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“Mistakes happen on the air and in everyday conversation, and the best course is to apologize, correct, and move on, then work to not repeat it,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told The Advocate.
During a live newscast on Washington, D.C.’s NBC affiliate WRC Thursday evening, anchor Jim Handly referred to Delaware Congresswoman-elect Sarah McBride as “congressman.” The moment, during the station’s News 4 at 6 newscast, happened as Handly reported on a new policy from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson barring transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity in the House-controlled sections of the U.S. Capitol complex.
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Handly, a veteran broadcaster who is gay, quickly corrected himself, using McBride’s proper title and pronouns in subsequent references during the same segment.
A spokesperson for WRC addressed the incident in response to The Advocate’s request for comment.
“An anchor momentarily lost in the script during a live news segment misread the word ‘Congresswoman.’ The anchor used the proper title and pronouns in several subsequent references to the Congresswoman-elect during the same news segment,” the spokesperson said. They did not indicate whether an on-air correction would be made.
McBride, who will be sworn in this January as the first out transgender member of Congress, represents a historic milestone in LGBTQ+ representation. Yet, even as the station downplayed the error, advocacy organizations such as GLAAD and the Trans Journalists Association urged media organizations to view this as a moment for correction, reflection, and growth.
GLAAD, which works with newsrooms to improve their coverage of LGBTQ+ issues, emphasized that mistakes like this, even when unintentional, carry weight. Misgendering — whether accidental or deliberate — perpetuates societal biases and reinforces the marginalization of transgender people.
Misgendering (verb, noun): The act of using gendered words that are inappropriate or the wrong pronouns for someone, intentionally or unintentionally. - Trans Journalist Association
A GLAAD spokesperson told The Advocate that the organization would connect with WRC to learn more about the incident and offer the station guidance.
“Mistakes happen on the air and in everyday conversation, and the best course is to apologize, correct, and move on, then work to not repeat it,” GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told The Advocate in a statement.
She described McBride’s election as an opportunity for newsrooms to review their protocols and language conventions to ensure respectful and accurate reporting.
“GLAAD’s general guidance for reporters is to ask for and use the names, pronouns, and titles of people they are covering,” Ellis said. “This is accurate and respectful journalism that builds trust with those sources as well as viewers and readers from marginalized communities.”
Related: Trans U.S. Rep-elect Sarah McBride on Mike Johnson’s Capitol bigotry: 'Not here to fight about bathrooms'
The Trans Journalists Association offered additional guidance, advising that corrections should address errors as with any incorrect information and that the wrong information shouldn't be repeated.
“In the correction, it may be appropriate to briefly mention that the person’s name, pronouns, or gender have been incorrectly identified in past articles, but do not restate the incorrect information. Take care to correctly identify the person’s gender going forward,” the TJA advises.
McBride’s misgendering reflects a more extensive, systemic issue within the media and society. Women, including transgender women, who step into leadership roles traditionally dominated by men often encounter linguistic habits that struggle to catch up with the times. GLAAD points to the persistence of terms like “chairman” or “congressman,” even when describing women, as a vestige of a deeply male-centric view of authority.
For transgender women, the stakes are even higher. According to GLAAD, misgendering doesn’t just misrepresent — it questions the validity of a person’s identity. McBride’s case highlights the challenges she will face in an institution that has historically excluded people like her.
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Advocates argue that media organizations are responsible for learning from incidents like the one at WRC and improving their coverage of marginalized communities.
GLAAD recommends that newsrooms take active steps to improve how they report on McBride and other transgender people. This starts with training staff to ask for and use accurate names, pronouns, and titles in every story. Hiring transgender journalists and involving members of the transgender community in discussions about newsroom practices can help build understanding and foster more thoughtful coverage, the group says. GLAAD notes that it’s also important to include transgender voices in stories beyond topics specifically tied to their identities.
The group urges media outlets to keep covering these issues. The group notes that some newsroom managers express fear about “getting it wrong,” but GLAAD stresses that avoiding coverage entirely is the real mistake. Newsrooms should lean into their curiosity, consult experts, and learn from those with lived experience. The goal is to report with care, accuracy, and confidence, not to shy away from important stories.
