Wendy Rieger, Beloved NBC Anchor and LGBTQ+ Champion, Has Died
Wendy Rieger, the long-time former co-anchor of the 5 o'clock hour of Washington, D.C.'s NBC station, WRC-TV, died Saturday morning from brain cancer, the station announced Saturday afternoon.
The news came one day after NBC Washington announced Rieger had entered hospice. The beloved journalist was a fixture in the D.C.
media scene for more than 40 years. In that time, she had proven herself to be a strong ally for and staunch defender of LGBTQ+ causes.
After news of her death spread, media companies, elected officials, professional sports teams, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, and viewers flooded social media with words of grief, causing her name to trend nationally on Twitter.The 65-year-old journalist was especially beloved in the LGBTQ+ community, playing host for special events at many local and national LGBTQ+ organizations.She often spoke at events for the Human Rights Campaign, LGBTQ Victory Fund, Capital Pride, and SMYAL, a local organization that works with LGBTQ+ youth to provide services that support their development.
