Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Lambda Foundation -- 25 Proud Years!

Sue — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:31:58 -0400

I recently interviewed Lambda Foundation Executive Director Anne Bowman about the 25th anniversary of the Foundation. 25 years is quite a milestone in gay history and the well-being of our community foundation is something to be mindful of as we celebrate our way through June. To purchase tickets for the Joan Rivers event, click here.

Thank you so much for asking about the Lambda Foundation. I am truly honored to be the Executive Director of the second oldest LGBT funding organization in the nation. Part of my job description is to get the word out about Lambda and I will gladly answer your questions.

1. How did the Lambda Foundation get its start?

The Lambda Foundation began with a conversation between Randy Forrester and Lucky Johns. The two men pooled all of their resources together from the community and The Lambda Foundation was incorporated on June 17, 1983 with $16,000. The first grants were issued in April, 1984 to Dignity Pittsburgh and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center



2. Lambda has given away more than $1 million over 25 years, mostly in increments of $3000 or so. Please describe the impact of reinvesting $1 million in Pittsburgh's LGBT community.

Granted $3,000.00 doesn’t sound like a lot, but I think the smaller organizations that we have funded would disagree. I have attached a list of just some of the organizations The Lambda Foundation has funded and it is quite impressive. We have helped LGBT organizations in every area from the arts to healthcare. Our scholarship program has helped along LGBT students. We also have an emergency funding program that has helped some organizations when they were in dire straits and the possibility of closing their doors as a very real option. I am truly grateful to be the Executive Director of an organization that has helped so many.

3. Describe some of the projects which Lambda helped (or is helping to) seed. Just to name a few:

Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force- I really don’t think I need to describe what they do. Everyone in the community knows of the wonderful work that Kathi Boyle is doing.

Transpitt- a wonderful support group for the often overlooked transgender community.

The Esther Project which through the leadership of Deb Aaron became the first federally funded health project which measured the risk factors for cardiovascular disease among lesbian women.

4. Can you list any highlights or exceptional moments from the past 25 years?

I have only been on the Board for 3 years so I took this question to August (Buzz) Pusateri and past Board President Chuck Honse.

The Lambda Foundation funded the legal battle for Travelers Bar. Which was locally known as the Saturday Night Massacre. It was normal in the early days that the police would raid gay bars. Travelers was raided one night and some pretty serious injuries of the patrons occurred. Lucky Johns, owner and one of Lambda’s founding fathers took the practice to court. The case proceeded to go to federal court and we lost. But the practice of raiding gay bars in Pittsburgh was ended.

Another legal battle that Lambda funded was The Fairness Campaign in the late 80’s. There was a movement to rescind an anti discrimination bill that gave lesbians and gays human rights in Pittsburgh.

The Foundation rallied forces and squashed the movement.

Last but not least Our Annual Ball- the first LGBT black-tie event in the area. This year it is being held at The Priory, Nov 22, 2008. Lisa Ferraro will be performing. Please come and join us in celebrating 25 wonderful years.

5. How does Lambda stay in touch with a queer community that looks very different than the gay and lesbian community of 25 years ago?

I personally stay in touch with what is going on in the community by reading your blog. It is quite informative. You are correct that the community has changed from 25 years ago. 25 years ago HIV/AIDS was devastating our community and it seemed like no one cared. There were only a few LGBT organizations in existence. When you look around and see all of the organizations and events that are taking place, yes I think it has changed… but for the better.

Pat Liddy our wonderful President is out and about at community events.

Reading through the grant applications and seeing the innovative and committed programs that are being created is also quite informative.

6. What challenges does the foundation face in the coming years?

The challenges are immediate. Many organizations are facing funding cutbacks on many levels, federal state and local. The Lambda Foundation has always been there to help them. Over the last ten years most of our funds have come from dividends, interest and capital gains on our portfolio. That is not happening now. We truly need to get the word out. When you give your funds or time to Lambda you are participating in nearly every LGBT organization in the area.

7. Where do you see the Lambda Foundation in its 50th year?

I would love to see that $3,000 grant to become a $10,000- $25,000 grant. In order to achieve that lofty goal we are definitely going to need to expand. We need to get the word out about our organization and get more people involved. I know the economy is not so great. If everyone on our list just sent in $10.00 it would have an impact. HRC started out with $5.00 checks coming in, look at them now.

   I really think in 25 years we will have achieved equality. (Wouldn’t that be nice?) It has amazed me how much progress has been made in the last couple of years even with such headwinds coming from the right. Corporations are developing diversity departments. Our corporate partners UPMC and Merrill Lynch have been so supportive it amazes me. When I received the Merrill Lynch ad for our Joan Rivers Program (attend the event and you will see it) I looked at it and knew we are definitely making progress.

8. Please list your current board members (by affiliation if possible).

Patricia Liddy       President

Rev, J Howard Cherry, OSL, OE    Vice President

United Methodist Clergy, retired

R. Craig Bennett, CPA       Treasurer

Terry Collier & Associates, P.C.

August “Buzz” Pusateri    Secretary

Dr.Nina Markovic       Director

Associate Professor University of Pittsburgh

Anne Bowman     Executive Director

Any parting thoughts?

As you know we are presenting An Evening with Joan Rivers at The Byham Theater to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. Joan Rivers graciously accepted our invitation and is taking time from her busy schedule to come to Pittsburgh. Go to her website, www.joanrivers.com, she truly has a busy schedule. She courageously was one of the first celebrities to support the gay community. Come on Pittsburgh, let’s show her how much we support and love her by selling out the house. There are plenty of $40 tickets available. Call The Byham Theater 412-456-6666. After the show you can check out all the other events going on for Pride. Scott Noxon, Pegasus, is presenting 8 Inch Betsy. Downtown Pittsburgh is going to be vibrant and alive on Saturday June 21st.

I really need to say something about Scott Noxon, owner of The Eagle, Pegasus and There Video Lounge, who has been instrumental in the production our Joan Rivers event. Working with him during the preparation of this event has been a true delight. I really did get to know him these last few months and all of the wonderful things he has done for every LGBT organization in the area. I can honestly say he is one of the nicest men I have ever met. He truly cares about the community.

