MISSION STATEMENT:

The NAHJ LGBTQIA+ Task Force is dedicated to finding innovative ways to highlight and embrace our LGBTQIA and Latinx members at the NAHJ Annual Conference and throughout the year through impact initiatives for the benefit of our communities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Organized several LGBTQIA-related panels for NAHJ´s annual conference.
  • Gathered sneakers and purses during our annual conference and gave them out to people in need in the LBGTQIA+ community in partnership with the non-profit Out My Closet.
  • Hosted a meet-and-greet in collaboration with the non-profit Unity Coalition for members of the LGBTQIA+ community at our annual conference.
  • Updated our LGBTQIA+ Style Guide, which is available in digital format and was also distributed in print.

LBGTQIA+ Task Force Members

David Cordero Mercado

David Cordero Circle

David Cordero Mercado

Chair

Pedro Cabrera

Pedro Cabrera is a nationally recognized educator with nearly 13 years of experience in journalism education. He taught at Judson High School in Converse, TX for almost a decade, revitalizing the journalism program and turning it into a state and nationally-recognized one. That is where much of his academic knowledge is from—scholastic journalism!

​While a Communication Specialist at Judson ISD, Pedro launched Insight, the district's first podcast, managed the day-to-day operation of the district and school websites, and wrote all news and feature articles and photography for the district. In 2024, the Texas School Public Relations Association recognized him with a Best Of in News/Feature Writing Star Award, a Gold Star Award, and two Silver Star Awards.

In 2023, Pedro received my Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with basic qualitative research focused on gatekeeping theory, scholastic journalism, media literacy, civic engagement, student leadership, student voice, and student censorship.

Pedro has been involved with various local, state, and national committees and boards, including mentoring new journalism advisers, coordinating Scholastic Journalism Week with the Journalism Education Association and advocating for journalism education with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Pedro is currently in his 14th year in education. He's taught middle school for two years and high school for almost a decade, worked in central office administration, and been a college professor for over seven years (collectively) with the University of Texas at San Antonio and Alamo Colleges.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjcabrera87/

Pedro Cabrera Circle

Pedro Cabrera

Working Member

Wesley J. Pérez Vidal

Wesley’s academic and professional experience has expanded to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the United States, Mexico, and Spain.

He has led high-profile interviews, multimedia productions, and strategic editorial initiatives while producing investigative reports on minority populations, higher education, and consumer trends. 

Now, Wesley’s looking to increase the number of bilingual journalism programs, foster student engagement, and implement national strategies that promote diversity and inclusivity across the media business and academic institutions.

Wesley Vidal Circle

Wesley J. Pérez Vidal

Working Member

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Tat Bellamy-Walker is the communities reporter for the Seattle Times, where he reports on diverse groups throughout the Pacific Northwest. Last year, he reported for NBC News' diversity verticals (NBC Latino, BLK, OUT and Asian America). In 2021, he was named a Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellow, where he joined more than 50 local journalists from newsrooms across the US. His work has appeared in the Daily Beast, Business Insider and CNN.

Tat Bellamy-Walker Circle

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Working Member

David Cordero Mercado

David Cordero Mercado

David Cordero Mercado is a multimedia and investigative journalist who has been awarded by the Puerto Rico Journalists Association and the Overseas Press Club, Puerto Rico Chapter. He has reported on hate crimes in Puerto Rico as a reporter for El Nuevo Día, the biggest newspaper on the island. He earned a master's degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism Innovation from Syracuse University in New York, and a bachelor's degree in Information and Journalism from the School of Communication of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, as well as a second concentration in Political Science. He is also the Region 1 Director on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Meet David

Luis Joel Méndez González

Luis Joel Méndez González

Luis Joel Méndez González reports on climate change and disaster recovery for the Center for Investigative Journalism through Report for America since 2022. He is an experienced data-driven and multimedia reporter. Méndez González holds a Masters Degree in Data Visualization and Information Design, and is a co-chair of the LGBTQIA+ Committee.

Meet Luis Joel

Adam Rhodes

Adam M. Rhodes

Adam M. Rhodes' work as a reporter has focused on queer people and criminal justice in stories such as HIV treatment access in Puerto Rico and a homophobic capital murder trial in Illinois. He worked as a staff writer and social justice reporter at the Chicago Reader and was published in BuzzFeed News and The Washington Post. Rhodes is a first-generation Cuban-American.

Meet Adam

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Tat Bellamy-Walker is the communities reporter for the Seattle Times, where he reports on diverse groups throughout the Pacific Northwest. Last year, he reported for NBC News' diversity verticals (NBC Latino, BLK, OUT and Asian America). In 2021, he was named a Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellow, where he joined more than 50 local journalists from newsrooms across the US. His work has appeared in the Daily Beast, Business Insider and CNN.

Meet Tat

Wesley J. Pérez Vidal

Wesley J. Pérez Vidal

Wesley’s academic and professional experience has expanded to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the United States, Mexico, and Spain.

He has led high-profile interviews, multimedia productions, and strategic editorial initiatives while producing investigative reports on minority populations, higher education, and consumer trends. 

Now, Wesley’s looking to increase the number of bilingual journalism programs, foster student engagement, and implement national strategies that promote diversity and inclusivity across the media business and academic institutions.

Meet Wesley

Members: Juan Pablo López, Cristela Guerra, David Cordero Mercado, Luis Joel Méndez González, Adam Rhodes, Alander Rocha, Lygia Navarro, Andrés Martínez, Belen Dumont, Tat-Bellamy Walker, Wesley J. Pérez Vidal

HOW TO JOIN:

Want to get involved and engage with journalists that share your similar interest? Here’s how to get started:

Log into the NAHJ member portal. Not a member? Join/Renew today.
Under member home, click on my profile.
Select the edit profile button and choose from the following options:

  • Afro-Latino Task Force
  • Business Task Force
  • Investigative & Data Task Force
  • LGBTQIA+ Task Force
  • Meteorology & Climate Task Force
  • Sports Task Force
  • Visual Task Force
Scroll to Top