NLGJA President Jen Christensen

Dear NLGJA former members and allies;

This year marks the 25th anniversary of NLGJA.  This fall current and past members as well as NLGJA supporters and allies will “Come Home” to where it all began — San Francisco, California, for the National Convention and 11th annual LGBT Media Summit.

Many of NGLJA’s former leadership, members and allies have transitioned their professional lives from journalism to other fields of work. However, this year — perhaps more than ever — it’s time to come together and celebrate our successes and keep up with cutting-edge work of the organization which paved the way for so many changes in the news industry.

The progress we achieved has included, over the years, domestic partner benefits in the workplace and other protections for LGBT journalists, same-sex engagement and marriage announcements, improved coverage of LGBT issues as well our strong partnerships with mainstream and other minority journalist organizations.

Come Home and join us in celebrating the gains made over the past 25 years and continue to add your voice to the work still ahead for the organization. While much can be celebrated, much still must be achieved. Still journalism professors tell their students to think twice about being out as we are still not accepted or protected in all newsrooms.  Still our Rapid Response Task Force works behind the scenes to correct unfair/inaccurate coverage of our community especially where trans issues are concerned. Still NLGJA offers some of the best professional training in the business, so that when we are in the work place we can excel at what we do.

While it will certainly be our time to reminisce, induct members to the NLGJA Hall of Fame and reconnect with NLGJA friends and colleagues from years past, and participate in the event’s new 25th anniversary track, even if you have left the newsroom, we could still really use your support and your wisdom to help mentor our mid-career and up and coming journalists.

Won’t you join us?  To learn more about this year’s celebration event and register visit: https://www.nlgja.org/2015/ Or, call the NLGJA national office: (202) 588-9888

And if for some reason you can’t make it and help us celebrate, please consider re-upping your membership, or if you are not a current journalist, show your support of the organization you helped build by joining us in our new Ally category.  https://www.nlgja.org/membership/ or sign on as a Lifetime member.

Sincerely,

Jen Christensen

NLGJA President

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