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).

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.

RIP Miss Mona

Sue — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:53:41 -0400

Yesterday, I thought, was a tremendously sad day. Our beloved Mona who had fought cancer for 10 months and three days reached her final day. All the way to the vet, I kept hoping there was some alternate explanation, but no. We put her to sleep and I have all the usual comforting thoughts about her being "across the Rainbow Bridge" with her best friend Jack and her beloved veterinarian, John. She only had one bad day out of 10 months and three days and that wasn't painful, just her way of telling me it was time to let her go.

Today is a tremendously more sad day. There are reminders everywhere, in the most unexpected ways. The thump of her jumping off the bed. I didn't hear it today. Playing "Our Lady of the Bedcovers" (she made a cute Madonna) when I make the bed. The 300 minutes in the backyard deciding exactly which spot needed a spot-o-Mona. Her unparalled excitement, just quivering with anticipation, at the leftover canned catfood -- even if the cats were still eating the pre-leftover portion.

She fought a really good fight. She kept her weight up (even gaining a few pounds) through the whole chemotherapy. She was her usual self 99% of the time. She visited with her goof friends, Brenda and Michelle, last Friday and snagged some salmon.

Mona was a stray dog that had been hit by a car and taken to the vet clinic where John worked. Her hip was broken, but not her spirit. She came to be a foster with my family while I was in grad school and living with my parents. She "moaned and groaned" a lot because she was crated -- hence, Mona. She was a very vocal dog. I came home from class one day to find our family dogs locked in the backyard and Mona laying on my Dad as they ate some Saltines and watched the Cooking Channel. She was there to stay. And she never got over her fetish for saltines. Thanks, Dad.

Miss Mona had a brief career as an advice columnist and then became a blogger http://pghmona.blogspot.com. My dog behavior friend urged me to keep blogging about the adjustments of the other pets. So I'll try to do that. Amadeus and Alexander are confused. I let them sniff her collar and my clothes that I wore during the procedure. I know that gives them information, but they really are quite lost. Mona was definitely top dog. Debby (behavior friend) doesn't think either one will want to assume leadership so we are hoping that Simon Le Bon, the cat, is up to the challenge.

Considering he stretched out on the dog bed and wouldn't share with Deus, we might be on to something. Simon has now taken over Mona's bed in the corner of the room.

I had Miss Mona for nearly 10 years. She was the brightest, bestest dog ever. I hope everyone experiences that type of love and loyalty. I gotta go now.

Miss Mona 1997 - 2008

Media Outs Transwoman

Sue — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:14:09 -0500

In his brand spanking new blog, Slag Heap, the man called Potter critiques media coverage of the recent rescue of Rebecca Hare from being ensnared in the Allegheny River. Rebecca, who is homeless, had been staying along the riverside of the David Lawrence Convention Center and became trapped. She was rescued thanks to an astute convention center worker who heard her cries for help.

Thankfully, she was unharmed in the ordeal.

What's yet to be determined is how the ensuing media focus on her identity as a transwoman will impact her well-being. As Potter puts it:

Some reporters who covered the incident, however, were apparently still at sea.

The ensuing media hue and cry ranged from idiotic (referring to Rebecca as both a man and a woman in the same article) to the oh-so-obvious stupid (WDVE cackling about the price of a sex change versus the price of a home).

What I think Potter missed is a pretty critical point, namely that Pittsburgh media outed Rebecca Hare as a transwoman. However inadvertant, the bungling on the coverage of a story involving a person who happens to be a transwoman resulted in the entire region being informed of pretty intimate details of her life. Details that, on the face of it, have pretty much nothing to do with the story of saving a person who was living alongside the Convention Center.

Or do they?

A research study from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force indicates that LGBTQ kids -- yes, kids -- are disproportionately present among the general homeless population. It is not a big stretch to imagine that coming out to your family as trans might lead to being unwelcome in your home.

Similarly, an adult transitioning might experience unwelcomeness at the workplace or even the loss of a job in states that don't protect people based on gender identity or gender presentation. Loss of a job is a factor leading to homelessness.

