Who is Nora Reichardt? Iowa news reporter comes out as transgender on live TV

Iowa news reporter Nora Reichardt recently came out as transgender during a newscast on live TV. She appeared in a live segment on WOI-DT to share her journey and introduce her new identity.

Reichardt said that she was a transgender woman living in Des Moines and added that for a long time she didn't believe that she would ever get to state that on air. The reporter added:

“I didn’t know there was a place in a space for me to do this sort of work I have come to work and enjoy while getting to be myself when doing it.”

Reichardt also gave advice to individuals who wanted to be allies in the community and said that being a trans person isn't a burden. She noted that if someone trusted you with that information, you "mean something to them," and that they really want to share that part with you.

The reporter noted that accepting such a major change might feel like a “loss for loved ones.” However, she added that people should accept the situation as welcoming a new and better person in their lives. She said that people are getting someone that the person is very happy being.

Nora Reichardt also described the whole process as a “magical thing.”

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Everything to know about Nora Reichardt and her journey

Nora Reichardt is a news reporter based in Des Moines, Iowa (Image via Nora Reichardt/Twitter)

Nora Reichardt is a 24-year-old reporter based in Des Moines, Iowa, who recently made news for coming out as transgender on live TV. In an interview with KARE 11's Eva Andersen, the journalist mentioned that she now uses she/her/hers pronouns.

The reporter is a graduate of Drake University and has been reporting on Local 5 News since July 2021. During her interview, Reichardt said that she grew up in a rural town in Minnesota and could find the “language to describe” how she was feeling prior to her transition.

Nora Reichardt initially questioned her identity in high school but failed to recognize her feelings, and identified that as depression and anxiety. She said:

“It’s very weird to approach every day at work as if it’s a dress-up day, but there were times that that’s really what it felt like that I was just getting up every morning, putting on my nice shoes, my slacks and a button up, and going into work and telling all my coworkers and the people I was meeting out in the field that I was someone I didn’t really feel like.”

The reporter shared that she felt anxious about her situation for a long time, and reached her breaking point after being failing to identify with the person she saw onscreen. She said that she wondered why she didn't like the person that she saw every time she went on the field. The reporter also questioned why she couldn't connect with the person or even be the person.

Nora Reichardt decided to receive counseling and began her medical transition process in September 2021. She started undergoing hormone replacement therapy and took medication to increase her estrogen levels and decrease her testosterone levels.

The journalist began to grow out her hair and changed her wardrobe by wearing clothes that helped her become the person she wanted to be. Reichardt said that there is a beauty in the process which she wished was discussed more among people who don't find themselves as familiar with it.

The 24-year-old noted that she is learning to love herself and her body and live the way she wants to live her life. She called it the "best act of self-actualization that I could ever imagine.”

The reporter said that she chose the name “Nora” after experimenting with several others and revealed that everyone in her personal circle knew about her new name.

Nora Reichardt also mentioned that her parents have been supportive of her transition and said that she is grateful for their understanding. Speaking of the process, the reporter said that her mother told her that she has never seen Nora so happy and it was something that made the latter happy as well.

She continued:

“To know that other people are seeing that too — especially my mom and dad, who I love so much; I can do anything as long as I still have them.”

In her interview, Reichardt said she wanted to tell the community that she was still the same person she was before her transition. She said that she still knows too many Spider-Man facts, plays a little too many video games, and enjoys reading at coffee shops around Des Moines.

She also said that that she is still “inquisitive, passionate about her job, and pretty friendly.” Nora Reichardt also said that her biggest guiding principle is that she hopes everyone she meets in life is happy to meet her.