As this year’s AAPI Heritage Month comes to a close, GLAAD is highlighting seven out, proud and impressive LGBTQ journalists and media personalities who are helping to re-write the scripts for representation in their professional fields.
Give them a follow and share and get to know the important work they’re part of in accelerating acceptance for the LGBQ community by simply being themselves in every room they walk into.
Reggie Aqui
ABC-7’s Reggie Aqui is the Bay Area’s true spirit of Aloha. Ever-embracing of his Hawaiian and Flipino roots, Reggie is a vivacious, passionate and trusted veteran journalist. A 34th Annual GLAAD Media Award nominee for his outstanding reporting amid the Mpox outbreak of 2021, Reggie leans on his lived, unapologetic and queer experiences to connect with audiences in ways that build relationships with journalistic integrity. Reggie challenges the storytelling status quo by telling it like it is and resides in San Fransisco with his husband Phil and dog, Woodstock.
Sasha Colby
Newly-crowned RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 winner, Sasha Colby, is the show’s first Native transgender-Hawaiian competitor and winner. While Miss Colby may just be getting her flowers now, she has been an influential figure and true force for change and inclusion in our vibrant queer community. In a recent interview with GLAAD, Sasha said, “I am walking, living proof that all of what they’re saying is not true… I’m not hurting anybody,” she said. “We’re happy trans people. We are not going anywhere.”
Christiane Cordero
Christiane Cordero is a reporter at ABC-7 in Los Angeles. She joined their team in August 2021, returning to her Southern California roots after 12 years living in the South, Northeast as well as the Midwest. Christianne is an adventurer, traveler and avid truth-seeker who’s always found at the heart of a story. She is proud to be a reflection of Filipino, Spanish, South Korean and Mexican backgrounds on-screen and resides in Los Angeles with her wife Alli along with their two pups, fondly referred to as simply their “ohana.”
Tan France
You may know sweet Tanny France best from “Queer Eye” on Netflix, but Tan has in fact been a successful fashion designer for over 15 years and is now a best-selling author and co-hosts “Next in Fashion” with the fabulous Gigi Hadid. A fierce defender of social justice across all dimensions of equality, Tan recently joined fellow celebrities to stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and demand accurate and respectful and representation of Asian Americans and anyone who may have a touchpoint to Asian descent and heritage. The U.K.-born South Asian fashionista was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2020, and just this week officially welcomed he and his husband Rob’s second child into their sweet, growing and loving family.
Chris Nguyễn
Chris Nguyen is a national correspondent for CNN based in Washington, D.C. He is also a history-making journalist. Chris became the first Vietnamese American man to regularly anchor in a major U.S. television market when his first anchoring role was with WAND-TV (NBC) in Central Illinois, where he led the weekday morning program. After that, he spent time in the Inland Northwest as a weekend evening anchor for KREM-TV (CBS).
Kal Penn
You may first recognize Kal Penn from massive TV and film hits like Designated Survivor, and Harold & Kumar, but in addition to actor, his titles include author, journalist, professor and former White House staffer. That’s right, Kal Penn put the Penn in Pennsylvania Ave, going from White Castle to the White House, joining the Obama administration in 2009 as Principal Associate Editor in the White House Office of Public Engagement. A year prior, in 2008, Kal also served as a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. Kal made major headlines when his coming out announcement last year included the reveal that he was engaged to his partner, Josh, of 11 years. The proud South Asian American detailed his love story in his memoir, “You Can’t Be Serious,” and appeared recently as a week-long guest host of The Daily Show.
Lily Singh
Canadian YouTuber, television host, comedian, writer, actress and oh-so-much more, Lili Singh began making YouTube videos in 2010. Originally appearing under the pseudonym “Superwoman,” little would she know then that she would become that to so many she would inspire by stepping out into her truth. In 2019, Lily tweeted check boxes marked “Female,” “Coloured,” and “Bisexual,“ saying in part: No matter how many “boxes” you check, I encourage you to do the same.”
Female
Coloured
BisexualThroughout my life these have proven to be obstacles from time to time. But now I’m fully embracing them as my superpowers.
No matter how many “boxes” you check, I encourage you to do the same x
— Lilly (@Lilly) February 25, 2019
An online creator who became a beacon for authenticity in the real world, Lily would go on to become a best-selling author and become the solo host would host a new late-night talk show, “A Little Late with Lilly Singh,” which succeeded “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Currently, Lily is making her South Asian heritage shine bright as part of the Disney+ series, “The Muppets Mayhem,” streaming now.
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(SOURCE) https://www.glaad.org/blog/2023-queer-aapi-journalists-to-know