Could you give me a brief bio of yourself and your role with Lambda. I didn't even know you had an ED! I admit that I'm not very informed. I don't want to be someone who takes you for granted (no pun intended).

You asked for a brief bio. So I will make it brief. My career was in the financial services industry from age 21 to 49. I had positions in every area from sales to CEO. I lived in New York City from 1974 to 1983. I returned to Pittsburgh in 1983 right before the birth of my son, Geoffrey. My son’s father and my best friend, Stephen, died of AIDS when Geoffrey was just a baby. Shepherd Wellness Center helped Stephen and his family in so many ways; they will always have a special place in my heart. I joined the Lambda Board 3 years ago. Right before my 50^th birthday the Board was considering employing an Executive Director. Funny, how you reflect on your life when you hit that age. I wasn’t enjoying my career any longer and I realized it was time for me to give back to the community. I did love all the things we were doing at Lambda. So I presented a job description and budget to the Board. And the second half of my life story begins…….

A partial list of funding recipients:

ACLU Pittsburgh. AIDS Task Force Upper Ohio Valley. AIDS Task Force of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. AIDS Town Meeting. Allegheny College. Allegheny College in Support of Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. Allegheny College Gay/Lesbian History Conference. Anawim. Archivist. Asian-Pacific Lesbians of Pittsburgh. Asians & Friends. Beaver County AIDS Service Organization. Beaver County AIDS Task Force. Bet Tikvah. Bi/ Gala, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Bi/Gala University of Pittsburgh. Black & White Men Together, Youngstown. Bridges/Erie Gay Community Newsletter. Gloria Brusoski. Butler County AIDS Task Force. Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. Chattam College LABiAT Alliance. Christian Lesbians in Action/ Metropolitan Community Church. Johanna Classen, Lambda Scolarship Winner. Caritas House. Carnegie Mellon University GALA. Carnegie Mellon University/OUT. Contact Pittsburgh, Inc. Rebecca Corran, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Corpus Christi House. Crime Stoppers. Cry Out/ Act Up. Dignity Encounter Weekend. Dignity/Pittsburgh. Dignity Region III. Dreams of Hope.Kathleen Douglas, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Epidemiologic Study of Health Risks in Lesbians (ESTHER Project). Family and Children’s Services, Blair County. Joshua Ferris, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Flying Pig Theater Forum on Lesbian & Gay Youth. Dustin Frazier, Lambda Scholarship Winner. G&L Alternative Dimensions, GLAD. GALA, West Virginia University. GAY 90’S. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Carnegie Mellon University. Gay & Lesbian Cable Network. Gay & Lesbian Community Center (GLCC). GLCC Newsletter. GLCC Phone line. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Gay & Lesbian Health Line, West Virginia University. Gay & Lesbian Youth Conference. Gift of Women Church/ Dignity. GLENDA. Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Whitney Houston, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Heritage Project. Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh. Jewish Lesbian Feminist Support Group. Matthew Jinkeom, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Judaism & Lesbian Conference. Lesbians & Gays in the Holocaust Presentation. Lesbian Health Organization. Lesbian are Parents. Look to the Eastern Sky. Lost Visions/ Richard Parsakian. Menergy Conference. Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). Metro Family Practice, Inc. Mon Valley Media. Mountain State AIDS Network. National Lawyers Guild, Pittsburgh Chapter. 1987 March on Washington. Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, Pittsburgh (PFLAG). PFLAG, Dubois. PFLAG, Indiana. Pennsylvania Humanities Council. Persad Center, Inc. Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS). Pitt Men’s Study. Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment (PACT). Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF). Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. Renaissance City Choirs. Seven Project. Shepherd Wellness Community Center. Stonewall Institute. The Diversity Project. Thomas Merton Center. Three Rivers Arts Festival. United Jewish Federation. Human Rights Task Force. Craig Waldo, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Upstairs Theater. Woman to Woman. Women for Racial and Economic Equality. Women United in Recovery. Woman’s Law Project. Youth Empowerment Project (PERSAD).

Four Funny Females - Not So Much

Sue — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:57:27 -0400

I have to admit I was disappointed when Ledcat and I rolled out of Slapsticks last night, after catching their "Four Funny Females" show. It should rightfully have been called "Some Kinda Amusing Ladies, a Gal with Potential and Gab."

Harsh? Eh.

Slapsticks is located on Library road just moments from the intersection with Saw Mill Run Boulevard aka Route 51. It took us 13 minutes to get there from the Northside. The venue is cute and festive and smoke free. The service was just this side of horrible. Our waitperson was clearly unhappy to be assigned to the room and it showed. Next time, I'll bring a bottle of water.

But overall the venue is fine. No drink minimum and comfortable.

The performers though made me a little depressed to be a female in Pittsburgh. It was supposed to be all revolutionary and groundbreaking because four female comedians never happens in Pittsburgh. Now I know why.

First up, was young Subhah Agarwal, a CMU student who was clearly inexperienced but had some promise. She had good timing, did a nice job with her ad libs and felt comfortable. I feel somewhat rote in saying that her best work came when she invoked her mother because that plays into the idea that ethnic mommies are funny stuff and clearly the comedic alley for 2nd generation female comedians. However, I think Subhah did the best job when she was skewering American xenophobia. She missed some great opportunities to poke at the host (and her female comedians) for being unable to pronounce her last name (or unwillingly to learn). I'd see her again.

Next us was British born Sally Choppings who gives public speaking presentations on humor. This felt like one. Her jokes were actually funny, but her delivery was very old school. I almost fell asleep waiting for the punchlines. It felt like dated material even though it was sort of universal. Ledcat liked her and said I'm being mean because I expect everyone to be like Gab. Eh.

