B.A.R. freelancers receive NLGJA awards

by Cynthia Laird

Two arts freelancers for the Bay Area Reporter will receive awards from NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists.

Victoria Brownworth, a lesbian who pens the Lavender Tube column for the B.A.R. and has written for many other publications, is the recipient of the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year Award, according to a news release from NLGJA. Pettit, a lesbian, was a pioneering figure in LGBTQ media. She was the founding editor of Out magazine, which she co-founded with Michael Goff. She died of lymphoma in 2003 at the age of 36. Brownworth, who has been a columnist for the B.A.R. since 1992, wrote in an email, “I am thrilled to have been chosen for this prestigious award. At a time when the LGBTQ community is under dire threat from the MAGA GOP, and our rights are being eroded by the courts, reporting by out LGBTQ journalists has never been more crucial.”

Brownworth said she is “grateful to the NLGJA for the recognition” of her reporting and the work she has done to bring “important news and feature stories and series about and for our community to both the mainstream media and our vital LGBTQ press, like the B.A.R.” Brownworth added that she and Pettit worked together at OutWeek and OUT magazines, “so winning an award named for her has special significance to me.”

Jim Gladstone, a gay man who covers theater and other arts for the paper, was named the recipient of the Excellence in Travel Writing Award for “A Postcard from Berlin” for Passport magazine. (https://passportmagazine. com/a-postcard-from-berlin/)

“The award is a big honor and a big surprise,” Gladstone wrote in an email. “I didn’t enter the competition. My story was entered by Passport editor in chief Robert Adams. I’ve been writing for Passport since 2002, when it was based in an office on Castro Street (it’s now in New York).”

B.A.R. arts and nightlife editor Jim Provenzano, a gay man, praised both writers.

“Victoria A. Brownworth’s recognition is well deserved,” Provenzano stated. “Along with her political journalism for other publications, she has produced a television column for the B.A.R. for nearly three decades that explores visibility of LGBTQ actors and characters, and also offers insight on societal changes in media representation.

“From his features on musical theater to dramatic plays and cabaret artists, writer Jim Gladstone has provided insightful input through his reviews and deft interviews with performers,” he added. “His recognized work for Passport also includes literary and travel features.”

B.A.R. publisher Michael Yamashita, a gay man, congratulated Brownworth and Gladstone.

“I’m not surprised that Victoria

Brownworth has garnered another award for her writing accomplishments,” Yamashita stated. “She deserves NLGJA’s recognition of journalist of the year.”

He added, “B.A.R. readers know Jim Gladstone for his consistent, insightful theater reviews, but now also a talented travel writer. Kudos to both Victoria and James!”

In addition to Brownworth and Gladstone, a number of other journalists were also recognized with awards. NLGJA officials commended all of them.