Dina Boyer is a photographer and videographer who frequently posts media to Indybay, and covers LGBT and police brutality-related issues. Ms. Boyer reports, "For the last 8 years I have been covering the Pride celebration in San Francisco, not only as an out transsexual but also as a producer of a public access TV show called Tranny Talk. I have given that event nothing but positive media coverage. And every year I obtained media passes. Every year I have been treated with respect and dignity by the media credentialing department, BUT not this year.

"Several months before the event starts Pride makes media fill out and fax or mail forms to prove we are legit. I did that, but when I went to the media credentialing table on Saturday at 10 am the person in charge was disrespectful and did not give me the appropriate passes to photograph or video tape the parade." Instead of being given her passes, she was told, "'Well if you come to the media table at Beale street on the day of the parade I may be able to accommodate you.' No guarantees, just a maybe." She continues, "So when I contacted the person in charge, Ray West... (he) was not responsive to my needs and when I emailed him he continuously blamed the matter on me. It's not my fault I need passes to photograph a parade." Boyer states, "The reason for the story is that everyone discriminates all the time. It does not matter if (you're) straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual; people will discriminate. And at this time I feel the media credentialing office at Pride discriminated against me." Ms. Boyer says that she will not attend or cover Pride in San Francisco next year, and that she feels that one less trannsexual will not be missed. Read more Beyond Chron writer Allen White says that his press credentials for pride were "lifted" following publication of his story "Is It Pride really?" which criticized the corporate nature of Pride.

Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations. In the U.S. this right is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. First Amendment rights are extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. It covers news gathering, and processes involved in obtaining information for public distribution.

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