Iowa news reporter Nora J.S. Reichardt comes out as trans during special broadcast
Iowa news reporter Nora J.S. Reichardt came out as trans during an on-air broadcast. On 4 October, the Des Moines-based journalist reintroduced herself as a trans woman during an interview on WOI-TV’s 6 pm news slot – which was the same day she legally changed her name. “For a long time, I didn’t think I would get to say that, at least not on air like this.
I didn’t know if there was a space for me to do this sort of work that I’ve really come to love and enjoy while also getting to be myself,” she told former WOI journalist and friend Eva Andersen.
Reichardt first began to question her gender identity during high school. However, due to living in a rural area and lack of LGBTQ+ resources, she classified her feelings as depression and anxiety. “There were times when a day at work felt like “a dress-up” day, but there were times that that’s really what it felt like that I was just getting up every morning, putting on my nice shoes, my slacks and a button-up, and going into work and telling all my coworkers and the people I was meeting out in the field that I was someone I didn’t really feel like,” she explained.
In September 2021, the young journalist decided to attend counselling which led to her to gender-affirming healthcare like hormone therapy.