An adult might experience similar unwelcomeness among family, even spouses, who aren't receptive to the news about their loved one. Loss of a support system is a factor leading to homelessness.

An adult might also cope with societal transphobia by turning to drugs and alcohol, also factors leading to homelessness.

My point is that the reasons Rebecca Hare ended up living alongside the David Lawrence Convention Center may very much indeed be connected to her identity as a transwoman, but none of the media coverage was intended to explore that connection, was it? Any follow up stories on the trans-friendliness of local homeless shelters, especially those administered by faith based organizations? Nope. We just get stupid jokes reducing gender transition to a sex change operation and comparing it with rising property rates.

What if Rebecca's family doesn't know she's living as a woman? What has happened to her since her rescue -- is she okay? Is she somewhere where she's being treated well? Is she okay with the repercussions that everyone in the tri-state area knows she is a transwoman?

One almost thinks the Post-Gazette should pick up the tab for a safe place for her to stay.

ps: I have been in touch with people that have connected with Rebecca to ask if there's anything we can do to help her. If you want to help, email me.

Larry Craig Doll says "I Am Not Gay"

Sue — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:24:16 -0500

Ledcat really wants one of these ...

Apparently, you can bend his feet into all sorts of positions ...

Last year it was this ...

She is once again bound for disappointment.

Do we earn the privilege of being gay?

Sue — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:50:15 -0400

From today's Post-Gazette, a letter written by Kurt Colborn of Swisshelm Park:

I have to agree with Sen. Larry Craig's claim that he is not gay. People have forgotten that "gay" is a term of liberation. Being gay means having the maturity to accept yourself as you are. It also means having the courage to represent yourself honestly to the world. Not all homosexual men are deserving of the term "gay."

Sen. Craig is not gay. He's just a coward. He should spare us bearing witness to his thousand deaths by reversed pleas and canceled resignations ("Craig Vows to Remain in Senate," Oct. 5). He should slink quietly away to be forgotten.

While I agree that Craig is a coward, the gay v homosexual debate is the interesting point. Homosexual is the preferred term utilized by the right wingnuts (especially the Christian wingnuts) to demonize persons who are LGBTQ. They've taken a rather scientific term, skipped right over the "human" syllables and loaded it with all sorts of sexually inappropriate connotations to make us less human and more "other."

In reclaiming the terms "gay" and "queer", the LGBTQ community has made tremendous strides liberating ourselves from a heteronormative society that does often, in fact, demonize us. Being gay is different that identifying as gay. I've heard this theme pop up in quite a few different contexts in the recent past here in my day to day queer life.

Hipster heterosexuals appropriating the term queer when queer identity does not include heterosexuals. Queer is not about being hip (or ironic). It is politco-cultural identity.

A related issue is heterosexual women identifying as bisexual for the purposes of fitting in (and hooking up) with queer women. This blurs the lines for actual bisexual women (see below). However, there is also the issues around using women for sexual gratification and/or exploration which is a patriarchal tool especially icky in the hands of other women.

Bisexual women have a tough time laying claim to being part of the LGBTQ community because of our long-standing division into the gay men and the lesbians. There's a suspicion that bisexual women partnered with a man (straight or bisexual identified themselves) are just "playing" at being gay or trying to have their cake and eat it, too. I'm not sure if gay men feel the same way about bisexual men, but I suspect it is not so much an issue.

Read a few recent posts for an example of the challenges of gay identity for transgender men and women.

The battle over amending ENDA to eliminate gender identity and gender orientation goes far beyond political expediency to tap into notions of who "deserves" to be part of the gay club.

For our local community, the inherent issue truly is about identity and there's a heightened scrutiny of the motives and even the legitimacy of assuming gay identity solely based on sexual preferences.

Personally, I haven't been victimized in any sense by someone pretending to be gay. The closest I came was one date with a bisexual woman who decided she had to date a man to please her parents. I have no clue about the "validity" of her identity as bi and, frankly, didn't care b/c she was a double-dipper <gross!> and that meant no second date from my point of view anyway. I have three friends who are bisexual - two are with men and one with a woman. It never occurs to me to question their gay identity and knowing them makes me a bit more sensitive to making sure of the B in titles and terms. As for the men, the only thing that bothers me is their reluctance to accept the whole bisexual identity thing. That only happens in one case. That makes me feel sad, but it doesn't impact the authenticity of the woman. Nor does it make me feel like the dates I had with her were less than authentic.

