The nation’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper, The Washington Blade, is making history.
The outlet tweeted on Monday that it has secured an “officially designated seat in the White House James S. Brady briefing room, marking the first time an LGBTQ publication has been afforded the honor.”
The Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ newspaper, has secured an officially designated seat in the White House James S. Brady briefing room, marking the first time an LGBTQ publication has been afforded the honor. https://t.co/WjXCIbPsNY
— Washington Blade (@WashBlade) December 20, 2021
According to the Blade, the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) announced the move Friday as part of an update on the seating chart, taking effect January 3.
Steven Portnoy, WHCA president and White House reporter for C-SPAN Radio, explained in a memo changes were made “to enhance diversity in the briefing room,” including seat assignments for “organizations that target Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ audience” along with outlets “across the ideological spectrum,” as the Blade reports.
The Blade will share a seat with the Boston Globe.
Blade editor Kevin Naff said, “Thank you to the Correspondents Association for this designation.”
He added, “This was decades in the making and a credit to the hard work of Chris Johnson and Lou Chibbaro Jr. before him. This will enable us to devote more focus to national political news impacting the LGBTQ community.”
Chris Johnson, White House reporter for the Blade, will fill the seat.
