Thursday, April 27th, the 8th annual Bytes and Bylines gathering took place in Washington DC. The party kicked off the White House Correspondents Weekend and brought together some of the leading innovators in technology, influential policy makers, and the top minds in media.
Located at The Residence of Ireland, Bytes and Bylines was sponsored by GLAAD with the help of Ever/Body, and Town & Country Magazine. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis hosted the event alongside tech investor and author Allen Gannett, media entrepreneur and three-time Tony award winning theater producer Eric Kuhn, former founder and CEO of Veluxe, now consultant and philanthropist Susanna Quinn, Chair of Membership for Capital Pride Alliance, Washington, DC WorldPride 2025 Shua Goodwin, and Deputy Features Director for Town & Country Adam Rathe.
Leaders from all over the country gathered to celebrate both GLAAD’s mission and the importance of the First Amendment. Major names in tech, journalism, and politics were in attendance at the event including Actress Jennifer Beals, W.H. Sr. Advisor of Public Engagement Hannah Bristol, Vocalist Tona Brown, Sec. of Education Miguel Cardona, Bedrock Manufacturing Company CEO Awenate Cobbina, NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, Barry’s CEO Joey Gonzalez, Ruben Gonzalez, Office of the VP’s Adam Topper, Autumn Vandehei, MSNBC Editorial VP Jesse Rodriguez, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Ca.), CBS’s Weija Jiang, and Journalist and Host V Spehar, among many others.
“GLAAD will fill the information gap with facts. We will raise up voices of transgender people and we need you to do the same. Journalism and the media have always been our critical partner in telling our stories and holding bad actors accountable,” Ellis said in her speech. Tonight, I’m asking you to double down. Triple down. Because the stakes could not be higher. Bans on drag. Bans on medically necessary healthcare for trans youth and adults. Bans on abortion. Bans on books.”
She ended the speech with a message of hope, “What I know best about our community is that our LGBTQ joy can never be banned.”
GLAAD’s mission to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people wouldn’t be possible without the advancements being made and the tireless work of trailblazers within the technology, journalism, and political spheres. Bytes and Bylines offered an opportunity to bring members of these communities together to celebrate their accomplishments and look for effective ways to work together in the future.