Brooklyn / honolulu

Sarahlburke@gmail.com

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Sarah Burke is an independent editor, producer, and strategist specializing in documentary and digital storytelling on LGBTQ+ movements and culture. Known for her GLAAD- and Peabody-winning work as editor-in-chief of Them and special projects editor at VICE, she tells stories that matter in ways that grab audiences.



During her three-plus years leading Condé Nast’s LGBTQ+ publication Them, Sarah redefined and relaunched the brand, doubling its following and establishing it as a singular authority and innovator within queer media. At VICE News, she co-created and served as supervising producer for the Peabody and GLAAD Media Award-winning documentary series Transnational, about trans rights around the world. She also led many of VICE’s most ambitious multimedia projects, including The Gender Spectrum Collection, a widely used stock photo library featuring trans and nonbinary models, and Climate Uprise, a first-of-its-kind initiative uniting all VICE Media Group brands to amplify youth climate activists from across the globe. She also wrote and hosted the podcast Queerly Beloved, an AAJA General Excellence Award winner and ASME finalist. In 2021, she was honored by Gold House as one of 100 Asian Pacific leaders who most impacted culture and society.  

Sarah has spoken at institutions including UC Berkeley, Stanford, and NYU, as well as conferences and festivals like ONA, NLGJA, AAWW, Culture Con, Podcast Movement, and On Air Fest. As a writer, her work has been featured in New York Times Magazine, WIRED, The Washington Post, Them, VICE, KQED, The Creative Independent, Momus, The Believer, SFMOMA Open Space and elsewhere. 

Sarah is queer, Filipina, and splits her time between Brooklyn and Honolulu, where she was born and raised. In past lives, she has been the managing editor of an alt-weekly, the co-curator of an art + tech salon series, and a respected Bay Area art critic.



SELECTED WORKS
FILTER: all, projects, video, editing, writing, curating, events, audio

“BOWEN YANG IS FINDING HIS BALANCE”

Writer, Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2024

Amid a milestone year for the SNL star, Yang is realizing he needs to ground himself to keep growing. 

Story by Sarah Burke. Photos by Oscar Ouk. 
editing, writing

“ELLIOT PAGE IS FINALLY HOME”

Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2024

The actor, writer, and producer opens up about his return to the big screen in Close to You.

Story by Amos Mac. Photos by Lia Clay Miller. 
editing

“WHEN JULIO MET TILDA”

Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2024

While making their surreal comedy Problemista, Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton built a beautifully queer friendship.

Story by Mathew Rodriguez. Photos by James Emmerman. Short film directed by James Emmerman.
editing, video


“INSIDE KRISTEN STEWART AND KATY O’BRIAN’S SAPPHIC FEVER DREAM ON STEROIDS”

Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2024
The stars of Love Lies Bleeding are proving that lesbian film can be shocking, sexy, and strange.

Story by Wren Sanders. Photos by Luke Gilford. BTS film by Luke Gilford. 
editing, video

“THE SURVIVORS”

Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2023

One year later, those who lived through the Club Q shooting are still healing. These are their stories.  

Story by Nico Lang.  Photos by Rachel Woolf. 
editing

“YOU CAN STAND UP FOR TRANS YOUTH. HERE’S HOW”

Editor-in-chief 
Them, Condé Nast
2023

On Trans Day of Visibility during one of the worst years on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Them launched a moving social video campaign uniting dozens of celebrities and trans activists in a rallying cry of support for trans youth. The call-to-action featured prominent voices such as Elliot Page, Bella Ramsey, Ncuti Gatwa, Megan Rapinoe, Hayley Kiyoko, Chase Strangio, and Chelsea Manning, in a social video that has garnered nearly 10 million views on Instagram alone.

The campaign directed audiences to an interactive resource hub designed to empower trans youth and allies, including a list of 100 LGBTQ+ organizations across all 50 states, an ACLU pledge, and in-depth reporting on how to support trans kids in healthcare settings, schools, and sports.
editing, video, projects

THEM STUDIOS  SHORT FILM  INITIATIVE

Editor-in-chief 
Them, Condé Nast
2024-2025

In 2024, Them Studios launched an initiative to acquire and distribute LGBTQ+ short films, with the goal of supporting and elevating emerging queer filmmakers. Each selected film was made available for streaming on YouTube and Them.us, accompanied by an editorial feature spotlighting the filmmaker and amplified through Them’s social media platforms. Notably, one of the featured titles, Aikāne, was shortlisted for the 2024 Academy Awards.video, editing

THEM YOUTUBE  RELAUNCH

Editor-in-chief 
Them, Condé Nast
2021-2025

From 2021-2025, Them gradually launched a new slate of original YouTube series, including Becoming, Speed Dating, Queer Roots, and a reimagined version of the Them classic Drag Me.  video

THE NOW AWARDS

Editor in chief, 
Them, Condé Nast 
2022-2024

In 2022, Them launched the annual Now Awards to honor LGBTQ+ vanguards at the forefront of culture and change. Through awards given across 12 categories, the initiative honors LGBTQ+ people at the forefront of their fields —from sports to politics to literature — through an in-depth profile on Them.us. Now Awards cover stars have included Renee Rapp, Devery Jacobs, Jinkx Monsoon, Nikki Hiltz, Yasmin Finney, Dylan Mulvaney, Chase Strangio, Andrea Jenkins, Cat Runner and many more. Each year, the honorees are flown to New York and celebrated at a gala and awards ceremony during the month of June.  

2024 recap, 2023 recap, 2022 recap
events, editing


“RINA SAWAYAMA’S BIG FEELINGS”

Editor-in-chief 
Them, Condé Nast
2022

On her new album Hold the Girl, the singer-songwriter infuses pop with therapy, embraces her inner child, and searches for fragile joy.

Story by Michelle Hyun Kim. Photos by James Bee. 
editing