Clinton backed by National Gay Media Association members
by Fred Kuhr
In an unprecedented move, all 12 of the country’s longest-serving LGBT newspapers are each separately endorsing Democratic Hillary Clinton for president of the United States.
The 12 are members of the National Gay Media Association, a trade association of the nation’s major-market legacy LGBT newspapers. NGMA members have a combined circulation in print and online of more than one million readers per week.
The members of NGMA who are each endorsing Clinton in their own pages are: Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco), Washington Blade, Philadelphia Gay News, Dallas Voice, Windy City Times (Chicago), Between the Lines (Detroit), Bay Windows (Boston), Georgia Voice, SFGN (Ft. Lauderdale), Watermark (Orlando and Tampa Bay), Gay City News (New York), and The Pride L.A.
This is an unprecedented joint announcement from the newspapers, because several do not engage in political endorsements. Chicago’s Windy City Times — in its 31 years of publication — has endorsed just once before, and the Dallas Voice has never endorsed for any race in 32 years.
“This race for president is showing this country a clear choice of moving backward or moving forward on LGBTQ and other human rights,” said NGMA spokesperson Tracy Baim, publisher of Windy City Times. “We know that the LGBTQ community is made up of diverse political voices. But the homophobia, transphobia, racism, anti-immigrant and sexist nature of Republican candidate Donald Trump means that we can’t sit on the sidelines this election season.”
In an op-ed for NGMA member paper Philadelphia Gay News, Hillary Clinton talked about how, as president, she would advance the historic pro-LGBT equality agenda she and her running mate Tim Kaine have embraced. She is the first major-party candidate for president to write an op-ed for an LGBT publication. “If I’m fortunate enough to be elected president, I’ll protect the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve — and I’ll keep fighting until every American can live free from discrimination and prejudice,” she wrote.
As PGN reported, the newspaper reached out to both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to discuss LGBT issues in advance of the election. Clinton provided PGN “this exclusive op-ed detailing her LGBT-rights record and her goals for future LGBT-equality efforts.” Trump’s campaign did not respond to PGN, however, “The offer remains open for Trump.”
IN THE NEWS
Volume 18
Issue 7
