A local Iowa news station has proudly re-introduced one of its reporters after she came out as transgender.
Nora J.S. Reichardt has worked at Local 5 news since July 2021. In a 16-minute segment, the station celebrated Reichardt’s transition and gave her the opportunity to tell her story.
“Today is special,” said fellow reporter Stephanie Angleson while introducing the segment.
“You have welcomed her into your homes for the past year… Tonight, Local 5’s Nora Reichardt wants you to meet the real Nora, her true self.”
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The segment then cuts to pre-filmed video of Reichardt discussing coming out and embracing her trans identity.
In the video, she talks about dealing with depression and anxiety and about her fears there wouldn’t be a place for her on the news if she came out. She talks about her year-long medical transition and even shares photos of her transformation.
Local 5 also filmed her filing the paperwork to have her name legally changed. She also showed the camera her “Transition To Do List,” which included figuring out her dress size, drafting coming out posts for social media, planning how to come out at work. and vocal training.
She spoke about how fortunate she was to have support from her colleagues and how happy she was she didn’t have to hide her identity at work anymore.
“It’s very weird to approach every day at work like it’s a dress up day,” she said.
Mostly, she spoke about how much happier she is being her true self.
“People who feel like they have a personal relationship with a trans person, it’s understandable that it can feel like a loss, but the way I would ask people to reframe that is, you’re getting someone better. You’re getting someone that that person is so much happier being.”
Her parents have been completely supportive, which she said has made all the difference. “I can do anything as long as I still have them,” she said.
She also emphasized that she is still the person she was before, the person who knows too many Spiderman facts, plays too many video games, and can often be found reading at the coffee shops around Des Moines.
“I’m just a little happier while I do it,” she said.
Following the pre-recorded segment, Reichardt also sat for an interview.
“It really in many ways feels like that for the first time in just over 24 years my life is really, truly mine to do whatever I want with,” she told Angleson. “It feels like it’s really just starting to become the life that I want to have and I’m so excited to live it.”