Third was the most significant disappointing comedian I've seen in a long time (including Gab's shlubs from the Brillobox who just sucked period). Her name is Nancy Marshall and ten years in the LA public school system gave her fodder for two jokes. Two. And one of them was a fat joke about herself. Because you can't be a plus-sized woman and not mock yourself, right? I mean fat is funny. Well, it can be except her jokes were from the 1980s and there was no biting zing in them. Sitting on a size 2 woman to make an impression is more obvious than the fact that customer service was not a skill set for our waitress. I just sat there with my jaw on the ground. That's the best she can do? She actually made VCR reference as if it were relevant. She was soooo disappointing. Ledcat kept kicking me so I wouldn't say anything. She did make one funny joke about being more patriotic than thin people. It was funny.

Then Gab was up and she was smoking. Maybe it was part relief at being able to laugh, but I found all of her material amusing even what I've seen many times before. Gab did some new political stuff that was very good -- she should pursue that because she has a flair for it. President Obama should give her lots of material.

Overall, it was a good experience. It does prove, however, that we need more women to step up to the mike. We need a female led comedy workshop for all the wannabee comedians out there (ahem, Gab). Wouldn't it be great to bring a group of funny women together at Hoi Polloi for a night of learning from someone and a small intimate crowd to try something out on? I mean if the unemployed Seth Rogan crowd can waste their time hanging in a pot haze at the Brillobox, we can do it, too!

And for those of us who are actually fat, a chance to do some clever work instead of Roseanne Barr retreads. Good lord.

Good-bye, The Vault, Good-bye

Sue — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:20:59 -0400

Sad news ... Brighton Height's The Vault closed its doors tonight for the final time. As we've mentioned before, the lesbians love this place. It had what we deemed a "lesbian friendly man-vibe." I've probably been there a dozen times since last July and each was better than the last. I loved the hummus, the ice tea and the great conversation with the staff.

We stopped in for a final plate of hummus and had a little chat with Vault master-mind, Brad. He confirmed the closure and we talked about Pittsburgh's overall love affair with coffeehouses or lack thereof. He seemed resigned to the challenges of keeping afloat in a town that just isn't that into coffee houses.

I feel kind of guilty. Especially cause Brad still donated some really cool stuff to my door prize drive. I wish I had patronized them more often.

Brad and Drew helped me conceptualize a whole new recruiting tool for foster parents and I'm bummed them won't be around when it kicks into gear (I'm sure they have much bigger things to mourn, but hey ...).

Tonight, Ledcat and I were invited to a Neil Diamond release party at the home of our friends (and Vault fans) Lisel and Joe. It was big fun -- I brought jambalaya and someone else had red velvet cake. Then there was a fire and smores. Then Joe pulled out his guitar and interpreted Neil Diamond for us.

I suggested a song in honor of The Vault and what it meant to us. Joe played the next song he knew.

So long Brad, Drew and the gang. May the Northside Coffee gang live on. Thanks for making the best damn iced tea I've ever had (and I lived south of the Mason-Dixon line for 10 years).

From the point forward, memories of The Vault will forever be fused with this song a la Joe Skoski.

Cracklin rosie, get on board
Were gonna ride till there aint no more to go
Taking it slow
Lord, dont you know
Have made me a time with a poor mans lady

Hitchin on a twilight train
Aint nothing here that I care to take along
Maybe a song
To sing when I want
Dont need to say please to no man for a happy tune

Oh, I love my rosie child
You got the way to make me happy
You and me, we go in style
Cracklin rose, youre a store bought woman
You make me sing like a guitar hummin
So hang on to me, girl
Our song keeps runnin on

Play it now
Play it now, my baby

Cracklin rosie, make me a smile
Girl if it lasts for an hour, thats al right
We got all night
To set the world right
Find us a dream that dont ask no questions, yeah

Oh, I love my rosie child
You got the way to make me happy
You and me, we go in style
Cracklin rose, youre a store-bought woman
You make me sing like a guitar hummin
So hang on to me, girl
Our song keeps runnin on

Play it now
Play it now
Play it now, my baby

Cracklin rosie, make me a smile
Girl if it lasts for an hour, thats all right
We got all night
To set the world right
Find us a dream that dont ask no question, yeah

The evolution of gay-exclusive spaces: are gay bars on the demise?

Sue — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:14:52 -0400

I found this article at American Public Media ... actually, the teaser ended up in my inbox. The premise seems to be an exploration of a recent claim by Forbes Magazine that gay bars are among the top ten businesses facing extinction, along with crop dusting and record stores. Ouch.

APM took a look and noted some interesting trends.

First, some gay bars are becoming more mixed or "evolving" into gay-friendly bars with a healthy mix of heterosexual patrons. Owners spin this as a sign of progress, of the cultural enmesh we've been seeking all these years.

Although, some gay exclusive bars haven't pulled off that transition and are closing their doors. Ironically, this happens at a peak of gay spending power ...$750 billion according to this article.

Others attribute the drain on gay bars to generational issues. Back in the day, the gay bar was the community center and provided the loci for everything from socialization to organizing and advocacy. Today's generations are using the Internet and increasingly accepted gay-identified alternative spaces and organizations to accomplish those goals.

Finally, there are the nay-sayers who say in certain parts of the country, there is a need for gay-exclusive bars given the dynamics of that region.

So, gay spending is up and so is the number (and types) of places to spend. The gay bar generation is aging. Young gays are being raised in mixed-environments where they can identity as openly queer and still find their space. Not all of American has evolved this far.

I personally don't have an intimate knowledge of this history of Pittsburgh's gay bar scene. Wouldn't that make for a wonderful documentary? Or thesis? Anyone in queer studies done that? I've been to Donny's, the Eagle, CJ's, Lucky's, Pegasus, New York, New York and that place that used to the Liberty Avenue Saloon, I think. Oh, and True. I think that's it. I loved True because it was smoke free, but the crowd wasn't very friendly. The Eagle was my favorite -- they seem to do a lot of benefits and I thought the different floors were a hoot. Plus, the staff were friendly. Granted, this is a very limited sampling -- probably 20-25 visits over the past 15 years.

So, my inexpert opinion, is that Pittsburgh is probably one of those places that still needs a core gay bar scene even while queer-straight mixed places are emerging. The Firehouse Lounge had a successful run of L-Word parties. When the season ended, the women stopped coming. They'll be back next season. They don't do reruns.

The coffeehouses are a great example of an entirely new mixed venue that's providing queer supportive (and queer owned) spaces. I love the coffeehouses in Pittsburgh, although I have to admit that I tried to go to the new one in Lawrenceville -- Your Inner Vagabond -- and it took me exactly 2 minutes to feel uncomfortable and head right back out the door. Actually, come to think of it, it is a very similar experience to a gay bar when you walk in and people stare at you like you are an intruder. For someone like me, that's all she wrote. I go where there is less staring b/c I equate staring = get the fuck out of here. If I want that experience of hostile begrudging sharing of space, I'll go visit my aunt at the holidays. Or my Catholic university reunion.

Anyway, I was saying ... I think The Firehouse Lounge project was a good one. But I suspect that some of those lesbians went back to their familiar haunts and, assuming they drink responsibly blah blah blah, that's a good thing, too.

Pittsburgh's gay bars are driving PrideFest this year so they certainly don't seem to be on the demise. I wouldn't mind going for a drink if they would just go smoke-free. Until then, I'll do my socializing at events and order my coffee without the splash of a withering glance.

Check out the article.

Update on the Dyke March

Sue — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:26:53 -0400

Here's the word from one of the organizers Eli.

[B]asically we want to make this year the best! We are branching out we want all women at the DYKE MARCH! No corporate sponsership! I am working on the route it will be held Downtown Betty Hill will speak cuz shes awesome and a few local performers(including Colelea) will perform,afterwards PINK PARTY PRODUCTIONS is throwing a party/dance we also will have benefits to be announced,and DYKE MARCH teeshirts/buttons.

Anyone interested can contact us on on myspace account (volunteers).

MySpace page is: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=336168242

Betty herself told me she is involved and will be speaking at the event. That is just exactly the level of cool this event needs. Betty is one of our favorite people. So, yeah for the Dyke March.

Pittsburgh is a great place to be gay

Sue — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:23:37 -0400

In honor of the Primary Pittsburgh Project, I'd like to take a few inches of this blog to review why I think this is a great place for the LGBTQ/gay/queer community.

First, the City of Pittsburgh has codified our civil rights and civil protections. It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender presentation in the areas of employment, housing or public accommodation. That was a very hard fought battle that took place well over a dozen years ago. That's a long time in gay history.

Second, Pittsburgh has many wonderful community based organizations and service organizations. We are home to Persad Center, the nation's first LGBT mental health provider. The Gay & Lesbian Community Center is in Squirrel Hill. The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and Shepherd Wellness Center grew from our communities to provide much needed services. GLENDA is still the best way to meet new gay people in a comfortable environment AND contribute to the community. PFLAG is there for our families. GLSEN and Voices of Hope (along with the GLCC and Persad's YEP programs) offer support and uplift our young people. The list goes on and on, but Pittsburgh is fortunate to have such a strong safety net.

Third, we must recognize our recreational and social outlets. From gay square dancing to OUTrageous Bingo, from softball to bowling, from potlucks to Cajun dancing, we have a lot of stuff going on in this town. There's Pink Party Productions, Operation Sappho and at least two different singles dinners. There's potlucks at the GLCC and Queer Dinners at the Gypsy Cafe. The L-Word party is immensely popular. The Film Society shows movies year round in addition to two excellent weeks of the film festival.

Fourth, let's shout out to our business community. Beyond the gay bar foundation, there are many, many local gay owned companies that serve the entire community. Coffee houses, clothing stores, caterers, and much more. One bakery has a monthly lesbian night. Another straight owned bar has declared themselves a gay bar (and has good pizza). Bank of New York Mellon has a thriving queer affiliation group for employees. And the so-called "pink dollar" is being sought after.

I want to stop and point out that the myth about gays having more disposable income is misleading. There are many local queer families that live in poverty or just a paycheck away -- just like heterosexual families. The good thing is that Pittsburgh is still an affordable place to live and raise your family so even if you aren't the fortunate few to live in a restored Shadyside Victorian mansion, you can still have access to all of these wonderful resources.

Next, I have to acknowledge electoral politics. Pittsburgh just elected our first openly gay member of City Council, so we can finally stop the wink, wink, nod, nod crap about those of whom we do not speak. Let's celebrate our champions - Dan Frankel and Bill Peduto (two straight white guys who are welcome at any gay event in town). Let's applaud our allies - Doug Shields, Chelsa Wagner, Rich Fitzgerald, Mike Lamb, Heather Arnet and others - for doing what they can to have an impact at their various levels. Let's hold out hope for our friends -- Wayne Fontana, Jake Wheatley, Jay Costa, Mike Doyle, Jason Altmire, Sean Logan -- that they remain steadfast against discrimination and hatred in the face of mounting pressure. Let's keep working on those who need work -- Dan Onorato, Luke Ravenstahl -- and work hard to keep those whom we need -- Brenda Frazier.

Most importantly, let's commend our two leading political groups -- the Steel City Stonewall Democrats and the Gertrude Stein Political Club of Greater Pittsburgh -- who work tirelessly on our behalf. We are quite fortunate to have so many talented individuals working to strengthen the political arena -- Sue Frietsche at the Women's Law Project and Dana Elmendorf of the PA Marriage Equality.

Moving on, our philanthropic resources. The Lambda Foundation has given away $1 million dollars locally. The Delta Foundation is pouring tens of thousands into Pride events. The Pittsburgh Foundation has a dedicated fund for LGBT health initiatives. Art for Life, formerly Art for AIDS, is a huge wonderful event. People turn out to public theater and to car washes to show their support for LGBT resources.

