Who We Are

Hi! We're so glad you're here. 

The purpose of the LGBTQ+ Editors Association is to further the inclusion and retention of LGBTQ+ editors—who are currently underrepresented in the larger profession—and to collaborate on advocacy efforts led by LGBTQ+ editors, such as to advocate for changes within style guides and dictionaries. To achieve this purpose, the organization will work to provide mentoring opportunities, a discussion space, networking and social events, and education for LGBTQ+ editors and eventually the general public. This is also a space for us to express joy in our community and in the work that we do.

Vee White launched the organization in early 2022, but originally conceptualized it in 2015 after kicking the idea around in a Facebook group. They started the preparatory work and organization in earnest in early 2021.Our membership includes all types of English-language editors across a range of specializations and industries. We are a US-based organization but welcome our international colleagues, including our members who live in Australia, Canada, China, India, the United Kingdom, and other countries. 

Across the United States, there is a coordinated effort against the LGBTQ+ community (especially trans people) and people of color (especially Black people), to demonize us, to erase our history, and to jeopardize our safety. According to PEN America, the majority of books recently banned in schools include LGBTQ+ characters, characters of color, and/or coverage of race and racism. 

We are not a political organization. We are working to achieve nonprofit status and will avoid any political lobbying. Any silence is for this reason only. But let us be clear: the very existence of LGBTQIA+ people and/or Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) is politicized. Stories—whether they are novels, patient education materials, advertising, or history books—are integral to a culture. For better or for worse, editors are often gatekeepers for these stories, of who writes them and in what voice they are told. As LGBTQIA+ editors, we want our voices included and to contribute to the evolution and growth of our profession and to the larger society in which we live. 

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will be core to our organization as is the confidentiality and privacy of our membership. There is no required membership fee, and we intend to build that into our foundational bylaws. Help us continue to build this community!