A television reporter in Iowa came out as transgender during a broadcast Tuesday.
Nora J.S. Reichardt, 24, began working for the state’s Local 5 News in 2021 and has been transitioning since September of that same year. The legal name change was made official on Tuesday, but according to Reichardt, family and friends have been using the new name for “a decent span of time.”
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“It’s hard to describe how it feels to finally share that,” Reichardt tweeted following the news. “For a long time, my own body felt foreign and wrong to me, and transitioning has been the first time I’ve felt like myself in my 24 years of life.”
The reporter also shared a raw clip of a closing segment, using the new name for the first time.
“So cool,” Reichardt said with a smile.
Reichardt cited the position with Local 5 News as the reason to make the decision to transition. After seeing television segments, the reporter felt “unhappy” with the onscreen appearance.
“And the answer I finally figured out is actually pretty simple — that wasn’t really me,” Reichardt explained in a tweet. “Now, I’m happier than I ever thought was possible!”
Hi, everyone! I’ve been away from the spotlight for a few weeks, but I’m back and I’ve got some news to share. My name is Nora J.S. Reichardt, and in addition to being an on-air reporter for @weareiowa5news, I’m a transgender woman 🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️🏳️⚧️ pic.twitter.com/6m155gV4Mf
— Nora J.S. Reichardt 🏳️⚧️ (@Nora_JSR) October 4, 2022
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Delaware Democratic state Sen. Sarah McBride is the first transgender woman to hold a state Senate seat, and after meeting during Reichardt’s sophomore year at Drake University, the senator left a “powerful” impression on the aspiring reporter.
