After Lou Chibbaro arrived in D.C. in 1972—a shy kid from Queens, New York—he felt lucky to have a wonky little job writing for the American Public Power Association.

But he’d recently come out and was immediately drawn to the Washington Blade, which offered rich coverage of the gay community and the issues those within the community faced. It was also a “beacon” to young gay men like him.

So he began to freelance for the paper; his very first story for the Blade was about Jimmy Carter and the impact his policies would have on the gay community if he were elected President of the United States.

When Chibbaro wrote that story for the Washington Blade, he signed it ‘Lou Romano,’ because in those days, he says, there was still broad discrimination against gay men, especially if they were w

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