Wikipedia never ceases to please me and vex me. Case in point: I ran across a category page for “LGBT journalists” with a total of 79 pages listed.
The “National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association” page is listed first and then individuals are listed in alphabetical order by last name, which coincidentally puts NLGJA founder Leroy F. Aarons first among the individuals listed.
Many notables like Randy Shilts, Andrew Sullivan, Adam Nagourney, Rex Wockner and others are listed.
This is all pleasing. What vexes me is that this list of LGBT journalists is incredibly incomplete. The category page for “LGBT media” was deleted, presumably for lack of entries.
I’m the deputy editor of POZ magazine, which has a great history. It didn’t have a Wikipedia page until two years ago, which I originally authored. It’s been edited and improved by others, as is appropriate in the Wikipedia world.
I made the first stab at a POZ magazine Wikipedia page because I believed in the power of this community encyclopedia to reach people well beyond the circle of people who already knew POZ magazine. I’m the first to admit the POZ magazine Wikipedia page needs love, but at least it’s there.
I still believe in the power of Wikipedia. That’s why it’s so disappointing not to see more LGBT journalism on Wikipedia. We should have hundreds of listings. I encourage LGBT journalists to draft more Wikipedia pages. If we don’t, who will?