LZ Granderson Earns Column Writing Award from NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists

Los Angeles Times Op-Ed Columnist LZ Granderson has received the Excellence in Column Writing Award in the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Excellence in Journalism Awards competition. The awards were established in 1993 to foster, recognize and reward excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community.

Granderson’s columns span a wide variety of topics, from politics to sports to pop culture, and he shares his views regularly on The Times and Spectrum News 1’s daily news program, “L.A. Times Today.� He is also a contributor for ABC News and host of the ABC News podcast “Live Out Loud with LZ Granderson.�

Times Deputy Op-Ed Editor Philip Gray praised Granderson for refusing to “preach as though everyone should agree with him,� no matter how strongly he feels on a topic. “He wades into the messiness that we see in the world, and readers respect him for that. LZ approaches hot-button issues with kindness and curiosity, and he always ends up giving readers something to think about.�

In addition, Francisco Vara-Orta was recognized with the Excellence in Profile Writing Award for his Column One for The Times about Gene Ulrich, “First gay mayor in U.S. didn’t expect to be LGBTQ rights icon.�

NLGJA National Board President Ken Miguel expressed his enthusiasm for this year’s honorees. “Each recipient has demonstrated outstanding skill, integrity, and commitment to reporting stories that are essential for LGBTQ+ visibility and equality,� he said in the awards announcement. “[Their] dedication to highlighting diverse voices, uncovering important issues and promoting understanding is an inspiration to us all.�

To learn more about the awards and see the full list of award recipients, visit nlgja.org.