Almost there. Media and communication resources are vastly under appreciated here in Pgh. We have a monthly newspaper that serves a niche audience and serves it well. A local straight owned coffeehouse agreed to distribute it because a few people asked. That's cool. We have a super-huge Queer Events email list started by one woman who wanted to get the word out. Now she runs a calendar chock full of information and gives us a forum to discuss tough issues likes trans inclusion within the lesbian community as well as where to get the best cupcakes in town. Local gay groups are trying to catch up, they want to catch up. There are two blogs that have the word "lesbian" in their title. And 17 blogs that participated in the first Blog for Equality Day. Lynn Cullen and John McIntire talk about gay people, events and issues on a regular basis. The City Paper considers the gay angle in a lot of mainstream stories.

Finally, there's you. You might be the lesbian who reads this blog or you might be a straight man who surfed in from another site. You have kids or you don't. You are single or domestically partnered or married. Perhaps you've retired. You might go to Mass with your mother every weekend. You like the two nice women who make those awesome grilled cheese sandwiches and refuse to sell bottled water on principal. You know what HRC stands for and maybe a little bit about the whole ENDA debate. Your best friend is gay. You are the only gay person you know and you don't know what to do. You post anonymous comments telling me how wrong I am, but you keep coming back to read what I have to say about it. You are thinking about starting your own gay blog (go for it!).

You are Pittsburgh's queer community and you are what makes Pittsburgh a wonderful place to be gay.

GLCC merger with Celebrate the Night: Where does this leave transwomen?

Sue — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:22:19 -0400

In the most recent GLCC newsletter, the organization announced that Celebrate the Night has become an official committee of the organization. Celebrate the Night is a variety show that benefits the GLCC.

As you may recall, CTN generated a firestorm last year by refusing to audition a transwoman and pronouncing that she was not woman enough to meet their criteria. At that point, the CTN website described the event as celebrating all women.

They've since updated it to state:

For the purpose of this event, if a person is legally recognized as
a woman or living full-time as a woman, she is a woman.

No such requirement that to be a lesbian, you must be legally recognized or living full-time as a lesbian. Which is good since there are many, many women who participate in CTN that are not 100% out of the closet and I would hate for them to feel excluded just because they aren't lesbian enough.

Well, at least if the GLCC is going to formally associate itself with an organization that openly discriminates against transwomen,things are a little more out in the open. The GLCC has historically been a little weak on transinclusion and I don't really think this is going to come as a shock to anyone. The truth is that Pittsburghers who are L, G, B and Q really have a long way to go when it comes to lifting up and including our trans brothers and sisters.

For a complete herstory on this situation, click here.

Pittsburgh Blog for Equality

Sue — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:22:29 -0400

****UPDATE ****

A big thanks to all the wonderful members of the Burghosphere who participated in this first ever Pgh Blog for Equality. We had a few folks join in at the last minute. Here are the links to the participating posts in no particular order. Thanks also to those who promoted the event.

2 Political Junkies - David

2 Political Junkies - Maria

Gab Bonesso

MacYapper

The Pittsburgh Comet

Teacher. Wordsmith. Madman.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette

Ms. Adventures on the Mon

Slag Heap

*******************************************************

March 31, 2008 is the day that the Burghosphere speaks out about attempts to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

For all the details on the legislation, the co-sponsors, and the talking points, visit Equality Advocates. Equality Advocates is not officially connected to Pittsburgh Blog for Equality.

Join the conversation.

Wanna post our button on your blog? Code is below:

As we get 'em, we'll post a list of participating blogs.

Ms. Adventures on the Mon

Teacher. Wordsmith. Madman.

Mark Rauterkus

MacYapper

Gab Bonesso. This is her blog.

Pittsburgh Pist-Gazette

"Web logging" for equality will be

Slag Heap

Flash the Dyke Salute, Get Free Cupcakes

Sue — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:54:47 -0400

As we've mentioned, local eatery Dozen Bake Shop has launched an official Lesbian Night on Saturdays. Your faithful correspondents suggested they take it up a notch by offering a Buy One, Get One Free cupcake deal to lesbians with a special code or something.

Owner James emailed us to discuss and that's when we remembered ... the dyke salute.

Created by lesbian-gal-about-town Ehrrin, author of Now That's Good Eatin, the dyke salute is a queerified version of the Girl Scout salute. The only time I've seen it was courtesy of a certain local rocker at the Square Cafe.

But the dyke salute has risen again AND is irrevocably tied to cupcakes. What could be better?

So, the next time Saturday night finds you in the East End, swing down Butler Street, flash the salute and enjoy the yumminess.

I am lobbying James to create a thematic cupcake recipe in honor of Lesbian Night. My favorite? The Salute which tastes like Thin Mint cookies. That would be awesome.

It is really nice to end my week on something queer-positive, even if it is just a local business owner saying he wants to reach out to lesbians. After all the hullabaloo with what's her name in Oklahoma and the onslaught of campaign workers here in Pittsburgh, I am grateful that someone wants to give me free cupcake just for being a dyke. Nice.

Cattivo and Dozen Bake Shop -- Lesbians on the Town

Sue — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:53:46 -0400

Saturday night, we finally had a chance to stop by Cattivo for some conversation and dinner with our friends, Emilia and Jessi. We braved the weather and headed for Lawrenceville where we were early enough to snag a good parking spot. Cattivo is a fine place for a bar. It was clean and the service is really good. The owner waited on our table and he was friendly and attentive. The food was great. I had a chicken gyro with homemade fries which were delish. Ledcat had the pizza, something she had been craving all week, and she pronounced it excellent (high praise indeed). Jessi and Emilia shared a strombolli which they enjoyed. Overall, I'd stop back for a casual bar meal.

We hung out for a few hours until the smoke got the best of me. I probably wouldn't go to Cattivo during prime bar hours because even a half dozen smokers were too much, but I'd go back early in the evening to shoot some pool and enjoy those homemade fries.

When we left, Ledcat and I discovered that the locks on my CRV were frozen. It was quite cold outside. A random lesbian whose identity I'll never know (I'll call her Xena) came over and advised me to pour water on the locks. So I sent Ledcat in to get warm and tromped back up the bar to ask for a cup of water. The barkeep was nice and understanding ... offered me hot water and told me to come back in if we had any other problems. Meanwhile, the owner was distributing candy to his regulars.

