89 photos of laughs and love at GLAAD’s Bytes & Bylines event kickstart WHCA Dinner weekend

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Held at the Residence of Ireland in Washington, D.C., on Thursday evening, the annual Bytes & Bylines event marked the beginning of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend, affectionately known as “Nerd Prom.” Susanna Quinn, Eric Kuhn, Stephanie Cutler, Karen Finney, and GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis co-hosted the event, which attracted a stellar lineup of leaders from technology, media, and activism.

This year’s WHCA Dinner was particularly notable, with the attendance of President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff highlighting the event’s prominence. Comedian Colin Jost, from Saturday Night Live, took center stage as the host, contributing to the lively atmosphere at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening.

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Ambassador of Ireland H.E. Geraldine Byrne Nason welcomed attendees to the Bytes & Bylines event. Attendees included NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci and his wife, bioethicist Christine Grady. Actor and activist Wilson Cruz, CBS News’s Major Garrett, The Washington Post’s Philip Rucker, and MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin circulated among the crowd. The event also welcomed TikTok creator V. Spehar, transgender independent journalist Erin Reed, Biden-Harris campaign’s Kevin Munoz and TJ Ducklo, GLAAD’s chief communication officer Rich Ferraro and senior communications director Tony Morrison, and Department of Commerce official Jonathan Lovitz and his husband, CBS meteorologist Steve Sosna. The Advocate's Christopher Wiggins attended as well.

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The WHCA Dinner, an annual celebration, not only honors the First Amendment and raises money for scholarships for future journalists but also serves as a platform for fostering the next generation of journalists. It brings together the most influential figures in journalism and politics, providing a unique opportunity to celebrate free press and support the future of journalism.

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The Bytes & Bylines event was one of several pre-dinner gatherings that set the stage for the weekend’s main event, helping to highlight the critical role of journalism in promoting public understanding and supporting advocacy for significant issues, including those affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

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