In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Acknowledgments As with any large-scale research project, I am indebted to many individuals whose support, insights, and guidance made this book possible, from its inception to its completion. First and foremost, I am indebted to and inspired by my activist informants—the communications directors, public relations directors, and presidents and founders of many of the nation’s leading gay rights organizations. These are people who work long hours for their cause and their community and yet still gave their time to me. In their offices, in coffee shops, and in gay bars, they shared with me stories of their own coming out, what it was like to see their lives reflected in the media and popular culture, and how their views about marriage changed when they began planning their own commitment ceremonies and weddings. Their perspectives transformed this project and the ways in which I will approach my research in the future. I am also incredibly appreciative of the careful and attentive work of the anonymous reviewers of this manuscript. The time and attention they devoted to reading, commenting on, and critiquing an earlier version of this book shaped my thinking about this project. Their insights proved invaluable as I continued to refine my arguments. This book would not have been possible without the guidance, feedback, and support of my editor, Danny Nasset, at the University of Illinois Press, and the work of the production team. I am also indebted to my father-in-law, Ray Moscowitz, who put his editorial expertise to work in meticulously fine-line editing each chapter across a period of months. I am grateful for his countless hours of unpaid labor, thoughtful questions, and the journalistic lens he provided my work. x acknowledgments I also want to thank my fantastic colleagues at the College of Charleston, who made it fun to come to work every day. They have created a truly enjoyable and collegial place to work, full of positive energy and encouragement. I am grateful for my department chairs, Brian McGee and Bethany Goodier, who wrote supportive letters and assisted in procuring funding for the project , and for the mentorship of Alison Piepmeier, who helped me navigate through the world of academic publishing. This book began nearly a decade ago at the Indiana University School of Journalism, and I will forever be indebted to my “Dream Team” committee, Professors Elizabeth Armstrong, Betsi Grabe, Dave Weaver, and my chair, Radhika Parameswaran. This group of mentors provided me with foundational tools throughout my research training—the tools to think, to write, and to ask interesting questions. Most important, they instilled in me a passion for academic work. Their own scholarship guided and inspired this project. They dedicated countless hours to advising, counseling, and meticulously editing drafts. I am endlessly grateful to Radhika, whose belief in the project—and in me as the one to do it—meant I could not waver. I am also indebted to the many other scholars whose work laid the foundation for this project, specifically the work of Edward Alwood, Larry Gross, and Suzanna Walters, to name a few. I thank the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) for their continued support of this project, first for recognizing this work as the winner of the Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award and later as an AEJMC Scholars grant recipient. I knew I had hit the jackpot when Carolyn Kitch agreed to be my mentor for the AEJMC Scholars program; her insights and feedback on my proposal and on chapter drafts helped me take this project to the next level. This work also received financial awards from Indiana University and the College of Charleston. These student and faculty research and development grants made it possible for me to travel and interview activists face-to-face and assisted in the purchasing of videotaped news programs from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive. As fantastic as the journey is, the process of beginning a new life as an academic comes with a unique set of challenges. In particular, writing a book, at various points in the process, feels self-indulgent, unrealistic, and entirely out of reach. It was the love of friends and family members from all across the country that sustained me. I am indebted to Mary-Tina Vrehas, whose friendship and persistent optimism have been a bedrock of strength for me, and to Tamara Leech, whose balance of scholarship, activism, and parenting is inspirational. I am grateful for the encouragement of...

Share