26 Sep Reflection on Attending the 2023 NLGJA Convention

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR

The NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists 2023 National Convention took place at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel from September 7-10, 2023 with 730 members and participants. According to the association’s website, their mission is to “advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues.” The four-day schedule featured a lineup of panels and keynotes about LGBTQIA+ topics and issues affecting a wide range of journalism fields.

I had the pleasure of attending the NLGJA Convention as the Editor-In-Chief of the cinéSPEAK Journal. The convention was a great opportunity to connect with journalists from across the globe. Having a convention like this in Philadelphia was important to bolster the local journalism industry and connect us with the national ecosystem. I hope I can bring my learnings from the convention to the journal editorial process.

Notable conversations at the convention focused on the coverage of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office. One panel featured Deja Alvarez (who ran for Philadelphia City Council in 2019), Sean Meloy (who ran for the U.S. House to represent PA’s 17th Congressional District in 2022), and Ismail Smith Wade-El (who is a PA State Representative for District 49). Another panel featured a conversation with reporters about the “pink wave,” when a record breaking number of LGBTQ+ candidates were elected. These conversations highlighted the importance of legislative action for queer communities as well as the reclamation of power during a moment when many politicians are enacting anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Another common thread throughout the convention was the discussion of the recent attacks on Trans communities. There was a panel with Outsports reporters Cyd Zeigler and Karleigh Webb that touched on the issues Trans athletes face from local sports to the Olympics. A panel on the legality of the anti-trans bills took a look at the ways to best cover the assault on the Trans communities. Amongst all of the concerns around the persecution of Trans communities by conservative legislators, the panelists still held hope for the future, expressing that accurate journalism could be a source of education in the face of hate.

The Transgender Journalism Association (TJA) was visible throughout the convention with shout outs during many of the convention’s events. NLGJA also announced the inclusion of “+” to the name of the organization, becoming The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists. This change was mentioned as the organization’s leadership expressed their hopes to be more inclusive to the diversity of queer identities. NLGJA leadership stated that a larger name change would be too costly, requiring almost half of the association’s annual budget.

During the convention, the Philadelphia Gay News (PGN) received the 2023 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Legacy Award. The award recognizes “an outlet, publication, or news organization that has exhibited innovative, high-quality and sustained news coverage of the LGBTQ+ community over an extended period of time.” PGN was founded in 1976 by Publisher Mark Segal and serves the queer community in Philadelphia. According to NLGJA Executive Director Adam Pawlus, “The Philadelphia Gay News’ remarkable journalistic contributions and dedicated coverage have undeniably brought visibility to Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community.”

Throughout the convention, the panels and conversations brought to light many of the pressing issues the LGTBQ+ community has faced and will continue to face as we go into the 2024 presidential election year. As journalists, the main action we can take to fight the anti-LGBTQ+ laws from across the country is to use our writing to better educate our communities and combat misinformation about the LGBTQ+ communities.

*Featured Image: Image of Kristal Sotomayor and Hansen Bursic smiling at NLGJA. Image credit: Becca Haydu.

Kristal Sotomayor is a bilingual Latinx freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker, and festival programmer based in Philadelphia. They serve as the Editor-In-Chief of the cinéSPEAK Journal and Programmer for True/False Film Fest, SFFILM, and Frameline.