1990 – NLGJA Was Founded
The American Society of Newspaper Editors, with the organization’s out gay executive director Lee Stinnett holding the reins, announced the results of its first-ever survey of gay and lesbian journalists at U.S. newspapers. Leroy “Roy” Aarons, the survey’s coordinator and then executive editor of the Oakland Tribune, presented the findings at the ASNE national convention in Washington, D.C., and publicly came out as gay. The landmark study, titled Alternatives: Gays and Lesbians in the Newsroom, revealed a significant undercurrent of bias in American newsrooms. Shortly afterward, Aarons gathered five other journalists at his Piedmont, California, home to establish the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists
Association.
1991 – Formal Incorporation and Alternatives
NLGJA was formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization. The first edition of Alternatives, NLGJA’s newsletter, was published, providing a means of communication among lesbian and gay journalists working in newsrooms around the country.
1992 – First National Convention
NLGJA held its first national convention in San Francisco, bringing together approximately 300 lesbian and gay journalists, many of whom were out publicly for the first time. In a videotaped message to the convention, New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., promised that the newspaper would offer domestic-partner benefits to employees.
1993 – NBC Reaffirmed Its Nondiscrimination Policy
Following meetings with NLGJA, NBC News reaffirmed in a memo to employees its policy against discrimination based on sexual orientation. By that time, NLGJA had grown to 13 chapters. NLGJA also established its Excellence in Journalism Awards to recognize outstanding journalism related to LGBTQ+ issues.
1994 – Workplace Benefits and On-Air Visibility
NLGJA published Domestic Partner Benefits: At What Cost?, a guide designed to help news organizations institute domestic-partner health benefits. That same year, NLGJA member Steven Gendel became the first journalist to disclose that he was gay on a major television network when he came out during an NBC broadcast of the Stonewall commemoration.
1995 – Canadian Expansion and Broadcast Journalism Survey
A Canadian organization affiliated with NLGJA was established, extending the association’s reach beyond the United States. NLGJA and the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation published Another Perspective: A Report on Gay and Lesbian Issues in Electronic Journalism, examining the quality and extent of coverage of gay and lesbian issues in electronic media.
1996 – Headquarters Moved to Washington, D.C.
Michael Frederickson became NLGJA’s first full-time executive director. The organization moved its national headquarters from Northern California to Washington, D.C.
1997 – First Stylebook Addenda
NLGJA published Stylebook Addenda: Gay/Lesbian Terminology, providing news organizations with guidance for accurate and respectful coverage. Karen-Louise Boothe was elected NLGJA president. NLGJA also issued an updated domestic-partner benefits guide as more news organizations began offering such benefits.
1998 – National Convention in Las Vegas
NLGJA held its annual national convention in Las Vegas, attracting more than 500 attendees. The convention theme was “On A Roll: Dealing an Open Hand in the Newsroom.”
1999 – Xiomara A. Sosa Became Executive Director
Xiomara A. Sosa became NLGJA’s second executive director and the first Latina and first lesbian to hold the position.
2000 – Tenth Anniversary and Newsroom Survey
NLGJA celebrated its 10th anniversary at its national convention in San Francisco. The organization had grown to approximately 1,000 members in 19 chapters, with affiliates in Canada and Germany. NLGJA launched Lesbians and Gays in the Newsroom: 10 Years Later, a follow-up to the landmark 1990 newsroom survey. Pamela Strother became NLGJA’s third executive director in September.
2001 – Rapid Response Task Force
NLGJA established its Rapid Response Task Force, a panel of working journalists from mainstream and LGBTQ+ media that responded to complaints about coverage considered unfair or inaccurate. The Gill Foundation awarded NLGJA a $100,000 grant, then the organization’s largest grant since its first award from the foundation in 1995.
2002 – Steven Petrow Was Elected President
Steven Petrow was elected NLGJA president. During the year, NLGJA chapters continued advocating for workplace equality, while major media organizations including the Associated Press, New York Daily News, and Belo Corporation expanded domestic-partner benefits for their employees.
2003 – Continued Growth and Advocacy
NLGJA continued expanding its professional development, student outreach, and workplace-equality programs as its national network of journalists and chapters grew. The organization continued developing programs designed to improve newsroom coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and support the careers of LGBTQ+ journalists.
2004 – NLGJA Mourned Passing of Founder Roy Aarons
Roy Aarons, NLGJA’s founder and a pioneering journalist and journalism educator, died at age 70. NLGJA also launched its Newsroom Outreach Project, which brought the organization directly to newsroom leaders to discuss NLGJA and issues surrounding LGBTQ+ coverage. Initial meetings took place in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and Colorado.
2005 – Fifteenth Anniversary and Hall of Fame
NLGJA celebrated its 15th anniversary with approximately 1,200 members, 24 chapters across the United States and affiliates in Canada and Germany. The organization established the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame to honor pioneering journalists whose professional work and personal courage advanced fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ people and issues.
2006 – CNN Established the Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Endowment
CNN donated $100,000 to NLGJA to establish an endowment for the Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship, honoring the organization’s founder and supporting LGBTQ+ students pursuing careers in journalism.
2007 – Leadership and Organizational Development
NLGJA continued expanding its national programs, professional development initiatives, and membership network as the media industry underwent significant changes. The organization strengthened its efforts to support LGBTQ+ journalists and promote fair and accurate coverage.
