Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter - Gay Times partnership is official; how Uncloseted will respond to Trump media lawsuits
We’re a month and a day away from President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. This past weekend, I appeared on MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin Reports to discuss Uncloseted’s latest investigation into Kristen Waggoner.
I popped up on the network shortly after ABC News agreed to pay Trump more than $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit. Trump sued the network after George Stephanopoulos falsely said in an interview that Trump had been found liable for rape (when he was actually found liable for sexual abuse).
Since then, Trump has called the press “corrupt” and has threatened more lawsuits. And he’s already taken action: In a news conference on Monday, Trump announced he’d be suing the Des Moines Register—an Iowa paper that was founded in 1860, and that has lost 70% of its Sunday circulation since 2018 and now has just under 40,000 readers. He is suing them over a poll they released on November 2 that predicted Kamala Harris would win.
I will admit, it’s very scary and intimidating stuff when you have someone with the power of the President’s office threatening lawsuits and actually executing them against tiny and local news organizations. Let’s be real: Trump could run Uncloseted into the ground if he really wanted to. With that said, we won’t (and for the sake of our democracy, we can’t) tweak our coverage or mission even a degree to the left or right to avoid retaliation. All we can do is present the truth and rely on the principles of journalism.
Ayman’s final question was how Uncloseted Media plans to cover the Trump administration. I stand by my response:
We plan on covering Trump just like we investigate any person, piece of power, piece of legislation, or amount of money that is important to scrutinize. We define balance not along partisan lines. Balance is not a Republican soundbite and a Democratic soundbite divided by two. It’s following the money and the facts and giving a definition of balance that’s rooted in methodologically sound, evidence-based research. So we’re gonna get the receipts, the timelines, the screenshots and tell it like it is. We’re not gonna shy away from these stories … Trump and the administration need to be checked more than ever.
You may have noticed on our Instagram page or elsewhere that we’ve been collaborating with Gay Times, a leading global LGBTQ media brand. We are thrilled to announce that we are turning these collab’s into an official partnership.
“The content partnership sees Uncloseted Media’s investigative journalism broadcast across GAY TIMES’ media platforms that reach tens of millions of LGBTQ consumers each month, with GAY TIMES promoting Uncloseted Media to its existing audience. The organizations have already reached over a million consumers under the agreement during its pilot phase over the last four weeks.” Check out the full press release here.
Huge shoutout to our fantastic advisory board member, Angela Earl, who helped spearhead the partnership. We are looking forward to working with Gay Times CEO Tag Warner and his entire team as we get set for all our 2025 coverage.
Rep. Nancy Mace's position on LGBTQ community appears to have changed (ABC News)
Rep. Nancy Mace has faced significant backlash for her anti-transgender rhetoric, including efforts to ban transgender women from using women's restrooms at the U.S. Capitol and using a slur against protesters.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Defense pick, says allowing gay troops to serve openly reflects a Marxist agenda (CNN)
He has expressed regret over the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," arguing that changes allowing LGBTQ+ individuals and women in combat roles undermine military effectiveness in favor of social justice.
Gay Democrat is lone LGBTQ vote in Congress for anti-trans national defense bill (The Advocate)
Rep. Chris Pappas, the only out LGBTQ lawmaker supporting the recently passed $895.2 billion National Defense Authorization Act, faces backlash for backing a bill that prohibits Tricare from covering gender-affirming care for transgender children of military service members.
This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 This weekend, we dive into the story of The Great American Family channel, where holiday cheer appears to be crafted to exclude queer representation.
🆕 What could Trump 2.0 mean for LGBTQ rights, public policy, and the future of equality in America? I interview fellow Substacker
a renowned legal expert known as , to break down the potential legal and social implications of this pivotal political shift.
Thanks for reading! And feel free to email me with questions, complaints, tips or story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief
spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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