Spring 1995
As much as conservatives would like homosexuals to renounce their "sinful" lifestyle or at least shut up about it, controversies over gays in the military, civil rights ordinances, domestic partners and child custody are refusing to go away and are instead making it onto the front page on a regular basis.
What this means for journalists - gay and straight - is a huge amount of work related to these issues. According to many employed in the mainstream press, gay writers are increasingly being sought for their unique perspective on issues ranging from Pat Buchanan's 1992 bid for the presidency to civil rights legislation to new AIDS treatments.
Eric Haeberli, news editor of the San Francisco Sentinel, says, "There are tremendous opportunities right now for gay journalists. Pay is low, but it's often easier for gay journalists to get published because of the large independent gay press."
The San Francisco Sentinel, a gay weekly with a circulation of 35,000, hires many freelance writers. According to Haeberli, there are more gay papers and magazines, everything from Out and The Advocate to the small club-scene magazines like Playland and Odyssey.
Stuart Timmons, a gay freelance writer who wrote the biography of Harry Hay, a father of the gay rights movement, says being gay actually has helped him. "Being gay gives you an edge in the job market. It gives you an area of expertise."
Timmons says he is increasingly trying to be "out" as a gay journalist. "It has gotten easier over the years," he says. "Most organizations have gone through an enlightening process. Gay issues are much more newsworthy now - carried in all the papers. AIDS and gay civil rights issues are not just in the gay press anymore."
Timmons says people should look on the positive side, because the increase in coverage of gay issues should lead to more job opportunities for gay journalists. "I'm an insider - being gay makes me an expert."
Anthony Duignan-Cabrera, former editor of SF State's Golden Gater, and former reporter for the Miami Herald, has "always been out of the closet." He doesn't think being gay should have much to do with being a reporter: "You can be a gay person who covers straight issues. I cover urban issues: schools, families, and public safety. I would never work for a gay publication. My world view is a little larger than that."
Duignan-Cabrera did say, though, that editors and fellow reporters tend to toss a lot of gay-related stories in his lap. "We (gays) bring a unique perspective," he says. "Being gay never stopped Gore Vidal or (LA Times editor) Richard Rouilard."
Many journalists have been and are gay. Randy Shilts was instrumental in bringing gay news to the mainstream press. His work at the San Francisco Chronicle and his investigative books helped open many closet doors. Janet Flanner is another famous gay journalist. She wrote for many years for the New Yorker under the nom de plume Genet. Yet many people believe it is still hard to be gay - in any profession. Joey Ascuncion, who works for the year-old Lifestyle magazine said, "There is still a stigma to being gay. If you want to be very successful you have to stay in the closet. It's harder to make it in the literary world as an out gay person."
Timmons said that during the '80s it was harder to get into the dailies as a gay person, but he thinks that is changing. But, he cautioned, "It would still be difficult going to smaller papers in the Midwest. Openly gay journalism graduates are going to run into homophobes, but they will also run into people who are a lot more open-minded than they were even ten years ago."
"We can't be closeted Ñ why hide," Haeberli asked. "There are a lot more of us working for the major publications now. We offer a lot."
Anthony Duignan-Cabrera, for one, has no intentions of letting himself be limited by stereotypes.
"I bring more to the newsroom than impeccable fashion sense."