FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 2, 2025
PRESS CONTACT: Clare Lefebure
press@nlgja.org or 202-588-9888
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that journalist and author Charles M. Blow, writer and activist Mark S. King and investigative reporter Lyra McKee are the 2025 inductees into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame.
“Today, we celebrate the extraordinary impact of three visionary journalists who brought courage, brilliance, and authenticity to their work,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “By welcoming Charles M. Blow, Mark S. King, and Lyra McKee into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, we honor their leadership, their commitment to truth and their enduring influence on journalism.”
The LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame was launched to honor outstanding LGBTQ+ journalists who have exemplified the association’s mission to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. To date, the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame has honored 59 individuals, living and deceased, who have left a lasting mark on their profession through their own courage and mastery of the practice of journalism.
Charles M. Blow is an award-winning author, journalist, and commentator whose work has consistently sparked national dialogue on race, sexuality, and social justice. A former graphics director and design director at The New York Times, Blow gained national recognition for his work covering 9/11 and the Iraq war before becoming a celebrated opinion columnist. He has written two New York Times bestsellers—Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which inspired an opera, and The Devil You Know, which inspired the HBO documentary South to Black Power. His honors include a Lambda Literary Award and the Sperber Prize. Today, Blow serves as a political analyst for MSNBC and was recently appointed Harvard University’s inaugural Langston Hughes Fellow.
Mark S. King has been writing candidly about HIV and queer life since testing positive for HIV in 1985. His widely acclaimed blog, My Fabulous Disease, has received numerous awards from NLGJA, including being named the 2020 LGBTQ Journalist of the Year. A gifted speaker and essayist, King’s work has appeared in The Advocate, Newsweek, POZ Magazine, The New York Times, and beyond. His memoir, A Place Like This, and his 2024 essay collection, My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor, combine biting humor with powerful storytelling to chronicle the history of HIV/AIDS, queer politics, and his own survival of addiction. Sean Strub, a legendary gay activist, once said: “If the AIDS pandemic had a Mark Twain, it would be Mark S. King.”
Lyra McKee (1990–2019) was a fearless investigative journalist and author from Belfast whose work gave voice to a new generation of queer writers. She contributed to outlets including BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, Mosaic Science, Private Eye, and the Belfast Telegraph. Her 2014 blog post, Letter to My 14-Year-Old Self, about growing up gay in Northern Ireland, became a viral inspiration and was later adapted into a short film. Forbes named her to its “30 Under 30 in Media” list in 2016. McKee’s work consistently challenged political and social conservatism in Northern Ireland while advocating for LGBTQ+ equality. She was tragically killed in 2019 while covering rioting in Derry, leaving behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and unflinching dedication to truth.
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About NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists:
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is a journalist-led association working within the news media to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and issues. We promote diverse and inclusive workplaces by holding the industry accountable and providing education, professional development and mentoring. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.