2008 – Kay Longcope Scholarship Established
The Kay Longcope Scholarship was established through a gift from the estate of Boston Globe journalist Kay Longcope. The scholarship provides financial assistance to an LGBTQ+ student of color pursuing a career in journalism. NLGJA also continued expanding its recognition of journalists working in emerging forms of media.
2009 – New Executive Director, Student Advisory Committee, and Re:ACT
Michael Tune became NLGJA’s executive director. NLGJA formed its Student Advisory Committee to expand outreach to journalism students, and developed educational initiatives with journalism schools. Later that year, Re:ACT, NLGJA’s official blog, launched and significantly expanded the organization’s presence and traffic on the web.
2010 – Twentieth Anniversary
NLGJA celebrated its 20th anniversary at the national convention in San Francisco, marking two decades of advocacy for LGBTQ+ journalists, newsroom diversity, and fair and accurate coverage.
2011 – NLGJA Joined UNITY
NLGJA joined the UNITY Journalists’ Alliance, a strategic alliance that also included the Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and National Association of Black Journalists. The partnership expanded NLGJA’s participation in broader efforts to promote diversity in American newsrooms.
2012 – Michael Triplett Elected President
Michael Triplett became NLGJA’s seventh national president. During his tenure, Triplett played an important role in recognizing bloggers as members of the association, reflecting the rapidly changing media landscape.
2013 – New Leadership and the Heartland Project
Following Michael Triplett’s death, Jen Christensen was affirmed as NLGJA president and completed the remainder of his term. NLGJA also partnered with the Asian American Journalists Association on the “Diverse and Inclusive: News of the Heartland” project, designed to strengthen coverage of diverse communities and LGBTQ+ issues in the nation’s heartland.
2014 – Adam Pawlus Became Executive Director
Adam Pawlus became NLGJA’s executive director, following an extensive search and numerous interviews conducted by the hiring committee. Pawlus continued in the position as NLGJA entered its 25th anniversary year.
2015 – Twenty-Fifth Anniversary
NLGJA celebrated its 25th anniversary by returning to San Francisco for its “Coming Home” national convention and 11th annual LGBT Media Summit. The organization also created an Ally Membership category for people who supported NLGJA’s mission but did not otherwise qualify for traditional membership categories.
2016 – Expansion of Journalism Awards
NLGJA significantly expanded its Excellence in Journalism Awards, increasing the number of categories from 14 to 30 and adding recognition for areas including book writing, documentary work, and sports journalism.
2017 – Spanish-Language Stylebook
NLGJA collaborated with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National LGBTQ Task Force to produce an updated Spanish-language guide for journalists, El Manual de Estilo Sobre la Comunidad Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual y Transgénero. The guide built on an earlier Spanish-language publication first produced by NLGJA and NAHJ in 2005.
2018 – Sharif Durhams Was Elected President
Sharif Durhams was elected president of NLGJA. During the year, the Ford Foundation supported an update of NLGJA’s strategic plan, and NLGJA introduced the Jeanne Córdova Award to recognize the accomplishments of an LGBTQ+ woman in journalism.
2019 – Legacy Award Established
NLGJA established its Legacy Award to recognize a news outlet, publication, or news organization that demonstrated sustained, innovative, and high-quality coverage of the LGBTQ+ community. The Washington Blade became the inaugural recipient.
2020 – Thirtieth Anniversary and Virtual Convention
NLGJA marked its 30th anniversary during a year transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its national convention moved online, beginning a two-year period in which the organization’s major annual gathering was held virtually.
2021 – Student Conference and Continued Virtual Programming
NLGJA launched its first standalone Student Conference, a virtual gathering designed to connect LGBTQ+ student journalists with professional journalists, educators, and employers. The organization also held its national convention virtually for a second consecutive year. More than 450 journalists, media executives, communications professionals, and educators participated in the 2021 convention.
2022 – Ken Miguel Elected President and NLGJA Returned to Chicago
Ken Miguel was elected NLGJA’s national board president. NLGJA held its first national convention since 2019 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, combining in-person and virtual programming and attracting approximately 720 attendees.
2023 – NLGJA Became NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
NLGJA updated its logo and branding to foreground “The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists,” reflecting the breadth of its membership. The organization explained that the change was a non-legal rebranding: its legal corporate name remained National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. The addition of the “+” followed the organization’s earlier adoption of “LGBTQ” in its public identity.
2024 – Record-Breaking National Convention in Los Angeles
NLGJA held its national convention at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. With 753 attendees, the 2024 gathering became the largest national convention in the organization’s history at that time.
2025 – Expanded Support for Emerging LGBTQ+ Journalists
NLGJA continued expanding its fellowship and scholarship programs, including the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, presented in partnership with The Curve Foundation. The fellowship provided financial and professional support to emerging journalists whose work elevated the voices and stories of LGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary people.
2026 – Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Year
NLGJA marked its 35th anniversary year with continued programs supporting LGBTQ+ journalists, newsroom diversity, professional development, journalism education, and fair and accurate coverage. The organization is holding its 35th annual National Convention in San Francisco from September 10–13, returning to the city where its first national convention had been held in 1992.
After 35 years, NLGJA continues the work begun by Roy Aarons and the journalists who gathered at his Bay Area home in 1990: advancing the careers of LGBTQ+ journalists, fostering diverse and inclusive newsrooms, and promoting fair, accurate, and responsible coverage of LGBTQ+ communities. https://www.nlgja.org/
The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
Published on September 10, 2026
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