A decade ago tonight, I was up in the air—literally—leaving my life in Ohio to try to jump-start my life in DC. Things were not going well. I hadn’t held a full-time job in nearly a year, my drinking was out of control, & I was lost. Tonight was the start of changing everything. 
When I say I was lost, I’m not joking. A friend bought me the $50, one-way ticket to DC. I lived with two other friends in Virginia, in their spare bedroom. I was emailing everyone about the fact that I needed to find a job when I got here.
My mother gave me money, another friend loaned me money. And, in spite of myself, I got to DC, staying with those friends, and I got to work.
I lucked out in a sense, in that the Hate Crimes Prevention Act was going to be signed into law as part of the defense authorization bill that next week. I had been blogging about it, and @shin_inouye told me I could cover it. So I did. (🙈 Fixed!)
I was there that day, and @marcambinder gratefully let me publish my coverage online at The Atlantic, in my first week back in town. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
This began my DC adventure. I met with @seanbugg, and he and @RandyShulman quickly found me a home at @metroweekly. I become a reporter, covering the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the beginning of the end of the Defense of Marriage Act from DC’s LGBT magazine. It was a gift.
During that time, I also decided, thankfully, that my drinking was never going to go anywhere good for me. And, with help from friends & strangers, I began my path to sobriety.
I also celebrated @ngeidner & @shelbygeidner’s wedding, made new friends, & met some famous people.
I also celebrated @ngeidner & @shelbygeidner’s wedding, made new friends, & met some famous people.
Then, @BuzzFeedBen came along, and everything changed again. I joined @BuzzFeed in the summer of 2012. I had no clue where this particular adventure was going, but I hung on for dear life and it was amazing.
From there, I covered the end of Prop 8 and DOMA, LGBT employment and education protections, nationwide marriage equality, the broader Supreme Court, and the death penalty and other criminal justice issues. I interviewed the lead plaintiffs in huge cases. And President Obama.
My life also expanded in other, amazing, wonderful ways. Four of my best friends got married, and I got to share in both of their weddings. 🥰 Henry, and now Sammy, also came into my life: Two incredible nephews who make every day better. 😍😍
I’ve spent amazing times with the people who have helped me get through this past decade and come out happier and healthier on the other side than I ever imagined possible.
I’ve met so many of you! People who began as @-s on a screen, and have since become great friends and people I eagerly DM or text whenever I’m in your city! (And who text me about needing to visit their city, @ChrisDStedman & @anamariecox! 😬) I am truly blessed.
The @BuzzFeedNews team was a dream. Such amazing people, doing such great work. I was so lucky to get to have spent nearly seven years there. 🥳
And then, this spring, I made another move, joining @thisisrobsmith and @Justice_Collab: a new adventure that has allowed me to push forward with the work that I think we need to do as a country to begin to fix our criminal legal system. And I get to work with more amazing folks!
All of which brings us today. I haven’t had a drink in more than 111 months. I take care of my mental health. I’ve got a wonderfully supportive family & such incredible friends all over. I have an amazing job, & I spend my spare time enjoying theater (and Pokémon and running). 🥰
I’m still a mess, too. I’m constantly falling short of the person I want to be. I’m always forgetting that I’m able to ask for help and that I don’t need to be perfect — b/c I never will be, b/c I’m human!
But I’m here. And I’m trying. And I remember where I was 10 years ago.
But I’m here. And I’m trying. And I remember where I was 10 years ago.
(Sorry for all the pictures, but there are like 100 I *didn’t* post, too! Going through them all just made me so grateful for this absolutely ridiculous life I’m getting to lead.)
Of course, I did so much writing during all of this time! Here are 2 of my most important pieces from @metroweekly: my @glaad-winning DOMA series: metroweekly.com/2011/05/domest… / my breaking news report on the EEOC Title VII transgender case regarding Mia Macy: metroweekly.com/2012/04/transg…
And, at @BuzzFeedNews, it’s impossible to just pick two. Here are my profiles of ... Edie Windsor: buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg… / Mary Bonauto: buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg… / Jim Obergefell: buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg…
Here was my biggest story, about Nancy Reagan and Rock Hudson: buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg…
And, my first big story at BuzzFeed: Sally Ride coming out in her obituary. I talked with her sister, Bear Ride, and here we are. buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg…
Later at BuzzFeed, I wrote about Chief Justice John Roberts — buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg… — and impeachment — buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg… — and the 25th Amendment — buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg… — and, my last big story, how we got Matthew Whitaker as acting AG: buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisg…
Since leaving BuzzFeed, I’ve had three moments where I was able to publish something. First, I wrote an LGBT legal history timeline for the NYT in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Stonewall: nytimes.com/2019/06/19/us/…
I also wrote, for @nytopinion, about what I was thinking about when I learned that Justice John Paul Stevens had died. nytimes.com/2019/07/17/opi…
And, finally, with @Taniel, I wrote at @theappeal about AG Bill Barr’s speech attacking progressive prosecutors and more, giving “22 notes” to the AG about his over-the-top, counterfactual speech. theappeal.org/22-notes-for-a…
@threadreaderapp Can you unroll this, please?
For some reason, when I deleted the fourth tweet in the thread and replaced it, it sorta cut things off/made it more difficult to find. Here’s the whole thread unrolled: threadreaderapp.com/thread/1188236…
Here’s where this thread continues:
