Some leaders are born; some are made. And some make spreadsheets. Data Reporter Kae Petrin spent much of their time in Missouri as the state’s only trans journalist and sought a space where they could talk to others going through the same thing. “What was accessible to me was this very dispersed online community that was growing,” recalled Petrin. There was curiosity about how others covered LGBTQ+ communities. But mainly, they felt alone.
Petrin got involved in the informal, humble beginnings of the Trans Journalists Association (TJA). They were among the roughly 55 co-founders when the organization officially formed in 2020, mainly from a Slack channel that originated in a Facebook group. Shortly after, Petrin left journalism, leaving unclear when, or whether, they would return to the profession. Still, they remain involved, employing their data skills toward streamlining a cumbersome database of people applying to join TJA.
Hostile local and state legislation against transgender people in more conservative regions spurred more reporting on gender-diverse populations — and not always by journalists well-versed in covering different trans communities. As a result, Petrin regularly received calls from well-intentioned reporters enlisting their help.
Meanwhile, LGBTQ publications reached out for help with filing public records requests and reading bill language as long-term coverage shifted to an uptick in anti-trans legislation. “[There was] this mismatch in resources, where the people who have the resources to do traditional investigative coverage don’t know anything about the community, and the people who know things about the community often didn’t have these tools to do higher impact government accountability work,” Petrin said.
There became a real demand for the volunteer-run TJA to grow into a more formal organization, with an updated style guide and investigative training. By 2023, a board was formed with Petrin at its head. Soon after, the Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression program gave a $50,000 seed grant to TJA. Today, Los Angeles-based journalist Tre'vell Anderson serves as the organization's executive director. TJA is now an official nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status and just hired the affinity group’s second full-time staffer this fall. More than 500 journalists, most of whom are transgender, officially make up the membership, along with roughly another 60 non-journalists from adjacent fields.
“As the board began to capacity build, I started having conversations with them about the role of executive director,” said Anderson. “They had reached out to several folks with relevant experience that they thought would be able to do the role. And I went through the interview process, and they chose me. Part of my interest in the opportunity is that this is work I've already been doing. And now we’re doing it in a formal way.
“Also, I consider myself a journalist in the line of T. Thomas Fortune [and] Ida B. Wells, which requires taking an active role in what coverage looks like about our communities,” Anderson added. “For me, this role as executive director of the Trans Journalists Association was an opportunity in ensuring that the first draft of history, that we say we’re writing as journalists, is as nuanced and as accurate as it can be, particularly regarding the lives and experiences of trans folks and especially so at a time in which our communities face [these attacks].”
Previously, they led the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists before joining the national board to represent the West Coast. They are also involved with the organization’s LGBTQ+ task force and formerly served as a co-chair.
Anderson got their start at the Los Angeles Times a decade ago through a diversity fellowship program, which kick-started a career writing about culture and entertainment for the California newspaper and OUT Magazine. The NAACP Image Award winner more recently balanced freelancing with hosting several prominent podcasts and authoring several books about Black history and culture, including “We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film.”
Initially, Anderson and Petrin shared responsibilities as co-executive directors. That went on for a few months earlier this year. Petrin then started as a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University and currently remains on the TJA board. And ultimately, they returned to journalism and plan on returning to their data reporting job at Civic News Company (Chalkbeat’s parent company) after the fellowship.
Despite uncertain times, the future seems promising for TJA under Anderson. They plan to develop a reporting fellowship program to directly foster the reporting members want to see and to help trans journalists get ahead in the industry. The Level Up program also continues to grow. Earlier this year, TJA unveiled the almost “no-strings attached” stipend of $250 and $500 for reporters to develop their careers.
The leading resource for trans journalists
Efforts like the Level Up program exist to even the playing field for trans journalists. They already make up a tiny minority of newsrooms, and many TJA members currently work as freelancers. Some faced recent layoffs, while others entered the already volatile industry without formal journalism education or training.
“For me, it was the only [and] it still is the only space that has direct resources for trans journalists,” said board member Tat Bellamy-Walker. “Before 2020, when TJA was started, there was nothing for trans journalists. I remember not having any form of support or guidance, especially for transitioning while I was in grad school at the CUNY Craig Newmark School of Journalism. So, transitioning during that time was very difficult.
