LGBTQ+ Journalists Mark 35 Years in San Francisco

The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists gathered 300 reporters in San Francisco for its 35th anniversary convention.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Photograph of a steep San Francisco hillside street lined with pastel Victorian row houses and a cable car track, with fog over the distant bay. — The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists marked its 35th anniversary in San Francisco, gathering 300 reporters and premiering a documentary on the group's 1992 founding. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists held its 35th anniversary convention in San Francisco, drawing 300 journalists. The gathering included the premiere of a new documentary about the group's founding.

Why it matters

The organization, founded in 1992 as the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, represents a network of over 1,000 members working in media. Its focus on mentorship and monitoring of coverage of LGBTQ+ people shapes how these issues are reported.

The convention drew 300 journalists against a membership of over 1,000, according to the organization. The source does not report attendance figures from prior anniversary events for comparison.

The players

Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists

A professional organization founded in 1992 that supports LGBTQ+ journalists through scholarships, mentorship, and networking, and that monitors mainstream media coverage of LGBTQ+ people.

Elizabeth Mangelsdorf

A founding member of the organization who served as the founding president of its first chapter in Northern California.

Senta Scarborough

A lifetime member of the association who directed and produced the new documentary about the group's founding.

The details

Members gathered in San Francisco for the anniversary convention, where a new documentary about the group's founding premiered. The film was directed and produced by lifetime member Senta Scarborough.

1992: The organization was founded as the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
October 2026: The 35th anniversary convention was held in San Francisco.

Culture Shift

The organization's 1992 founding as the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, later renamed, traces a path from early gay and lesbian media advocacy to today's broader LGBTQ+ journalist network. Its rapid-response task force reflects a continuing effort to hold mainstream outlets accountable for coverage of LGBTQ+ people.

Journalists and readers in San Francisco and Northern California may encounter the organization's scholarships, mentorship programs, and media-monitoring work. The documentary's premiere offers a record of the group's founding for those interested in LGBTQ+ press history.

The takeaway

Journalist networks built around shared identity can serve as both professional support and a check on how their communities are covered, a function that began with the 1992 founding and continues at 35 years.