An ABC veteran has opened up about the struggles she faced at the beginning of her career as a lesbian journalist based in the nation’s capital.
Patricia Karvelas, 42, had to keep her sexuality a secret so she would not miss out on workplace opportunities as a cadet reporter in Canberra in 2003.
When she first started out in the Press Gallery, she made sure certain anti-LGBTQ+ politicians did not find out that she was gay.
Ms Karvelas said she now looks back on her early days in media with a ‘great sense of sadness’ because she was not able to be herself at work.
Since starting out in the gallery, where she worked for the n, Ms Karvelas went on to join Sky News before landing her current role with the public broadcaster.
ABC veteran Patricia Karvelas (pictured) has opened up about the struggles she faced at the beginning of her career as a lesbian journalist based in the nation’s capital
The award-winning journalist, 42, had to avoid using pronouns when talking about her partner (seen together) so colleagues and politicians did not find out she was gay
The award-winning journalist told ABCQueer ‘every day was a day of navigation’ as she tried to keep her secret.
However, one of the few figures in Canberra who did know she was a lesbian was now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was known to be ‘pretty pro-gay’.
‘I was very careful among my colleagues who I perceived not to be supportive, [and] among politicians who I knew were hostile towards gay rights, which were many,’ she said.
‘People would be surprised by that, because I think I’m well-known in the public, as being someone who does stand up and isn’t really afraid of people.
‘But that’s not what happens when you’re in a social environment where people think gay jokes are funny.’
Despite the fact she now feels she was ‘complicit’ at the time for not speaking up, Ms Karvelas said in hindsight: ‘I wasn’t just paranoid. I was correct.’
‘It was very, very much something I knew I was doing, a very active decision, because I made a decision that I was going to do what made me feel the safest and which didn’t penalise my career,’ she added.
The Press Club was a “boys’ club” that already excluded her for being a woman and she did not want to miss out on any more networking opportunities because she was a lesbian as well.
During her early days, she said she often avoided using pronouns when talking about her then-girlfriend so she could avoid coming out.
Because of all this, Ms Karvelas feels as though she was unable to enjoy her youth.
Ms Karvelas is now ‘very out’ but feels as though she was unable to enjoy her youth
Eventually, Ms Karvelas became more comfortable bringing her wife to balls and other social functions during her decade-plus tenure at the Press Gallery.
She is now ‘very out’ and has heard young LGBTQ+ journalists working in Canberra are more accepted than she was 20 years ago.
However, she did admit that her new roles hosting RN Breakfast and Q&A for the ABC came with their own challenges.
Listeners of the national morning radio show who may have apprehensions towards gay people still make her think twice about being too open.
‘I don’t want people to feel like I’m not their broadcaster. But equally if I’m not my authentic self, I can’t do my job well,’ she said.
‘I think if you’re your full self, you do a better job.’