The water worked! I've never had that happen to me before. I'm presuming that all the sloppy rain got into the lock and caused the problem. However, we were off to our next stop -- Lesbian Night at Dozen Bake Shop, also in Lawrenceville. When we arrived (lock-freeing-water-in hand), there were two occupied tables and no lesbians in sight. We snagged a couple of chocolate cupcakes made with Stout (yummy) and some hot beverages then sat back to soak up the ambiance. It is a cute space, the food options are good and there are plenty of tables.

I chatted up with Shmuell who was staffing Lesbian Night. He laughed and said that obviously the store had to do more than pronounce Saturday as Lesbian Night to actually have it *be* Lesbian Night. I pointed out that we had specifically come because of that so it worked, at least to the tune of about $10.00 in revenue. I assured him we didn't expect him to produce lesbians upon demand.

Dozen has been open about 6 weeks and business looks good. If they had a lunch menu, I'd roll down once in awhile and meet Ledcat there (it is like 6 blocks from her office). However, I can see adding Lesbian Night at Dozen Bake Shop to any dinner evening out in the East End. A cupcake and a cup of coffee are much less expensive than dessert in any restaurant, plus it is good to support a company that wants to have Lesbian Night.

My suggestions for Lesbian Night? Send out a secret code via lesbian email and anyone who comes in with the secret code, gets a 2 cupcakes for the price of 1 (so they'll bring a friend). Advertise Lesbian Night in the GLCC newsletter (with the BOGO offer for a limited time). Bring in a lesbian singer songwriter and her faithful listeners will follow, even for just one evening. Hire lesbians. I also like to patronize stores that employ my fellow homosexuals.

All in all, it was a nice evening. Earlier in the day, I had purchased a few issues of the Buffy: Season Eight graphic novels (apparently, grown ups don't read comic books). There's a big deal about Buffy hooking up with a woman in the latest issue, but I am forcing myself to read them in order. I'm missing Issue 8. Anyone have a copy of that? This is a new fetish for me. I loved Buffy so Ledcat orchestrated a Buffy holiday for me, bringing in her family and mine to purchase 4 seasons of Buffy on DVD and a whole slew of graphic novels and omnibus issues. I was in heaven. However, this was my first visit to Phantom of the Attic and it was a bit like entering a completely foreign cultural setting. The narrow walkway isn't really what I'd think of as appropriate for a group of customers who tend to sit on their asses reading comic books all day. Am I stereotyping? Maybe I'm just peevish because I never appreciate when overly large men continually brush up against my ass as I'm looking at merchandise. Or perhaps I'm just trying to dissociate because I can see going in there to and buying Wonder Woman comic books, too. And maybe the Runaways. Plus, there's Batman.

To wrap up, we got into the car without any trouble the second time around and headed for home (and Buffy). Now I'm up sans an hour of sleep and ready to get rolling. Our renovations are almost complete so we can start moving the jillion tons of belongings out of the bedroom and actually be able to see the floor again. Yippee!

The GLCC Newsletter is Out

Sue — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:15:44 -0500

We received our current issue of the GLCC News this past week after what seems like a long hiatus. Is it just me or has it been awhile? Maybe its just me. I really look forward to this connection with the Community Center. The professional quality just keeps getting better and I really like that.

Anyway, the organization is making strides in updating their use of technology with a brand new email list and they have posted some of the articles from the newsletter online here. Still, I feel compelled to share.

Here's what I find most interesting ...

Ben Cook, GLCC Youth Program Coordinator has a nicely done piece about the GLCC's work with youth. This program is, in my humble opinion, the hallmark of the organization. Well, maybe second only to the Phone Line. I think Ben is a great guy and does really good work. Plus, he actively mentions kids who identify as queer or questioning. This article also features the "Most Ironic Line" in the whole newsletter. Tucked on page 3 after a feature on Celebrate the Night with absolutely no mention of any of the controversy surrounding probably THE most controversial gay happening of the entire year, Ben writes:

Unlike most GLCC programs that have careful planning periods leading up to large, publicized events (e.g., OUTrageous Bingo, PrideFest), the Youth Program is a mostly behind-the-scenes weekly commitment by the GLCC to the young people of our community.

Is it just me? Do you see it?

There's a mention of PUMP's "40 Under 40" which includes Ben! Go, Ben!

The GLCC is hiring for two paid positions: Community Resource & Information Specialist and a Grant Writer.

Someone named Scott Itano (???) writes a nice piece about finding a LGBT-Friendly Physician. He gives a shout out to two local practices. I'm not a fan of one of them, so I'm going to instead give a shout out to my PCP for being so groovy. I went to her simply because she replaced my former doctor who had left for greener pastures in Sewickley. She was great -- she asked me a ton of LGBT sensitive questions. Plus, she already knew the main side effects of the meds prescribed to me by other doctors. Wow. So if you need a great PCP, drop me a line and I'll give you her name. Awesome. Still, Scott's article is quite useful and one of the most neatest things in the newsletter.

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have a PCP who is gay friendly and medically reliable. Awesome.

An old friend, Gary McKillop, focuses on the importance of donations and volunteers to the work of the Community Center. It is interesting to me, but I'm a professional human servicey type. I think these "asks" could be more powerful if they included anecdotes or somehow the "voice" of the people served. I know I was always impressed by *something* if I spent more than 30 minutes in that building ... a phone call, a drop in visitor, a listing on the bulletin board, a volunteer's story. You should do that -- go spend some time there and just soak up how important this resource is to the community.

There's write up of the GLCC's strategic planning direction. I was disappointed that there is no mention of diversity, at least thus far. I think that's a significant issue in terms of those who hold power and decision-making authority and those who are served (or not served) by those folks. Still, I know that any mention of diversity raises hackles on certain necks ... so keep reading. Or go read something else.

There's a new GLBT Corporate Network which is working with local corporations. Awesome news. If you have a GLBT group at your workplace, you can hook up with them. There's only a telephone number contact so email me and I'll send it to you.

