How a former 60 Minutes producer raised six figures in donations to launch an LGBTQ-focused media outlet
Spencer Macnaughton formed Uncloseted Media to focus solely on investigative journalism.
When Spencer Macnaughton left mainstream outlets like 60 Minutes and The Wall Street Journal to launch his own newsroom, it wasn’t because those institutions ignored LGBTQ stories. In fact, he’d seen a growing willingness from legacy media to cover the rise of anti-gay and anti-trans hate movements. But Macnaughton recognized a deeper need for investigative reporting dedicated entirely to exposing the networks of power fueling these movements. That realization led him to found Uncloseted Media – a nonprofit news outlet determined to serve as the 60 Minutes of LGBTQ journalism – in September 2024.
From Mainstream Media to Mission-Driven Journalism
Macnaughton’s career began in video journalism, covering extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, Atomwaffen, and the Boogaloo Boys. His work embedded him in America’s extremist underground. Over time, however, he grew increasingly focused on the anti-LGBTQ ecosystem—particularly Christian legal groups with the funding, political connections, and credibility to influence real legislation. Unlike the bombastic extremists he once covered, these actors operated in relative obscurity. That lack of scrutiny alarmed him.