Matt Leidholm

The following is a copy of a letter I sent to Elizabeth Jensen, ombudsman for NPR, earlier this morning.

Ms Jensen:

Listening to NPR One this morning, I heard a report by Sylvia Poggioli entitled "Vatican Synod Ends". As usual, Ms Poggioli imbued the report with the wisdom and nuance gained from her many years of ably covering the Holy See; however, the report also contained another hallmark of Ms Poggioli's reporting: a lack of sensitivity toward NPR's LGBT audience.

In this report, Ms Poggioli refers to gay people as "homosexuals." This term, which NPR generally avoids, makes sexual orientation sound like a dreaded medical condition, and its use as a noun dehumanizes the many lesbian and gay people who often struggle to gain the acceptance of their neighbors. As a gay man myself, I have the privilege of an accepting family, work, and social group, but I also hear stories of those marginalized, ostracized, and even abused by their communities and religious institutions.

While Ms Poggioli's unusual closeness to her beat obviously gives her a unique perspective on Catholicism in a changing world, it also informs a pattern in her reports of insensitivity to LGBT issues. This is not the first time I have heard her use obsolete language in reference to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Please address this issue of LGBT sensitivity in reports, especially when reporting on an organization like the Catholic Church, which has historically opposed their acceptance into wider society. And please ensure that Ms Poggioli reviews any NPR guidance regarding acceptable language when referring to LGBT people. Her reporting is too valuable to be stained by such ugly language.