Covering Gay Life
Whether you’re a gay journalist or just interested in covering queer issues, this is a great time to break into gay media. According to Ari Bendersky, a Chicago freelancer who covers gay lifestyle, “There are so many places to publish: Out (and Out.com), Advocate, Gay.com/Planetout.com, Out & About (travel), Out Traveler, Genre, X&Y, Instinct, etc. Basically, these publications are looking for quality content just like any other magazine. The online sites are also a great place to break in. Gay.com/PlanetOut.com is where I really got my gay writing experience, contributing daily news. It’s a great place to start out, but keep in mind that it’s a lower pay rate. However, you can write as much or as little as they need. Usually, there are 4-5 original stories there daily.”
While it helps to write what you know, it’s not mandatory. “The writer needn’t be gay but definitely should have a clear understanding and appreciation for gay lifestyle,” says Bendersky. “A lot of straight and gay-friendly writers can write for the pubs about gay life from their perspective (assuming it’s not maligning). Out magazine has the Voices section which allows regular people (albeit good writers) to contribute personal essays (some that even have research and reporting).”
more after the break!
Just like pitching to any other publication, make sure you have good material. “I don’t know that there are any subjects that are taboo to pitch to gay publications, but if you’re going to write a piece on say HIV/AIDS or Crystal Meth addiction, it’d better be an original angle that hasn’t been covered,” says Bendersky. “With gays and lesbians being more accepted into the mainstream, this opens up so many things to write about. My best advice: just be creative and think of things that no one has covered yet — and read the publications you want to write for.”
Herndon L. Davis, host of the world’s first black gay/lesbian focused TV Talk show, “The Herndon Davis Reports,” has some ideas for topics to look into. “I’d first break them down into the following:
1. Spiritual Conflicts With Being Gay
2. Family Conflicts With Being Gay
3. Societal Conflicts (i.e homophobia)
4. HIV/AIDS
5. The Fight for Civil Rights in the Gay community.
These are broad categories with tons of sub-categories you could emphasize in such as gay people of color, lesbian issues, gay and disabled, etc.”
Writer Jessica Hoffman specializes in non-mainstream queer writing, if that’s more your style. “It’s pretty much the same as breaking into any media space — you need to know your stuff, be reliable and study the
publication/s you’re pitching to. As a writer as well as an editor of
several independent/alternative publications, I’d say that writers who are passionate about their material and consistently reliable regardless of the incredibly low (or non-existent) pay available in the indie-media world are especially valued.” Best of all, you don’t have to be gay to submit. “Since most of us radical-queer folks don’t believe in the two-party gender system or fixed identities, you certainly don’t need to identify as gay to get published writing on queer issues out here on the fringes.”
Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our 
