During the White House Correspondents Dinner week in Washington, D.C., the HRC Foundation hosted its Guardians of Truth Awards, honoring three pioneering journalists whose work doesn’t just report the news — it changes the narrative.

The recipients — Jonathan Capehart, Ina Fried and Nico Lang — represent the power of visibility, the importance of honest storytelling and the resilience of LGBTQ+ voices in the face of growing adversity.

Jonathan Capehart, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and familiar face on MSNBC, received the Beacon of Courage Award. As a Black gay man who has long centered equity and visibility in his political reporting, Capehart embodies authenticity in every newsroom he enters.

“When I do the job that I do, whether I’m writing or speaking on PBS or on television at MSNBC, I’m doing it [from the heart],” Capehart said. “I’m doing it for people who look like me, love like me, love like us, look like us, who do not have these platforms that I have.”

His latest endeavor, co-anchoring the relaunch of The Weekend on MSNBC alongside Eugene Daniels, marks a historic first: two out Black gay men leading a national cable news show.

Ina Fried, Axios’s chief technology correspondent, received the Torch of Progress Award. As a trans woman covering one of the most powerful sectors in the world — technology — Fried’s career has spanned over two decades of high-stakes reporting on artificial intelligence, policy and ethics. Her presence in tech journalism is not just trailblazing; it’s critical in this evolving digital age.

“Twenty-two years ago, I sent an email to my dozens of coworkers at CNET, and then a week or so later I sent an email to hundreds of sources; introduced, reintroduced myself, my new name, pronoun. And I held my breath, and I waited,” said Fried. “But I didn’t have to wait long, because very quickly, I got amazing letters of support back. … I’m not going to say it was easy, it was not for the faint of heart. It was exhausting. My heart would rise and fall with each name and pronoun; hoping they’d get it right, crushed when they didn’t. Over time, it got easier.” 

Beyond breaking stories, Fried holds tech leaders accountable on issues of equity and inclusion, while leading the national conversation around AI’s ethical implications through her AI+ newsletter.

“I’m reminded that this award isn’t a prize, it’s a challenge and a calling; it’s continuing to tell the truth at a time when doing so is being penalized,” said Fried. “It’s about being our full selves when the law no longer treats us as equals." 

Nico Lang, founder of Queer Daily News and author of “American Teenager,” was awarded the Narrative Impact Award for their transformative long-form storytelling. Their work dives deep into the lives of trans and nonbinary youth across the U.S., offering a vivid and hopeful portrait of resilience and joy.

“My goal was to show these kids for who they are: profoundly human. It wasn’t just about showing that they’re just kids like all other kids. It was about showing that they’re more than just one thing,” said Lang. “I feel like so often the rhetoric around trans kids and the misinformation are fueled by fear and by a lack of knowledge. So many kids speak about trans kids without ever actually speaking to them. And I wanted to give readers a chance to get to know these kids just as I did.”

Lang’s journey to publication of "American Teenager" wasn’t easy — facing pressure to condense trans youth into a single narrative, they chose instead to amplify diverse, individual voices. Their passion extended beyond the page, as they self-funded a book tour, sleeping on couches and personally reaching out to LGBTQ+ organizations to ensure the book reached those who needed it most.

“You get to see not just how [trans kids] live their day, but their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations for this world,” said Lang. “You get to know them in such a profound, deep way. And I was so grateful to get to do that, because I know as a journalist, you’re not really supposed to be friends with the people you report on. I fell in love with all these kids; I fell in love with these families. They’re like my family now.”

As HRC President Kelley Robinson aptly said, “These awards recognize journalists who have shown both fierce commitment to telling the truth and representing the LGBTQ+ community with authenticity. Their work is a testament to the power of journalism in advancing social justice and equality.”

In an era where truth is under siege, Capehart, Fried and Lang remind us that visibility, courage and storytelling remain some of our strongest defenses — and greatest celebrations.