If you read this blog, you should be a GLCC News subscriber. Hopefully, they will be able to move toward an online published edition (with ads! the ads are great!). Maybe YOU could volunteer to help them do that. Or volunteer on the Phone Line. Or the Youth Group. Make a donation. Go for it!

Pittsburgh LGBT Coffee House Bar Closes

Sue — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:35:35 -0500

Just got word from a reader that the Tuscany Cafe, a Southside gay mecca for a decade or so, has unexpectedly closed.

He reports that he stopped by per his usual routine on Saturday afternoon and found a note taped to the door thanking patrons for their business and indicating they (the owners) would see them at Rehobeth Beach.

The phone number has been disconnected.

Tuscany combined a coffee house front with a quiet bar tucked into the back of the space. The sandwiches were delish as were the desserts.

Ledcat and I have frequented the Tuscany often when we venture out for dinner or a cultural event on the Southside. I was, in fact, planning to stop by tomorrow when I attend an event at City Theater. We had been pleased with recent renovations and a very friendly staff.

What a loss.

Big Gay Meeting: What Happened?

Sue — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:45:29 -0500

The Delta Foundation meeting took place on Tuesday evening. Reports range from 50-150 people in attendance. Some of the feedback I've heard:

- The Delta Foundation claimed it was the first town hall meeting for Pittsburgh's GLBT community. Surely, that just cannot be the case. I know that Voices for a New Tomorrow held similar meetings and I'm sure that it took a few of those to get the LGBT Community Needs Assessment off the ground. Or back in the day, when the PhoneLine and the GLCC were launched. Am I that blanking on whole chapters of local gay history? I mean this was a really well attended meeting and more power to them for turning out a big crowd, but I'm curious about that claim.

- DF committed to two events: PrideFest and Pride in the Streets. The other events will require others to get involved, which isn't unreasonable per se. So the concept of "Pride Week" is a bit vague unless other groups come forward to set up what are being labeled partner events. It will be interesting to see what grows from this challenge of sorts. (I am going to organize a partner event in my daytime guise and I've already identified some partners so I am putting my money/time where my mouth is on this one.) The DF has a board member dedicated to building these partnerships and she is off to a really good start.

- Again, the issue arose that the board is entirely white and almost nearly gay men with money. So, you have the claim that PrideFest is for everyone balanced against a pretty "business as usual" group of decision makers, however well intentioned. It is going to take a lot of effort on the part of this group to demonstrate a real commitment to diversity. My personal fear is that those on the board are not going to make substantial overtures to under-represented segments of the community, at least not to share power. It would be great if the planning committees are filled with women and persons of color and men and women who are transgendered and bisexual, but it is equally important that power and authority be shared. I hope the Foundation will commit to fill their two vacant board seats with individuals from these communities. That would be a significant statement about inclusivity.

- Luke Ravenstahl is going to hire a part-time liaison to the LGBT community and is accepting applications from the LGBT community to serve on an advisory board. I'm working to track down the contact information to send in your resume. This could be interesting if we can get some community representation on the boards and authorities (beyond the arts.) This could be an interesting development. Again, it would be powerful if the liaison were a lesbian or a woman who is transgendered or someone outside the political normative power structure.

- There's 12 hours of entertainment to fill. I nominate Gab Bonesso. Someone named Kimberly Locke is going to headline at Pride in the Streets. I don't know who she is, but I think she's from American Idol. I'm woefully out of the American Idol loop. I am much more in the local queer talent loop and think Gab Bonesso would be a wonderfulacious emcee for Pridefest -- she's young, hip and have proven she can work a family oriented crowd really well.

My impression? They have good intentions and some significant resources. I would personally like to see the organization prioritize diversity and inclusivity among the leadership as well as the rank and file, but I certainly wish them well. It will be interesting to see what happens with the events and if they can take PrideFest to a new level -- is the event ready to take that leap?

One caveat. I dislike the rhetoric that builds up the new projects at the expense of those who came before. The GLCC took a bankrupt event and rejuvenated it. The GLCC board attempted to be diverse. The event wasn't perfect, but some of the "dawn of a new gay" rhetoric makes me cringe a bit. The GLCC is still our community center and if it isn't working for us, then we can make some changes (some are underway). I hope we don't toss out the baby with the bathwater in this regard.

Live Blogging My Tuesday Afternoon

Sue — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:59:23 -0500

3:15 PM Leave office and drop promotional literature off at several local businesses. Buy King Cake to share with office on Wednesday.

4:00 PM Arrive at Hoi Polloi. Artfully distribute promotional literature. Meet Jessica's other brother. Realize lack of eating since dinner on Monday so order curried pumpkin soup and grilled cheese sandwich.

4:15 PM Finish eating. Soup is OMG.

4:30 PM Read text of HB 1400 that was helpfully sent to me by Dan Frankel's staff. Try to find exactly how religious organizations get exempted from discriminating against queer people. Get confused.

4:45 PM Order a coffee beverage to kick start analytical skills. Delicious. Still confused.

4:50 PM Email contacts in gay politics to ask for help. Email Frankel's people for explanation. Email high school buddy to set up coffee date.

4:54 PM Support local business and local agricultural industry by ordering muffin.

4:55 PM No response from contacts in gay politics. Still confused. Coffee beverage still very hot.

L Word Party Sunday Night

Sue — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:05:06 -0500

Did you know the Firehouse Lounge was lesbian-friendly? I never thought about it one way or another. My class president was considering it for our 20th year reunion, but we went another direction. Maybe that's too bad ...anyway, if you want to hang out and watch the L-word, maybe this is an option. Let me know what it is like.

h/t to correspondent localmotionpgh

Gab Bonesso Needs New Friends

Sue — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:19:22 -0500

Last night, Ledcat and I tottered off to the Brillo Box to see our friend and gal-pal Gabrielle Bonesso's Christmas Comedy Special. On a school night. In a room filled with smoke. And, in spite of Ms. Gab's promises, not a single cookie in sight.

That's how much we love her.

