As a longtime LGBTQ+ journalist and editor, one of the reasons I stay rooted in this industry is the impact we make by focusing on our community. Too often, LGBTQ+ issues in mainstream media don’t get the attention or expansive coverage that they deserve.

News is Out is a collaboration between six legacy queer media outlets — Bay Area Reporter, Dallas Voice, Philadelphia Gay News, Tagg Magazine, Washington Blade and Windy City Times. They are leaders in LGBTQ+ media, some for over 50 years, in news by, for and about the LGBTQ+ community. News is Out joins them in prioritizing news and stories that impact our communities, whether that is locally or nationally.

Queer media can provide coverage that is both intimate and immediate, capturing the complexities and nuances of LGBTQ+ experiences that often go unreported by mainstream outlets. Here are three key ways that queer media are instrumental in informing and covering key issues.

Queer media have boots on the ground in ways mainstream media don’t

In February, longtime LGBTQ+ blogger Sue Kerr broke the story of the death of Oklahoma teenager Nex Benedict. Kerr, who is a diligent researcher and member of many LGBTQ+-focused social media groups, was able to gather key information about the death of Benedict and the fight that occurred the day before between the trans nonbinary teen and three fellow students. The news of Benedict’s death sparked a national conversation, led by queer media, about bullying and the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ policies in states like Oklahoma.

Kerr’s blog about Nex’s death, the events prior and the police response to the situation quickly spread throughout queer media. While the Oklahoma medical examiner ultimately determined that an overdose of Benadryl and fluoxetine caused Benedict’s death, Kerr’s reporting sparked a national conversation about the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and the recent uptick in harmful rhetoric spread by adults in positions of power.

Kerr continues to use her blog to advocate and amplify the stories of violence against LGBTQ+ people, especially the often-overlooked deaths of trans women in this country.

Queer media reflect our identity

All of News is Out’s member publishers share something important in common: we are LGBTQ+ owned and operated, and produce content for, by and about our communities. The stories we write mean something to our readers, and also to us. Before we even began publishing on News is Out, we turned to our communities. Over the course of 11 focus groups and a survey taken by 1,100 LGBTQ+ readers from around the country, we listened to what our readers wanted, where they felt represented and where they didn’t. We built our coverage around them. Pieces that pulled directly from the community like “Queer fans and the fight against ‘Cancel Your Gays’” and articles that inform our communities what they are up against this election season, such as “How conservative playbook Project 2025 could affect LGBTQ+ people if it comes to pass.” What matters to people in our community, matters to us.

Queer media holds politicians, businesses and even mainstream media accountable

From Project 2025 to Target backtracking on its support of LGBTQ+ artists, to the days of governmental agency failures during the AIDS crisis, queer media have been there from the beginning.

In Fall 2023, News is Out covered the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a far-right policy plan intended to be implemented starting Day 1 of a second Donald Trump presidency. Written and sponsored by over 150 former Trump team members, the playbook only recently started getting mainstream media attention. The article remains one of News is Out’s best-performing posts of all time, providing our community and allies with important information about proposed anti-LGBTQ+ and reproductive health mandates.

When Target revealed that its 2024 Pride line would be greatly reduced, as would its placement in stores, queer media were there, amplifying the concerns of employees and consumers. LGBTQ+ artists caught up in the decision reached out to trusted queer media to share their stories.

When San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone quietly directed his parish priests not to follow Pope Francis’ recent directive to bless couples in same-sex relationships, legacy queer media outlet Bay Area Reporter took the Archbishop to task with a sharp rebuttal and expose.

The New York Times has been taken to task many times by queer media for what is considered biased reporting about transgender people, in particular trans youth.

It is because we so deeply understand the power of the media to inform and change hearts and minds, that we ask the hard questions, push back and elevate the voices of our community. We always have and always will.