San Francisco Chronicle - December 3, 2004
Steven Petrow, stevenpetrow@earthlink.net

When we first met, Aarons was conducting the landmark study for the American Society of Newspaper Editors that put sexual orientation in newsrooms in the cross fire. Then executive editor of the Oakland Tribune, he spoke to a small group of journalists one night in San Francisco about his private struggle to come out -- at 55 -- and about the first survey of gays and lesbians in the newsroom. As a young journalist, I was awakened by his message, especially when he told us his aims for lesbian and gay journalists -- to strengthen our identity, respect and status in the newsroom and throughout the practice of journalism.

But his vision was even bolder. Later that same evening, and for years to come, he spoke of the importance of "fostering fair and accurate coverage of gays and lesbians" in the media. He didn't mean special coverage; he meant equal coverage. Within the year, Aarons' landmark study, Alternatives: Gays and Lesbians in the Newsroom, was released and with it, the respected editor came out professionally.

Six months later, Aarons -- with six Bay Area journalists -- founded the NLGJA, a professional organization that has now grown to 1,200 members in 24 chapters. As NLGJA's immediate past president, I was often asked about "the house that Roy built." Let me tell you. Years ago, when I was a young reporter at Life magazine, a top editor told a stunning joke that was both racist and homophobic. I went to human resources, which merely sent me back to my cubicle. I went to my editor, who told me to stay in the closet if I cared about my career. Finally I went to NLGJA, where I not only found support, but other reporters who had walked out of the closet and thrived.

In 1997, I went back to Time Inc. (publisher of Life), greeted with a lavender handshake: The company now had domestic-partner benefits for its gay and lesbian employees. In 1989, only one media company could boast that it provided domestic-partner benefits for its gay and lesbian staffers. Today, thanks largely to the efforts of Aarons and NLGJA's members, almost 1,500 media companies provide domestic-partner benefits.

This year, when same-sex marriage quickly came to dominate headlines from San Francisco to New Paltz, N.Y., NLGJA responded. Because of Aarons' pioneering work and the trust established with media organizations, NLGJA had an important place at the table in this charged debate. In an open letter to news-industry leaders, NLGJA argued that the term "gay marriage" is inaccurate and misleading and that "marriage for same-sex couples" is better. Simply put, no such thing as a "gay marriage" exists. Do two heterosexuals have a "straight" marriage? To use "gay" this way makes it a different, if not separate, kind of marriage.

This is really what Aarons meant by "fair and accurate coverage." He taught us that in the end, language often shapes and reflects our values and that the carefully chosen words journalists use in their daily reporting truly matter. And by journalists, he didn't just mean lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender reporters or producers -- he meant everyone.

In 2000, a decade after his original survey, Aarons and his colleagues at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication followed up with what became known as the "Ten Years Later Study." Their findings were gratifying, yet disturbing. Ninety percent of the respondents said they were now out in their newsrooms and enjoyed "unprecedented freedoms. " Coverage of gay and lesbian issues had improved substantially -- especially on the national level. But "derogatory comments, while significantly lessened over the decade, are still heard far too often in newsrooms," Aarons and his colleagues reported. Meanwhile, "Coverage of HIV/AIDS experienced a steep decline compared to the early '90s" -- a sobering trend that continues to this day.

That same year, NLGJA -- the house that Roy built -- celebrated its 10th anniversary here in San Francisco. As I sat in the ballroom, I thought back to the first time I had met Aarons in 1989. There had been a handful of us then; now he spoke proudly to hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender journalists. That night he told us: "Today we celebrate ourselves for all that has been achieved. Tomorrow there is still work to be done."

Much of that work needs to be done in the heartland. While most big media companies provide domestic-partner benefits, reporters at many smaller newspapers and broadcast outlets still go without. Journalists in San Francisco and New York find little difficulty coming out; reporters elsewhere often struggle painfully. Finally, while coverage of lesbians and gays has improved, Aarons' 2000 survey concluded that coverage is "just fair to poor, especially of local issues affecting lesbian and gay communities."

Yes, tomorrow there is still work to be done.

Steven Petrow (stevenpetrow@earthlink.net) is the immediate past president of NLGJA and the editorial director at Waterfront Media.

041203
SC041208

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .