Some people build careers. Others build bridges, open doors, and change the course of history. Steve Rothaus has done all three.
For more than three decades, Rothaus established himself as one of South Florida’s most influential journalists, dedicating much of his career to telling the stories of the LGBTQ community through the pages of “The Miami Herald.” At a time when LGBTQ lives and experiences were often overlooked or misunderstood by mainstream media, Steve helped change the conversation.
In 1997, Rothaus began regularly covering LGBTQ issues for “The Miami Herald,” becoming one of the pioneering journalists at a major American newspaper to make LGBTQ coverage a consistent part of the newsroom. His reporting brought visibility to our community, documenting our challenges, celebrating our accomplishments, and ensuring our stories reached audiences far beyond our own neighborhoods.
Steve understood something fundamental about journalism: representation matters. When people see their lives, relationships, struggles, and triumphs reflected in mainstream publications, they are reminded that their stories deserve to be told and their voices deserve to be heard.
His influence extended well beyond South Florida. Through his work with the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, now known as NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, Steve helped educate newsrooms about fair and responsible LGBTQ coverage. His career demonstrated that meaningful journalism could inform the public, challenge stereotypes, and help move society forward.
His accomplishments also included co-producing the Emmy Award-winning documentary “The Day It Snowed in Miami: A Chronology of the LGBT-Rights Movement,” which documented an important chapter in our community’s history. In 2019, he was inducted into the LGBTQ+ Journalists Hall of Fame, recognizing a career that helped reshape mainstream journalism.
Although Steve’s career has evolved over the years, his connection to our community and its stories continues. From time to time, he still publishes stories that highlight issues, people, and developments important to the LGBTQ community. His continued contributions remind us that great journalism is not simply about the years spent in a newsroom. It is about maintaining a commitment to telling stories that matter and ensuring our community remains visible, informed, and represented.
But for me, Steve’s legacy is personal.
Steve Rothaus has been an inspiration to me and a guiding light for the kind of journalism I want to publish. His career showed me what is possible when a journalist believes in the importance of our community and commits to telling its stories with integrity, compassion, and purpose.
He was a trailblazer who helped clear the path for people like me to have an opportunity to create a voice for our community. The doors he helped open made it possible for future generations of LGBTQ publishers, writers, and storytellers to continue the work of informing, inspiring, and connecting our community.
As I continue my own journey in LGBTQ media, I recognize how important it is to honor those who came before us. We stand on the shoulders of pioneers who refused to let our stories go untold.
Steve, thank you for your extraordinary career, your commitment to journalism, and your lasting contributions to our community. Thank you for inspiring me, for helping create opportunities for others, and for demonstrating the power of giving people a voice.
I will forever be appreciative of your historical track record and your amazing career.
Thank you for inspiring me, Steve. Your legacy continues through every story that deserves to be told.
Bobby Blair is a former professional tennis player in the 1980s. Blair is a LGBTQ media pioneer, Executive Director of the Community Media Advocacy Network, and Publisher of Hotspots Magazine and Perks Plus VIP community mobile APP. He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his partner, Brian Neal. A Fort Lauderdale, Florida native.
