The midterms have taken their toll on us – how have LGBTQ+ journalists navigated this wild season? And, of course, where is our roundtable finding queer joy in the world right now?

This month is the start of NewsMatch – all donations to The Buckeye Flame are tripled. This is a huge opportunity for our scrappy queer newsroom. So please support queer journalism by going to thebuckeyeflame.com and click “Donate” – which helps create work like This News is So Gay.

This week’s roundtable:

• Reporter for The Ohio Capital Journal, Susan Tebben
• California Politics Editor for The Sacramento Bee, Lauren Chapman

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Can there really be more political ad drama? The answer is yes! New research from Tulane University and University of California, San Diego highlights that violence against women and trans people is worse than previously thought. But there is promising news – our roundtable shares where they’re finding queer joy in the world right now.

This week’s roundtable:

• Technology reporter for the 19th, Jasmine Mithani
• Rural LGBTQ+ beat reporter for The Buckeye Flame and a corps member for Report for America, Ben Jodway

Domestic violence services remain operational across the country. Confidential, anonymous help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (1-800-799-7233) or online.

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Extra, Extra is an opportunity to hear more from individuals who are adding to LGBTQ discourse in truly important ways. This week, we’re highlighting an audio documentary that gets at some vital parts of LGBTQ history – though they may feel more like the present than 30+ years ago.

Hate State is a new 3-part audio documentary from LOOKOUT Publications and Oddbird Sound & Word. It looks at how Colorado went from being known as the Hate State after Amendment 2 passed in the 1990s to becoming a national destination for LGBTQ+ people seeking protection, gender affirming care, and other rights. The podcast isn’t just about Colorado – it’s about what all of us across the States can learn.

Xandra McMahon is one of the producers of Hate State and an award-winning journalist and audio producer. She is dedicated to telling stories that leave listeners curious about the world around them and feeling more connected to their community.

You can listen to Hate State on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find it on lookoutnews.org

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Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities.

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We cannot escape the anti-trans midterm election ads in Ohio. How bad is it everywhere else and what does this all mean? While Pride month is long over, that doesn’t mean reporting on Pride is over. What are some Pride stories you need to know? And what is some of the latest reporting on gays and addiction?

This week’s roundtable:

• Executive Director of Queer Kentucky, Missy Spears
• Assistant Editor at Queerty, Alex Reimer
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Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities.

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There is a lack of trans voices in stories about… trans voices. How bad is it in the journalism world when it comes to this representation. Anti-trans laws and the consequences of those laws. Are we always covering both of those topics? And of course, where is our roundtable finding queer joy in the world this week?

This week’s roundtable:

• Senior staff writer for The Buckeye Flame, H.L. Comeriato

• Data journalist, co-founder and board president of the Trans Journalist Association, Kae Petrin

  
  

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LGBTQ+ media outlets vs. LGBTQ+ media outlets. When is it fair game to be critical of each other and when should we leave each other alone? What is exciting about penning queer culture pieces these days? And of course, where is our round table finding queer joy in the world right now?

This week’s roundtable:

• Managing director and editor of News is Out, Dana Piccoli

• Editor-in-chief of Queerty, Graham Gremore

  
  

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Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities.

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Transphobia and anti-LGBTQ+ animus. Is that a winning strategy for elected officials? What happens when the line between boards of a nonprofit newsroom and the editorial staff gets blurred? And of course, where can we find queer joy in the world right now?

This week’s roundtable:

• Editor in chief and opinion columnist for the Ohio Capital Journal, David Dewitt

• Reporter and co-founder of the Athens County Independent, Dani Kington

  
  

Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online:

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Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, we're chatting with Dr. Kaila Adia Story, author of "The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity." Dr. Story has been called "one of the most brilliant, intellectual activist voices of our time" and she spends time with Ken this week diving into everything from the one-note LGBTQ+ representation in the media, to racism within the LGBTQ+ community, to the challenges in teaching about LGBTQ+ within academia.

Keep up with The Buckeye Flame online:

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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thebuckeyeflame.com

Support for This News is So Gay comes from the LGBTQ+ Opportunity Fund of the Cleveland Foundation, leveraging philanthropy to empower LGBTQ+ communities.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.