Category Archives: Journalist Like Me

By Emma Curzon, freelance journalist and writer I was 20 when I first realised I was in love with a girl. I’d say that it was the moment I realised I was queer, but at that point, the word was barely in my vocabulary. It had never occurred to me that I could be anythingContinue reading “Queer and getting into journalism? Networking could be a lifeline”

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”

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.

By Emily Chudy, freelance journalist specialising in the LGBTQ+ community At the beginning of my career, advertising the fact that I was queer in a majority straight, white, male newsroom was the last thing I wanted to do. With time and hard work, however, newsroom culture has shifted. Now, editors look to people like meContinue reading “How to pitch and prioritise LGBTQ+ stories in the newsroom”

By Fran di Fazio, postgraduate student and aspiring journalist It’s no secret that journalism is a difficult sector to enter – and its barriers are disservice to the public. Scarce diversity within the profession, stressed by the NCTJ 2022 Diversity in Journalism report, leads to poorly informed coverage. This lowers the public’s trust in journalism andContinue reading “As a transgender person and foreign citizen, I shouldn’t feel this unwelcome in the journalism industry”

By Deenah al-Aqsa, journalist Being a closeted queer Muslim journalist is a bit like being a superhero. My hijab is my cape, and hiding my queerness from family feels like I’m wearing a mask. Most importantly, I mean it when I say no one can know my secret.

By Steven Topple, journalist and broadcaster Addiction is a complex issue: individualised, with no easy solution. But having a workplace where the leadership are part of the LGBTQIA+ community allowed me to finally beat my demons.

By Jamie Wareham, Founder of QueerAF Delivering for ad traffic has gotten in the way of pitching exciting queer content throughout my career. That’s why I’ve set up a platform without them.

By Sophie Perry, Founder of the LGBTQ+ Journalism Network LGBTQ+ stories have always been important to me, that is why I started the LGBTQ+ Journalism Network.