Dear Coach,

I know that scrappy young journalists should be willing to work anywhere. But as an LGBT journalist of color, I know there are some parts of the country (and the world, for that matter) where I would not feel comfortable living, some newsrooms where I couldn’t be “out.” What to do? Should I be willing to move anywhere for a newsroom job, even a place where my background could be an issue? – Scrappy, Gay and Wary

Dear Scrappy,

First off, your LGBT status is not a “background” issue. It is part of the rich, diverse essence of who you are and of what you bring to a newsroom.

I would urge you not to go to a place where you had to pretend to be someone other than your core self. That would be bad for you personally, and in the end, bad for your journalism.

To help fill out my answer to your provocative question, I consulted some board members of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association for guidance. Here are some tips they pass on:

• If you have a line on a job in a place you don’t know, contact the NLGJA and ask for names of members in that area. Contact and chat with these members. Ask away, until you hear enough to make your decision.
• List your membership in NLGJA on your resume (as you would list any other journalism organization). If an editor is truly homophobic and runs a truly homophobic newsroom, it is quite possible the editor will see the listing and not pick you for the job. And that is just fine.
• Stay true to yourself. “Ultimately,” as one NLGJA member says, “we’re better journalists and better able to report on the outside world when we’re not overly wrapped up in our own internal dialogues.”

Finally, Deepak Saini — a “young Indian-Muslim-Gay-Vegetarian” news anchor in Wyoming and an NLGJA board member – has this to say to you and to other young journalists with like concerns:

“I go against the grain of what the Cowboy State stands for. There are plenty of people here who judge me on my race, religion and sexuality. The state is 98 percent Caucasian, blue collar, and at least two decades behind the rest of civilization. (I was even refused an interview because of my race once.) But even after all this, I’ve survived three years here. Yes, there are days where I can’t get my key in the front door of my home without crying … but I would never change this experience for the world. I have met some of the nicest people in the world here. My experiences have been more positive than negative. Families who watch me on TV often invite me to dinner. I get stopped in the street and at the grocery store. More than anyone else in the newsroom, I get asked to speak at churches, schools, etc.

“In a place where there is a lack of diversity, people are genuinely interested. I just announced to the morning-show audience that I’ll be leaving them in a few weeks to pursue another job in a bigger market. My inbox and voicemail are being flooded with messages, some from people in tears telling me that I’ve made a huge difference in this state just by being here. As much as I’ve learned and gained as a journalist, the audience gets to be exposed to me for two hours every morning. Can you imagine how many stereotypes I’ve broken?

“In essence, what I’m saying is this: If I can survive Wyoming and make it out alive, I will be OK anywhere I go from here. Use my experience as an example. What it comes down to is this: If you really want to make it in this industry, you should be willing to move anywhere, endure the struggles, learn from them and use them to make yourself a better journalist and person.”

Amen.

Mary Ann Hogan of Boca Raton, Fla., has been a career coach with the Chips Quinn Scholars program for more than a decade.

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