Fri. January 18, 2013
Michael Triplett, president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), has died. He was 48.
Triplett, an assistant managing editor at Bloomberg BNA, was president of the Washington chapter of NLGJA then became president of the national group last year.
He was diagnosed with a mouth cancer connected to the human papillomavirus (HPV) in 2011, which he documented in a post at the Good Men Project.
"This year, my 48th birthday will also mark the first anniversary of my tongue cancer diagnosis," he wrote in April. "In the past year, I've had: three surgeries, 42 days of traditional radiation treatment, five rounds of chemotherapy, and five days of advanced radiation treatment."
"I've lost over 50 pounds and all my facial hair, had almost half of my tongue removed, undergone two high-tech robotic procedures, used up over 70 percent of my accumulated sick leave, and had my 76-year-old mother living with me for about 12 weeks to assist in my care."
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick offered his condolences: "We join the LGBT community in mourning the loss of a great leader, Michael Triplett, whose work to secure equality and improve the newsroom will live on in the countless lives he affected."
Triplett died while visiting family in Alabama. He is survived by his partner Jack.
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