Reed Cowan

Darrin Reed Cowan, also known as Reed Abplanalp-Cowan (born July 24, 1972) is an American LGBT journalist, documentary filmmaker, screenwriter and philanthropist. Cowan co-directed the 2010 documentary 8: The Mormon Proposition with Steven Greenstreet. The film won a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding documentary film.

Cowan started his journalism career working as a radio disc-jockey for KNEU Radio in Roosevelt, Utah. In 1995, Cowan worked as a part-time on-air reporter for Fox's KSTU in Salt Lake City, Utah while a student at Utah State University. From there he assumed full-time positions as an anchor for KBAK-TV in Bakersfield, California and as an anchor for WWTV in Cadillac, Michigan. Cowan next worked as a reporter and weekend morning anchor for KSL-TV in Salt Lake City.

After KSL-TV, Cowan moved to KTVX, also in Salt Lake City. While there, he anchored Good Morning Utah and covered the terrorist attacks of 9-11, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, the murder of Lori Hacking, the death of former President Ronald Reagan and the fugitive stories of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs. For his work, Cowan was nominated and for and won Emmy awards for reporting.

Cowan was born on July 24, 1972 in Roosevelt, Utah and was raised in the Mormon religion. During his teenage years Cowan had a relationship with Gregory Abplanalp, who attended the same high school as Cowan. Cowan ended the relationship at the request of a church leader, and went through years of various forms of conversion therapy, then married a woman at the urging of another church leader. During this marriage Cowan had his first child, Wesley, who died in 2006 after falling from a horizontal set of monkey bars. The marriage ended after three years and Cowan re-united with Abplanalp, whom he married in 2013. Cowan is also a triathlete.

Wesley's death prompted Cowan to found the Wesley Smiles Coalition, which works with Free the Children to raise funds to build schools in Africa. Cowan also made the 2007 documentary The Other Side of the Lens, which covers his emotions over his son's death and his experiences with the media attention Wesley's death attracted.

Cowan is also on the advisory board for Free The Children, a child advocacy organization, and serves as a producer for the youth organization Power In You. He is also an active supporter of anti-bullying legislation and has worked as a public speaker on the subject of bullying in school.

• The Other Side of the Lens (2009, as producer, director)
• 8: The Mormon Proposition (2010, as producer, director)

• Plant, Tim (June 17, 2010). "Unsaintly Actions". Metro Weekly. Retrieved March 4, 2014. 
• Kaufman, Amy (June 21, 2010). "The roots of '8: The Mormon Proposition'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 4, 2014. 
• Haws, J.B. (2013). The Mormon Image in the American Mind: Fifty Years of Public Perception. Oxford University Press. p. 241. ISBN 0199897646. 

• 2007, nominated Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy Award for KTVX
• 2008, won Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy Award for KTVX
• 2008, nominated Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for WSVN
• 2009, nominated Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for WSVN
• 2011, won GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary for 8: The Mormon Proposition
• 2013, won 5 Pacific Southwest Regional Emmy Awards for KSNV
• 2014, won 4 Pacific Southwest Regional Emmy Awards for KSNV
• 2015, nominated 3 Pacific Southwest Regional Emmy Awards for KSNV
• 2016, won Pacific Southwest Regional Emmy Award for KSNV

• "2007 Rocky Mountain Emmy Nominees" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (web archive). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
• "Rocky Mountain Emmy Award Winners". Phoenix Woman. November–December 2008. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
• "2008 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards Broadcast/Cablecast Program Nominees". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (web archive). Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
• "2009 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards Broadcast/Cablecast Program Nominees". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (web archive). Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
• "2011 Media Awards - San Francisco". GLAAD. Retrieved March 4, 2014. 
• "2013 Recipient List" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 22, 2014. 
• "2014 Recipient List" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 22, 2014. 
• "2015 Nomination List" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved May 30, 2015. 
• "2016 Recipient List". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved June 17, 2016.