Q&A With Micro-Grant Winner Cooper Joslin

Cooper Joslin, a journalist with a background in web development, is the recipient of Study Hall’s second micro-grant. They will be using the funds to develop The Trans Guide—a website that will feature oral histories of trans people, a database of gender affirming resources, and a legislation tracker that will update readers on bills that impact the trans community. Additionally, the site will feature resources for all journalists about how to cover the trans community. 

The Trans Guide was inspired by Joslin’s experiences as a nonbinary person navigating media, and in particular, the perpetual myth of journalistic objectivity, which suggests that marginalized people have a conflict of interest when reporting on their communities. Joslin hopes the project will empower queer journalists to see their perspectives as important and use their expertise to report on LGBTQ+ issues.

“It’s so important to come into the job as your full self, even if that’s terrifying,” they tell Study Hall. “[When] you’re making others feel comfortable being themselves, you get the full story.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.