Former WOOD-TV8 reporter Brad Edwards: Growg up gay Grand Rapids was tough

Contents:

• FORMER WOOD-TV8 REPORTER BRAD EDWARDS: GROWG UP GAY GRAND RAPIDS WAS TOUGH
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985
• WHO IS GAY AT CBS NEWS?
• WHY FAN THKS HUW EDWARDS IS GAY? MEET HIS WIFE VICKY FLD AND KIDS

FORMER WOOD-TV8 REPORTER BRAD EDWARDS: GROWG UP GAY GRAND RAPIDS WAS TOUGH

When CBS 2 Chigo news reporter Brad Edwards was a boy Grand Rapids, Mich., watchg the eveng telests, there were no "out" gay journalists reflectg om his screen.

Unls stg the center square on a game show or servg as a s's ast-wearg ic relief, nventnal wisdom dictated that no one tsted the gay person his or her home. Wh an award-wng reer spanng across two s, Brad Edwards has sce been both an anchor and an vtigative reporter as an "out" gay journalist Michigan, Indiana and, most recently, here Chigo—one who has never strayed far om that Midwtern boy parked ont of his TV's beckong glow. "My 'gay' wdow growg up nservative Grand Rapids was solely televisn news and was bleak—Jefey Dahmer, Ryan Whe and a beloved lol teacher threatened wh oter bee he was gay, " said Edwards durg an onle terview wh Wdy Cy Tim.

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

That was my gay paradigm. In the last , the news has e a long way om the years of ABC World News anchor Max Robson and his ntroversial ath om AIDS-related plitns, an illns shadowed by mor and Robson's effive nials of homosexualy.

Chigo is a great place to be gay, but Chigo is an exceptn. Dpe gettg support om fans and the top brass alike many of his media markets, Edwards utned standg the spotlight as gay hasn't e whout any reer sacrific.

The typ of stori place Edwards' brand of journalism is squarely the hard news tegory, far om the entertament and liftyle beats the public has grown more acctomed to seeg gay broadsters workg .

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

WCT: You're the first openly gay lol nighttime news anchor. When you're gay growg up the era I did [Edwards is 41], was certaly better than the era before—the le of the land, stuted by a Democratic print [Bill Clton] was "Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I loved watchg the news and 60 Mut, but they pated a bleak picture of beg gay the '80s and '90s.

They were lettg gays die California. Ryan Whe—who wasn't gay—had our disease: AIDS; what they did to poor kid his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana. I had a tly remarkable g-out experience but as a kid—when nobody knows you're gay, and you're not sure yourself—certa thgs n validate you.

[There were] grown men sayg the f-word and people you admire tellg gay jok.

WHO IS GAY AT CBS NEWS?

I look at some of the gay men our muny—the Stonewall generatn and the AIDS generatn—and I bow to them. I am a nighttime gay anchor Chigo, and the first—but 's not a big al Chigo, and should be. However, many gay journalists reach out to me, and 's surreal.

I intify as gay, but I also believe that sexualy isn't bary. But, y, I'm gay and I dated Gger—and now we're bt iends. I don't know anyone who's gay who hasn't stggled, whether 's prsn, anxiety, addictn, body dysmorphia or somethg else.

[quote]Why are black newsrears gayby Anonymoreply 16Febary 14, 2015 8:25 PM. Who's the well known gay bear feature reporter om 60 Mut, he has a kid's show on Saturday morngs. 'e I've fucked 2 gay guys who are on the air at Anonymoreply 32Febary 14, 2015 11:48 PM.

WHY FAN THKS HUW EDWARDS IS GAY? MEET HIS WIFE VICKY FLD AND KIDS

[quote]e I've fucked 2 gay guys who are on the air at WCBS... New reporter Kris Van Cleave, who looks and sounds a ltle like Ben Tracy, is gay.