Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

NLJGA 2014: Diversity coverage hits and misses discussed
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2014-08-24

This article shared 5145 times since Sun Aug 24, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Diversity hits and misses, how media outlets cover diversity within the LGBT community was the topic of one of the plenary sessions at the annual National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association conference Aug. 22 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago.

Cathy Renna, senior vice-president at Target Cue, served as the moderator. Panelists were Wade Davis II ( executive director of the You Can Play Project and former NFL player ), Natalie Moore ( WBEZ South Side bureau reporter ) and Jose Antonio Vargas ( journalist, filmmaker and immigration activist ).

Vargas said he has never felt like he fit within the mold of the mainstream press and as a young kid he resisted his gay identity. After Matthew Shepard was murdered, Vargas came out as gay and 12 years later he came out as undocumented. Vargas said he experienced some hostility via a text message from a white gay journalist friend after he crashed a Mitt Romney rally in Iowa in 2012 with a sign that said "I'm an American without papers." The text message said "why are you pulling a stunt like this" and that angered Vargas.

"I don't think we are at the point in which newsrooms understand LGBT issues but I think that LGBT reporters and media don't understand the level of complexity required to really cover our diversity in a way that is as inclusive as possible in the areas of class, immigration, race, ethnicity and gender, and I think we have to do better," said Vargas.

"Over the past several years I've been pretty annoyed at the 'Black people are homophobic' story that keeps resurfacing especially as marriage equality campaigns are happening around the country," said Moore. Moore explained that just like other groups there is diversity among the African-American community when it comes to LGBT issues, but the majority of the time the only narrative that gets told is the one about homophobic African-American clergy. Moore pointed out that there are churches like Trinity in Chicago that have LGBT ministries and those stories are underreported.

During the push for marriage equality in Illinois, Moore said she was asked to do a story about the issue as it pertains to the African-American community and she resisted but lost the battle. Moore explained that she consulted with Kim Hunt, executive director of Affinity Community Services, and out of that meeting emerged a different story than the one she was assigned, "Is the face of marriage equality too white?" that resulted in her winning a National Association of Black Journalists award.

"When I look around this room I say wow we're having a conversation about diversity and the people in this room aren't really that diverse and that makes me sad but it also makes me very hopeful that this conversation is happening," said Davis.

Davis said he likes to do coalition building and solidarity work and not just focus on homophobia in sports. "Homophobia doesn't exist in isolation. It's a byproduct of sexism but we don't want to have that conversation because we live in a very sexist and misogynistic world," said Davis.

Davis shared that he got sick to his stomach when he saw all his friends with equal signs on their Facebook pages when Prop 8 was reversed and part of DOMA was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court when just a few days earlier the Voting Rights Act was gutted by the same court. Living in isolation is not an option, said Davis. He explained that he wouldn't expect Vargas to work with him if he did nothing about the immigration issue and conversely he wouldn't expect Moore to work with him if he did nothing about poverty among African-American women in the United States.

Renna asked what the media could be doing and Davis said that they need to reframe and debunk myths that are out there about specific communities. Davis said the most important story in sports is out WNBA Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner and no one is telling that story.

Moore said it is important to broaden your network of sources and own your storytelling mistakes when they happen. Vargas said that social media platforms have changed the game and forced certain stories to the forefront that might not have gotten exposure in mainstream news outlets.

As for story ideas, Vargas said he would like to see articles showcasing "how the young diverse immigrant community is using the African-American and LGBT civil-rights movements as a way to free themselves."

Moore shared that in order to find new stories reporters should "have coffee with five different groups that you've never met with before or talked to," while Davis said he wants to see more stories about Griner, why no one talked about the fact that Jason Collins said he was Black first when he announced to the world that he was gay, and "how the language [like coming out of the closet] that we use around being LGBT is actually adding shame and stigma to our own lives."

See www.nlgja.org, www.youcanplayproject.org, www.wbez.org/users/nmoore-0 and www.defineamerican.com for more information.





This article shared 5145 times since Sun Aug 24, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Lambda Legal Launches "Speak OUT" awareness campaign uplifting trans, nonbinary voices
2024-03-28
--From a press release. VIDEO BELOW - (NEW YORK, NY — March 28, 2024) In advance of Transgender Day of Visibility, Lambda Legal, the nation's oldest and largest legal nonprofit working to achieve full equal rights for LGBTQ people and everyone living with ...


Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill
2024-03-27
On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Brown Elephant Returns To Northalsted
2024-03-26
Brown Elephant's Lake View location is moving to Northalsted and already accepting donations. Howard Brown Health, the largest LGBTQ+ health center in the midwest, operates three Brown Elephant resale shops in the Chicagoland area to help ...


Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community
2024-03-26
LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

After 30 Under 30: MAP Executive Director Naomi Goldberg
2024-03-25
NOTE: In this series, Windy City Times will profile some of its past 30 Under 30 honorees. Windy City Times started its 30 Under 30 Awards in 2001, presenting them each year through 2019. This year, ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama
2024-03-22
Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Former Chicago Girl Scouts CEO Brooke Wiseman to receive Luminary Award
2024-03-22
Brooke Wiseman, a now-retired nonprofit leader in the Chicago area, spent most of her career creating leadership development opportunities for girls and women—and making sure that hungry children could be fed. While leading Girl Scouts of ...


Gay News

Affinity celebrates Burning Bowl while looking toward the future
2024-03-19
On March 17, Affinity Community Services held its annual Burning Bowl ceremony even as it already sets its organizational sights on 2025. The event, titled Burning Bowl 2024 Evolution, was held at Studio Imani, 5917 N. ...


Gay News

Oprah, Niecy Nash-Betts honored at GLAAD Media Awards
2024-03-15
Oprah Winfrey and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards that took place in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton on March 14. Winfrey received the Vanguard Award, introduced by iconic Chicago ...


Gay News

Howard Brown experts discuss advocacy and allyship for Chicago's trans community
2024-03-14
By Alec Karam - Howard Brown Health's Trans & Gender Diverse People's Rights & Patient Care panel convened March 12 to discuss both resources for—and opportunities to provide allyship to—the city's trans and gender diverse communities. The event hos ...


Gay News

UPDATE: Nex Benedict's death ruled a suicide; family responds
2024-03-13
A medical examiner's report concluded that the cause of death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict (he/they) was suicide, media reports confirmed. Benedict—a 16-year-old transgender student—died Feb. 8, a day after ...


Gay News

Howard Brown Health faces October trial if settlement isn't reached with union
2024-03-13
Howard Brown Health could go to trial over unfair labor practice allegations if the LGBTQ+ health center doesn't reach a settlement with its agreement soon. Chicago's regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed ...


Gay News

No 'explanations' needed: Affinity remains a haven for Chicago's Black queer community
2024-03-12
Back in 2007, Anna DeShawn came out while she was studying for her undergraduate degree. At around the same time, she searched online for "Black lesbians in Chicago." Her search led her to Affinity Community Services, ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77
2024-03-12
On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner
2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.