The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association announced its Excellence in Journalism Award winners on Tuesday. The Column placed third in the Excellence in News Writing category.
The NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Awards were created in 1993 to “foster and recognize excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBT community.”
The Column placed third in the News Writing category for its 2014 series “Evangelical Group Targets Twin Cities LGBT Community With ‘Ex-gay’ Message.” That series followed Trinity Works’ 2014 efforts at Twin Cities Pride to convert members of the LGBT community to its brand of conservative Christianity. In the submission to NLGJA, The Column wrote the following:
After months of research and investigation into a little-known evangelical group, The Column reporter Andy Birkey exposed a plan 5 years in the making. Trinity Works’ members had been going under cover in Twin Cities LGBT bars, studying LGBT people, and developing a plan to infiltrate Twin Cities Pride and convert members of the LGBT community to group’s brand of conservative Christianity. Birkey exposed the group’s plans in May, prompting reactions from both Trinity Works and Minnesota’s LGBT advocacy groups. Trinity Works set up a large booth along the LGBT Pride Parade route handing out corn and water to attendees luring them in where they were exposed to anti-LGBT evangelism. The group refused to identify itself or its religious intentions. The reporting was widely credited with mobilizing safety teams at Twin Cities Pride to prevent members of the LGBT community from being exposed to the “ex-gay” message of Trinity Works, and to provide counseling to those who were affected.
These are the five stories The Column submitted for the category
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Christian group wants to rent Gay 90s, infiltrate Twin Cities Pride, and convert gays
MN evangelical group says it will cure HIV at Twin Cities Pride
OutFront to provide crisis support for those accosted by “ex-gay” outreach
Evangelical group planning Pride infiltration scrubs all mentions from website, social media
Using deceptive tactics, Trinity Works claims to have “saved” dozens at Pride
The other winners in the Excellence in News Writing Award were:
First Place: Andrew M. Seaman for Series on LGBT Health Coverage, Reuters
Second Place: Berlin Sylvestre for “Pro-LGBT Colorado Baker Slapped with Religious Discrimination Complaint,” Out Front Magazine
A full list of award recipients is available at NLGJA.org.