Author Archives: Sophie Perry

The charity giving LGBTQ+ youth a voice in the media 

For any young journalist, getting your work published can be a hard-won task. But, for LGBTQ+ young people getting someone to take a chance on your work and platform your voice can be even harder.  One charity, however, is giving its young volunteers the chance to get their work published by some of the biggestContinue reading “The charity giving LGBTQ+ youth a voice in the media “

Number of lesbian, gay and bisexual journalists working in UK revealed for first time 

Data showcasing the number of journalists working in the UK whose sexualities are  lesbian, gay, bisexual or ‘other’ has been released for the first time.  These figures were published as part of the Diversity in Journalism report which analyses the characteristics of journalists working in the UK, including ethnicity, health and disability and social class. 

Journalist’s ‘joy’ covering Eurovision on home soil: ‘LGBTQ people are enriching the country – not threatening it’

A journalist and Eurovision superfan has described the sheer “joy” he experienced reporting on the contest whilst it was held in the UK.   Marcus Wratten, an entertainment reporter at PinkNews and a die-hard Eurovision stan, spent weeks in the lead up to the week-long live shows and epic Grand Final curating coverage about the competition’sContinue reading “Journalist’s ‘joy’ covering Eurovision on home soil: ‘LGBTQ people are enriching the country – not threatening it’”

The lesbian fact checkers who fell in love and put the record straight

By Purple Romero, Filipina freelance journalist based in Hong Kong In 2016, world-renowned Filipino pugilist-turned-politician Emannuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao described gay people as “worse than animals.” He said the view was plain common sense, as animals have never mated with the same sex. He is, of course, wrong. As a lesbian science journalist who grew upContinue reading “The lesbian fact checkers who fell in love and put the record straight”

UK plunges in European rankings of LGBTQ+ friendly countries

The UK has – quite literally – reached new lows in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, as the latest rankings show it has slipped further down the list of LGBTQ+ friendly countries in Europe.  The ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map and Index has been released annually since 2009 and ranks all 49 European nations on their LGBTQ+ rights. Continue reading “UK plunges in European rankings of LGBTQ+ friendly countries”

LGBTQ+ Journalism Network commended at NCTJ’s Awards for Excellence

The LGBTQ+ Journalism Network was commended at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)’s annual awards ceremony. Held at the home of rugby – Twickenham Stadium – on Thursday (2 March), the 2022 Awards for Excellence honoured student, trainee and apprentice journalists as well as training providers and others making a difference inContinue reading “LGBTQ+ Journalism Network commended at NCTJ’s Awards for Excellence”

Threatened, gaslighted and abused for queer journalism – this is how I handled it

By Gary Nunn, freelance human interest journalist and author A big, newsworthy story about gay people being banned from restaurants on my doorstep was unfolding.  But there were few remaining LGBTQI-beat dedicated journalists or outlets left to cover it. It almost went untold, which would’ve allowed the bans to continue unchallenged.

LGBT+ History Month: Our members reveal their favourite queer films

By Isabelle Truscott As this LGBTQ+ History Month is themed ‘Behind the Lens’ we’ve asked our members to share which films made them feel most seen. TV and film are powerful tools, not only for highlighting the LGBTQ+ stories which may be glossed over in wider society, but for letting queer people feel as thoughContinue reading “LGBT+ History Month: Our members reveal their favourite queer films”