“There was not a level of support there for trans journalists to accelerate in their careers, given the specific issues that we would face [like] discrimination during the course of internships and being misgendered and not knowing how to deal with that in a professional setting — or dealing with harassment from sources specifically based on your gender identity.”
TJA became that space for them. The simple gesture of providing Bellamy-Walker with a meal stipend while they covered Trans Day of Remembrance as a reporter for The Seattle Times went a long way early on. Then, the organization grew to provide training and a platform for members. Bellamy-Walker ended up speaking at an Investigative Reporters & Editors conference. They credit their professional opportunities to TJA and now work as a program coordinator for the International Women’s Media Foundation.
A wide range of barriers limit career advancement among trans journalists. Key media market states, like Florida and Texas, have anti-trans laws on the books, restricting even bathroom use while out reporting. More rural areas, where entry-level reporters often cut their teeth, frequently have similar legislation.
“The decisions that our members have to make are the same kinds of decisions, unfortunately, that other journalists from historically excluded communities have to make,” said Anderson. “In similar ways, folks are having to decide between their safety, their security, their health, and wellness and wellbeing, and a desire and pull toward journalism and storytelling, and giving a voice to the voiceless. The reality is that each of our members has to decide for themselves what they are willing to navigate to get to where they want to go. We want to be an organization there to support them with whatever decision that means.”
Educating the world of journalism
In 2023, The Onion satirists published a scathing piece titled “It Is Journalism’s Sacred Duty To Endanger The Lives Of As Many Trans People As Possible,” mocking the many media failures toward covering gender-expansive individuals.
The lampoon remains as relevant as ever, with various outlets walking back claims of “transgender and anti-fascist ideology” bullet engravings during the fatal Charlie Kirk shooting just this past September. Others continue broadly parroting unverified claims on the gender identity of mass shooting suspects, leading to frequent anti-trans harassment against people wholly unrelated to the incidents.
“We have three years of instances of knowing that there are very provably false trans shooter claims almost every time there’s a shooting in the national U.S. news now,” said Petrin. “Journalists should really be on the lookout for the stuff that’s regularly false and be aware of that and take extra steps to verify it before publishing it.”
How can the journalism world do better? TJA’s style guide outlines resources and covers everything from editorial best practices and journalistic no-nos to pronoun usage and self-identification basics.
“Think about making sure that you have trans people in your stories is also important,” said Bellamy-Walker. “Because sometimes the misinformation comes from not interviewing any trans people in the stories, and having someone cisgender speak for the trans person that’s being impacted. … If you’re doing a story that’s not directly about trans people, you can still include trans people in your stories. For example, say you’re doing a health story that has nothing to do with healthcare, but mostly impacts trans people. You can still have a trans doctor in there. You don’t have to even say that the person is trans. It’s just important to make sure that we are thinking about including trans people continuously.”
A rising tide lifts all boats
Publishers should remain mindful of gender-expansive individuals under their employ. Anderson advises newsrooms to ensure that insurance policies allow trans journalists to access gender-affirming healthcare. They also point to general field safety and digital security. “What are you going to do if and when a trans reporter, or someone who is reporting on these issues, becomes the ire of trolls on the lowest level [up] to the Federal Government?” said Anderson. “All of those kinds of questions are examples of things that newsrooms aren’t often thinking about when it comes to the specific kinds of needs and challenges that many of our members are facing literally right now as they try to do their jobs.”
Newsrooms should be particularly careful with deadnames — or previous, no longer used names given to a transgender person, typically at birth. They can be weaponized against trans journalists for harassment purposes. Deadnames should not be conflated with legal names, as some trans people get their names formally updated.
“What is most important is to be inclusive of people of all genders,” said Bellamy-Walker. “That doesn’t mean that folks won’t mess up. If you do mess up on someone’s pronouns, I would make sure that you apologize, because if you don’t apologize or you don’t do anything about it, it lets everyone else start to also disrespect that same trans person. [Newsroom leaders should also] think about: what will we do if something goes wrong? … There are protocols that you can create, as well. Because not everyone in the workplace may share your same sentiments about gender and identity, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make things better for folks in the room.”
Tandy Lau is an award-winning journalist currently based in Jersey City. He currently works as a staff reporter covering public safety for the New York Amsterdam News in Harlem. He can be contacted at tandylau1995@gmail.com.
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