and truth cannot be silenced. To hear about Eyde's work in her own words, listen to an interview with her on Eric Marcus' “Making Gay History” podcast: https://lnkd.in/eNxgFCeQ. 🌈 Read more at https://lnkd.in/e-UnkN5J

📅 Applications for the Spring 2025 Insider Fellowship are now open! ✨ This paid, full-time fellowship is for early career journalists who want to spend six months learning from a newsroom full of passionate journalists at Business Insider. The 2025 Fellow can apply for fellowships on the following teams: 🟣 Social Media and Operations 🔶 Audience and Social Media 🟣 Markets Reporting 🔶 Trending News 🟣 Newsletters ✍️ Apply by Tuesday, Nov. 5! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g85yQenx

🔊 Registration for our 2025 National Convention is now OPEN! Here's what you need to know: 🍑 Our 2025 Convention will be in Atlanta, GA 📆 It runs from Sept. 4–Sept. 7, 2025 💌 NLGJA members receive discounted registration rates! 🔗 Register now at nlgja.org/2025convention/

🌈 📰 Make history with NLGJA and support our mission to ensure fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities! 💜🧡💜 Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and donate $19.90 today in honor of the year our founder Leroy Aarons came out and created NLGJA. Visit nlgja.org/donate to make your gift. Thank you for your support!

This #LGBTQHistoryMonth, we’re fundraising to ensure NLGJA can continue supporting the LGBTQ+ journalists making history today and the ones who will tomorrow 🧡 Donate today and help create a future of inclusive newsrooms where LGBTQ+ journalists can thrive! Visit nlgja.org/donate to make your gift.

This #ComingOutDay, we’re celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month with the trailblazers who have made journalism a safer space for LGBTQ+ people everywhere. We’re starting close to home with our founder, Leroy Aarons, whose courageous coming out led to the creation of our organization. Though Aarons spent much of his early life hiding his orientation in the workplace, that changed in 1990 when he presented a survey about the experiences of LGBTQ+ journalists in newsrooms to the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The results of the survey weren’t great: at the time, the majority of queer respondents weren’t out at work and most of them believed that news coverage of LGBTQ+ issues was at best mediocre. Still, Aarons saw the value of these kinds of inquiries, and as he concluded his presentation, he took a huge step. With a choked voice, he declared “I’m proud—as an editor and gay man—proud of ASNE for having done this study.” At the time, he served as the senior vice president of the Oakland Tribune, and the coming out of a top editor at a daily metropolitan newspaper made waves. Letters poured in, expressing gratitude and excitement, but most importantly asking “What’s next?” A few months later, he gathered with five other LGBTQ+ journalists in his living room, and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists was born. Throughout the rest of his life, Aarons would work tirelessly to ensure a safe and strong future for marginalized people in newsrooms. He established the first college course on LGBTQ+ media issues at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, and was a founding member of the Maynard Institute, which was created to promote diversity in newsrooms. But it was in his role as the founder and first president of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists that his impact was felt most deeply. As journalist Dan Woog said, “Knowing that [NLGJA] existed affected me deeply and gave me the courage to come out to my colleagues.” Our mission is his legacy, and we strive everyday to carry out his vision of a better industry. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️Happy LGBTQ+ History Month from all of us here at NLGJA!

🌈💜 Today marks the beginning of LGBTQ+ History Month! This month, we’re celebrating the tremendous resilience of our communities and the LGBTQ+ journalists who have paved the way for fair and accurate coverage. From groundbreaking history-makers like Edythe Eyde, to barrier-busting artists like Marlon Riggs, to our own founder Leroy Aarons, our history is full of queer journalists who turned their eyes toward our communities when so many others would not. This month, let’s celebrate their contributions and empower the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists to keep breaking barriers and telling our stories. #lgbtqhistorymonth #lgbtqjournalism #lgbtqhistory

📚Join us for our October book club meeting at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 23! We’re celebrating spooky season by reading “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas. RSVP today at https://lnkd.in/epcBbb5T 🏳️⚧️“Cemetery Boys” tells the story of a trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family. It made history in 2020 as the first trans-centered fiction book by an openly trans author to reach the New York Times Best Seller List! 🗓️ Can’t make it to our October meeting? Keep an eye out for our next two Book Club meetings! We will be meeting on Nov. 20 to discuss “Pageboy: A Memoir” by Elliot Page and in the new year on Jan. 29 to go over “When the Band Played on: The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist” by Michael Lee. We hope to see you there!

📸 Did you get your professional headshot taken at #NLGJA24? 🔗 You can access those now at https://lnkd.in/edYTvcmi! Make sure to credit photographer Troy Diggs.

👋 We’re so pleased that our 2024 Convention was a massive success and now that we have a bunch of new friends here, we want to let you know what we’re all about! 🌈 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists was founded in 1990 as a welcoming community for LGBTQ+ communicators working to promote fair and accurate coverage. Today, we’re a collective of over 1,200 creatives, journalists, media professionals and educators fighting for more inclusive newsrooms, a more welcoming industry and a brighter future for the field of journalism. ❓What do we do? We... 👥Provide access to a vast professional and support network for our members 🏳️🌈Encourage fair and accurate reporting on LGBTQ+ issues 💫Establish chapters across the country to uplift journalists at the local level 🗓️Host exclusive networking events, conventions, book clubs and other exciting social opportunities 🎓Support LGBTQ+ journalists with trainings, awards, mentorship opportunities, scholarships, fellowships and more Learn more about our mission and how to become a member at nlgja.org! #nlgja #queerjournalism #lgbtqjournalism #queermedia #lgbtq #journalism #lgbtmedia