Reflections on Roy's Impact on Journalism

Tom Brokaw was a friend of Aaron's for more than forty years, ever since they both served as correspondents in Los Angeles in the 1960's, Tom for NBC, Roy for the Washington Post.

"Roy was a dashing reporter on the West Coast for the Washington Post and as agreeable a companion as you could possibly have, as well-versed as he was in everything from politics to culture to the California scene,'' said longtime friend and former colleague Tom Brokaw of NBC News. ``His commitment to gay issues helped raise the consciousness of the entire country.''

Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr.
Chairman and Publisher of The New York Times

"For a while, it's fair to say, the Times and NLGJA were not close, but we got close as his organization and mine found a common bond and a common sense of urgency. It happened because we at the Times saw those gay and lesbian members of our company wanted to become free and open people. It wasn’t a hard issue once we got our head wrapped around it…"

"Roy was not only a great leader and great spokesman for gays and lesbians in the journalism game, but he was also a good man and a good friend. I learned an enormous amount from him about his values and a lot of that is reflected in the values of The New York Times. ... There's no question that Roy was an important force in journalism."

On the importance of NLGJA:

"One can hope that it will be less and less necessary as time goes on, but the NLGJA was important because it brought focus, energy and drive to an issue that is was then and remains one of the fundamental human life issues we're still grappling with."

Robert G. Kaiser
Associate Editor, The Washington Post
Former Managing Editor, The Washington Post

"Roy Aarons was a pioneer on many frontiers. He was The Washington Post's first New York correspondent, then The Post's first Los Angeles correspondent. He helped define an approach to coverage of the country that survives at the paper to this day. As Bob Maynard's editor, he fought a valiant fight to save an independent journalistic voice in the Bay Area with the Oakland Tribune. But perhaps Roy's biggest contribution was the creation of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association a dozen years ago. By doing this Roy created a community, a peer group for gay journalists across America that gave them a sense of worth and dignity that cannot be measured with any statistics, but which had a profound effect on thousands of lives. I was privileged to attend one of its first conventions, and saw there for myself how the NLGJA legitimized, supported and enthused young people, particularly from small communities across America. The NLGJA is Roy's monument, and I expect it to endure for a long time."

Andrew Tobias
Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee

"Roy Aarons was one of those largely unsung heroes who really did as much as anyone I can think of to advance understanding and equality. Long before there were budgets or fundraisers for his National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, he went from newsroom to newsroom, editorial board to editorial board and, at the highest levels, opened eyes and minds to what had, up until then, been a largely invisible issue. The impact of that -- the leverage -- was enormous. Once places like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and the major networks "got it," an open discussion began, and fair-minded Americans responded as they always do, and we became a better nation for it. Roy would be the first to say we have yet a way to go; but he gave this effort a tremendous push."


Leonard Downie
Executive Editor, The Washington Post

“Roy was an editor on the City Desk here when I arrived as a summer intern in 1964. He was at once very professional and full of fun, cynical and sensitive. He championed NLGJA vigorously in the industry, quickly earning it a full place at the table of journalists' organizations. I'll miss him very much.”

Robert Murphy,
Senior Vice President, ABC News

“Roy was above all a great journalist whose passion for our profession will always be what comes to mind first when thinking of him. Personally I will remember him as a mentor and friend who taught us the value of the contribution we could make to our newsrooms as openly gay journalists. He also provided the leadership that gave many of us the courage to join our personal and professional lives. For that we will be forever grateful.”