ASNE Confab to Include Gay Reception

By: Joe Strupp For the first time in its 83-year history, the American Society of Newspaper Editors conference this month in Washington, D.C., will include a reception for gay journalists.

J. Ford Huffman, an openly gay deputy managing editor at USA Today and a member of the ASNE conference program committee, told E&P, "It seems to me that this is a way to allow gay ASNE members to feel that they are included, and to let straight ASNE members know that there are gay members." The event, which will be open to all, also raises the issue of why there are so few openly gay top editors at U.S. newspapers, and none at the 30 major dailies. "There are at least four editors I know of in ASNE who are openly gay, but no top editors," Huffman said.