Almost the entire lineup of local comics were twentysomething, underemployed, pudgy, poorly dressed young men with the age-typical obsession with bathroom behavior, getting high and saying "fuck" as many times as possible in one breath. It was the weirdest experience ... as if I was trapped in a room filled with the love children of Jim Belushi (yes, Jim and not John) and Seth Rogan. It was a scene right out of "Knocked Up."

My favorite moment was when this guy wearing one of those creepy Steeler man-dresses tried to explain why Christmas is a gay holiday and based his argument on Christmas lights being gay. Don't ask. I guess the homoerotic thrill of being wrapped in the man-sweaty embrace of Ben Roethlisberger's shirt cut off the supply of funny to his mouth. Or elsewhere. He gave up and didn't seem to appreciate my disapproving middle-age lesbian frown. Whatever. I have a job AND health insurance. He does look better than me in a dress, I have to say.

Actually, some of the comedians were funny. Gab shined even though she had to go home and go to bed early. The cello playing hottie was pretty amusing except for the fact that we could not quite discern the lyrics. I'd like to see her again only with a better sound system. Seth Rogan's younger brother was there and apparently he is quite the ad libber. I think there's another word for that, but it was pretty much like Mad-Libs with a lot of marijuana references and sad sack jokes about not getting laid. Ho hum.

The award for best-dressed and actually funniest comedian goes to ... Johnny Mac who pushed the envelope so far it came out looking like one of those fold up little swans, John significantly butched up the show to a full out metrosexual love fest. Even if he is a pervert. Ick, ick, ick. The social worker in me is APPALLED.

I did laugh, but on the drive home it occured to me that the reason I have never heard of any of these guys is that they just aren't that original. The jokes were pretty interchangeable and it seemed like they were really performing for each other. Which is fine, but not very creative. How hard is to make the long-haired stoner with the three day in a row hoodie and a really cool MySpace page laugh? Seriously. Toss one of these shlubs into a room filled with lesbians and let's see what they can do.

Just lose the man-dress, dude.

HandMade Arcade: Cool Crafts or Conspicuous Creation?

Sue — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:25:39 -0500

Ledcat and I rolled into Point Breeze today for the Handmade Arcade which is giant fair of handmade stuff held at Construction Junction.

Last year, I enjoyed the event with a few reservations, most notably about my number one bitch -- gigunda baby strollers. This year, the event was spread over two days and we intentionally waited until Sunday afternoon which was a major good decision on our part. We caught a decent parking space, nimbly side stepped the rude folks chit chatting at the front entrance and hit the tables.

I have to admit there was a ton of cool shit. Purses, wallets, headbands, tee shirts, belts, lotions, potions and more. We had a nice time just browsing the tables and chatting with the vendors.

We found a couple of gifts and I bought some soap for myself. Ledcat's mom told us to stop buying bottles of shower gel because of the plastic. So I'm going to try and go back to a bar of soap. I hate soap slime so this will be a real test for me. I bought soap that smells like cedar so it will sort of be like showering in my closet. Whatever.

Great improvements include expanding to two days (see above). Bringing in the Franktuary to provide sustenance was stellaer. There's something about a fair that demands a hotdog so I was glad to get one from a cool place. With chips. Something to think for next year -- a few tables so we could stand and put our stuff down and chow down quickly. Instead, we improvised with a recycling bins and the unusually large pockets in my sweatshirt. Think tables. Also, CoCos Cupcakes from Shadyside was there. Delish-us. I bought one to eat and a half dozen to take to my parents house for dinner. The map was helpful.

I was a little disappointed that so many of the crafts were duplicative and rather frou frou. I wrote this last year:

Here's a question I have. The article in the PG ran the following quote from an event organizer and I must be on slow-mo because I just don't get it:

"Its genesis was in alternative culture, and wanting to produce something just for the act of producing it, and to bring an artistic sensibility to that act of producing it," said another Arcade organizer, Elizabeth Prince, 31.

If we produce for the sake of production, then aren't we contributing to a consumption culture? Or is the assumption that things are produced NOT for consumption necessarily? But how could you afford to do it?

Event organizer, Gloria Forouzan responded in the comments section:

I believe that what my co-organizer, Elizabeth was saying in her quote, (“…wanting to produce something just for the act of producing it…”), is that indie crafters make crafts for the sheer joy of creating beautiful/funny/odd things with their hands.

I'm still not convinced. I understand that it is fun to create (or recreate) something, but I'm still wondering about the utility factor. Ledcat pointed out that you can't exactly make useful items such as kitchen utensils. But, I pointed out, you can make pot holders and placemats and napkins and dish towels. Something we use on a regular are throws for our sofa. Imagine a throw constructed from blue jeans with cool patches or stencils. We would buy something like that and use it. It just seems that making cool pretty useful things would be higher on the chain of socially conscious actions than cool pretty stuff you can really only look at.

Is there such a thing as conspicuous creation?

However, it was fine to attend and pick up some soap and a certain item that just might be a gift for Ledcat. We bumped into some gals about town. We had some amusing experiences with the dumpster divers when we dropped off our recycling. I don't think someone diving into a dumpster to go through discards should push aside someone bringing more discard offerings. Kind of like biting the hand that feeds you. Apparently, there was a run on nursing school handbooks from the University of Pittsburgh.

One of the vendors told me that only 10 or so of the vendors were local. What? Can that be true? She told me about another fun sounding event coming up -- I Made It! which seems to be this floating semi-regular event featuring all local DIYers. It is coming up on Saturday December 8 in Homestead. That is the worst possible week of the year for me, but the event goes until 8 PM so it might be doable.

Still, only ten local vendors? That just doesn't seem balanced. Someone fill me in.

If I'm going to do soap, it would be nice for it to be yinzer soap. :-)

I would say go to Handmade Arcade next year. Support your local crafters who are doing their part to reuse and spread a little beauty in the world. Have a hot dog and a cupcake (or two).

Queer Youth of Color Event at Chatham

Sue — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:08:06 -0400

This came via email. Tuesday, October 30 at Chatham, 7 PM. For more info:

Phone: 412-365-1100

E-mail: mbattle@chatham.edu or klesnock@chatham.edu