Duluth's Gay Anchors
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Duluth newscasters Dan Hanger and Edward Moody share their stories of being the only two gay news anchors in the Duluth area.
Lavender.com profiles the two Anchors and talks about what it is like being a Gay news Anchor in northern Minnesota.
Dan Hanger of Fox 21 in Duluth grew up in the suburbs of Chicago near the O’Hare Airport. Deciding to stay close to home, Hanger went to Columbia College Chicago where he got a B.A. in broadcast journalism in 2005—a career path that seemed the obvious choice to Hanger.
“Ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with watching the local news. I loved everything about it: the lighting, sets, graphics, music, stories, anchors, and reporters. It all just naturally fascinated me,” Hanger says.
Throughout his high school years, Hanger toured local news stations where he met some of the anchors and staff, which is how he met some of his friends and his mentor in the field. Due to his clear determination, Hanger landed a job as a web editor in the NBC Chicago newsroom at just 19 years old. He stayed at NBC Chicago, where he published news content for all of the NBC owned-and-operated TV station websites, until he graduated and landed his first gig at KBJR-TV before later joining FOX 21 in Duluth.
Once Hanger got to Duluth, he was excited but hesitant to identify with the GLBT community. However, after being featured in an article in the Duluth Reader during Pride in 2014, he was able to tell his story and fully express his identity. Since moving to the area in 2006, Hanger has been the grand marshal for the Duluth-Superior Pride Parade and received the Shining Star Award, too.
Like Hanger, Edward Moody found his path in broadcast journalism at a young age. At ten years old, Moody was cast as an anchor/reporter for a nationally syndicated news magazine for kids.
“The experience exposed me to the power of asking questions and questioning power,” Moody says.
From Kansas City, Missouri, Moody also decided to stay close to home for college and attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City for broadcast journalism. After college, Moody decided it was time to branch out to a new town and moved to Duluth in 2002 to start his first job as a reporter at KBJR-TV.
Unlike Hanger, Moody says he was eager to tie his personal and professional lives together and even tells stories about his husband and in-laws on-air, which he hasn’t received any negative feedback for so far.
“My bosses knew I was out on-air when they hired me, which I think speaks to their faith in this community. As a black, gay man, I’m always aware of how people react to me, and I’ve never felt anything but love from Duluth viewers,” Moody says.
Despite Moody’s coming out on-air, he says he likes to live a fairly private life with his husband. The couple bought their first home just over a year ago where they’re raising their “fur babies,” two dogs and two cats. Moody says his life is very similar to anyone else in the Duluth area. His husband enjoys hunting in the fall, and they frequently treat themselves to Sunday brunches with friends.
