Meet the LA Chapter
As the Los Angeles chapter of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, we advocate for fair and accurate coverage of the LGBTQ+ community in the Southland while striving to foster community among LA’s queer and trans journalists, news media professionals and creatives.
Chapter Leaders
Hansen Bursic (He/Him)
Co-President
An Appalachian-born, Los Angeles-transplant, Hansen is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. He is also a film critic with bylines in cinéSPEAK and INTO.
Kat Contreras (They/Them)
Press Rights Chair
Kat is an LA-based visual storyteller with over a decade of experience in photography and digital media production for personal brands, small businesses and nonprofits.
Richard Martinez (He/They)
Events & Communications Chair
Richard is an award-winning editor, photographer and designer. They currently work for the Los Angeles Press Club, managing communications for the non-profit.
Katie Karl (She/Her)
Co-President
Katie, born and raised in the Greater Los Angeles area, is a dedicated news producer with extensive experience in live news coverage and team coordination.
Daniel Huecias (He/Him)
Board Member
By way of the Inland Empire and the beaches of California’s Central Coast, Daniel is a multimedia journalist and producer centering storytelling through sound.
Gisselle Palomera (They/Them)
Board Member
Gisselle is the Editor at Los Angeles Blade and contributes LGBTQ+ content to Caló News, a non-profit newsroom focused on Latin American communities.
Kareem Awadalla (He/Him)
Board Member
Kareem Awadalla is an award-winning journalist, Fulbright Fellow and geopolitical analyst with a passion for uncovering untold stories and their impact on global affairs.
Sir Lex Kennedy (He/They/Sir)
Board Member
Sir Lex is a vegan, queer, black trans masculine media content creator who loves film, music, gardening and the beach and believes “ball is life.”
Our Members
Our membership comprises freelancers, independent journalists and staffers at a wide variety of news outlets and media organizations, including:
Get in Touch
From prospective members to possible event partners or sponsors, we’d love to hear from you! Simply email LA@nlgja.org, and someone from our team will get back to you shortly.