Philanthropy reporter Thalia Beaty documented how Florida’s new transgender care laws on children were affecting trans adults. She interviewed a transgender woman in Florida who was turning to crowdfunding site GoFundMe to raise money to leave the state.
Beaty recognized that this could push forward high-profile stories on several beats, especially since the loss of medical care for Florida’s transgender adults had not been widely reported. She arranged a discussion with Florida government reporter Brendan Farrington, politics reporter Hannah Schoenbaum, and video journalist Laura Bargfeld, and their editors to discuss coverage and share her interviews and contacts. They were able to quickly pull together photos and a video, as well as audio, for an all-formats package that looked at Florida’s new laws from a new angle.
The deeply sourced enterprise stories were picked up by numerous major competitors, including ABC, NBC and Business Insider.
Finding a new twist to Florida’s new transgender care laws
Sage Chelf poses for a photo at her home in Orlando, Fla., May 27, 2023. Recent Florida legislation has caused Chelf, a trans woman, to lose access to her hormone replacement therapy. She's hoping to move to Illinois in the coming weeks to stay with her girlfriend and regain access to care.
AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld