The Curve Foundation and the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists are delighted to introduce the recipients of the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists. The endowment, sponsored by The Curve Foundation, honors the 35-year publishing legacy of Curve and provides financial support to emerging journalists whose work fosters fair and accurate coverage, while elevating the voices of LGBTQ+ women, trans, and nonbinary people.
Franco Stevens, Curve‘s founder and publisher, said: “We’ve watched this program transform emerging talent into powerful forces in LGBTQ+ media. Past participants are now telling our stories at places like The New York Times, ESPN, Scripps News, and The Associated Press. They’ve become GLAAD correspondents, earned major awards, and are making their mark as on-air journalists across leading networks. It’s incredibly moving to see how they’re shaping the industry and amplifying our communities.
“We’re also excited to share that we’ve renamed the program the Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists, a name that truly captures our mission to mentor and elevate our journalists and stories. I can’t wait to see how this new cohort carries that work forward.”
“These emerging journalists represent the future of LGBTQ+ media,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Their work reflects a deep commitment to telling the stories that matter most, which is ever more crucial as our communities navigate an increasingly hostile and unpredictable climate.”
LAILA ANNMARIE STEVENS
Meet the 2025/2026 fellows:
LAILA ANNMARIE STEVENS (she/her) is a Black queer photographer and visual artist born and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, NY, and currently based in Brooklyn. She holds a BFA in Photography and Related Media from The Fashion Institute of Technology and a Magnum Foundation Fellowship. Her work is frequently published in The New York Times and has appeared in National Geographic, The Guardian, and The Nation, among others. She is a 2023 Magnum Foundation Fellow, a 2024 Aperture Portfolio Prize Shortlisted Artist and an alum of the Eddie Adams Workshop Class of XXXIV. She is a member of Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo and Scope of Work. Stevens has presented work at Photoville’s Educator Lab, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Center for Book Arts and Southeastern Louisiana University. She has served as a Guest Teaching Artist with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project and The Studio Museum in Harlem, partnering with local youth organizations and cultural institutions across New York City.
HADLEY GREEN
HADLEY GREEN (she/her) is a video journalist at The Washington Post, where she covers the D.C. region and national news. She has ten years of experience working as a cinematographer, photographer and journalist. Before joining the Post, Hadley worked as a staff photojournalist at The Salem News in her home state of Massachusetts and as a multimedia journalist with WBUR, Boston’s NPR News Station. Her photography and video work have also been published by The New York Times and PBS North Carolina. Her videos and photos have been recognized by the National Press Photographers Association, the Society for Features Journalism, the White House News Photographers Association, the Boston Press Photographers Association and College Photographer of the Year International. Hadley holds an M.A. in Visual Communication from the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media, where she was a Roy H. Park fellow. She also has a degree in International Relations from Tufts University.
TAYLOR BRUCK
TAYLOR BRUCK (she/her) is an Emmy Award-winning and GLAAD-nominated anchor and multimedia journalist for the statewide news network, Spectrum News 1 in Ohio. As an anchor and general assignment reporter, she is passionate about covering stories related to diversity and sustainability. She strives to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, shedding light on impactful narratives that resonate with viewers and broaden their perspectives. With a focus on uncovering the humanity in every story, Bruck hopes her journalism fosters connections by offering viewers insights that challenge their worldview. A graduate of Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism, her experience includes five years at Spectrum News 1 in Ohio, anchoring and reporting at WOUB-TV, and completing two bicoastal internships with the TODAY Show.
MARY FRANCES MCGOWAN
MARY FRANCES MCGOWAN (she/her) is a reporter for the Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com, covering both statewide and county politics. Prior to joining The Plain Dealer, McGowan was most recently at National Journal in Washington, DC, where she covered governors’ and state legislative races. She has also worked for NBC News, serving as a Tim Russert Fellow for the public affairs program “Meet the Press” and as a researcher for the Washington bureau. McGowan has also been published by the University of Virginia Center for Politics as a contributor to their books detailing the 2020, 2022, and 2024 elections. She is a proud Cleveland native and graduate of John Carroll University, where she studied political science and journalism. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys yoga and walks by Lake Erie with friends.
SAVANNAH RAY HUGUELEY
SAVANNAH RAY HUGUELEY (she/they) is a Chicago-based editor and fact-checker who is passionate about supporting writers in crafting pieces that weave personal storytelling with meticulous research and investigation. She began her career as a fact-checker for South Side Weekly, learning everything she knows through the generosity and mentorship of others. In 2020, she began co-managing the Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA), an alliance of 70 hyperlocal media outlets. She is currently the assistant managing editor at the Chicago Reader and also freelances as a fact-checker for numerous local and national outlets, including The Marshall Project and iHeartRadio. Savannah is particularly interested in topics ranging from film to labor to the criminal legal system.
Find out more about the fellowship here. If you would like to consider applying, stay up to date by subscribing to the Curve Foundation’s newsletter here.