I would be annoyed by the hipsters, but I gotta wonder how blurry the line can be between heterosexual supporters and those questioning if they might be gay. It certainly seems blurry in the opposite direction, with plenty of women exploring life as a heterosexual women while working through our identities. At least, that more closely mirrors my own experience, rather than saying I was simply closeted or in denial or some other explanation that solidly defines my sexual orientation during the years I lived as a heterosexual woman. I would say hanging around gay people, spending time at their events and being supportive is completely different than soliciting sex in a bathroom stall or crawling through a bar looking for a woman to deceive.

That being said, it makes sense that queer men and women resent their identity being co-opted. If that were my scene, I might feel differently. But my scene is very hetero-mixed and filled with lots of straight men.

So, the gay identity is hotly contested even within the community. Those of us on the inside understand how nuanced and diverse we are, but, to the larger population, it is one big mass of homosexuals - supporters and opponents alike. I sort of like identifying Craig as a homosexual man, be he bi or gay, while stating that he has not claimed identity as a gay man (or a bi man).

Debate over trans inclusion is creating fissures at the national level, too.

Sue — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:02:34 -0400

You may have been keeping up, via blog or email, with the ongoing debate around the local lesbian community's acceptance and inclusion of transwomen. It has been contentious and brought to light some long-standing fissures around gender identity that fall loosely along generation lines -- almost a second wave v third wave debate, but not quite.

What's clear is that the "T" in our homo-alphabet soup is not valued as highly as the "L" and the "G." The Community Center includes T and B in their mission statement, but not their name. The Gay & Lesbian Film Society changed their name, but still ignored the T and B folks. What gives with that?

The only folks who seem to be consistently affirming persons who identify as transgender or bisexual are the Queers and Lord knows that's a whole other chapter in the book of gay inclusiveness.

Even though I mock, I am concerned about these divides. As I discussed elsewhere on this blog, I just don't understand why so many lesbians refuse to allow a transwoman to define her own gender identity. When is a woman woman enough to be a lesbian? That's the heart of the matter and how on earth are we going to start a constructive dialogue among local LGBTQ leaders ...I haven't seen any "leaders" step up to the plate on this debate. They are either laying low, afraid to take a public stance or they don't care. Except for Ehrrin Keenan. She has taken a stance, spoken out and she's absolutely a leader in our community. Thank Goddess.

Its not exactly a silver lining, but Pittsburgh is right in line with a large-scale national debate about trans inclusiveness. There's a national piece of legislation called the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that would extend federal protections in the workplace to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It had a good chance at passing which is great (even though Bush vowed to veto).

This legislation was the result of much hard work on the part of national organizations, including transgender organizations, who worked with legislators to educate them about the importance of these protections. This was a tough sell, but our national leaders worked in harmony to make it happen.

Until ...the sentiment that overriding a veto would require abandoning gender discrimination began making the rounds and Congressman Barney Frank (yes, you read that right) was prepared to introduce a stripped down version of ENDA, with the support of Speaker Pelosi. Our national leaders began howling, knowing full well that there would be no "coming back" to the issue to include gender identity once it passed.

Except .. fissures have begun to appear. Pelosi and Frank agreed to postpone marking up the substitute bill to appease leaders. Then one of the big MacDaddies in the community, the Human Rights Campaign, issued a murky statement that basically reads that while they aren't signing on to sponsor the watered-down bill they aren't going to work against it.

WTF?

Today, the only transgender member of the HRC Board, Donna Rose, has stepped down. Her statement is here.

Pam Spaulding writes:

To turn on one another advances nothing. HRC, no matter what opinion one holds of the org, these folks do the work on the Hill. Where did the gauging of ENDA as a do-able priority (say over DADT repeal, which seems much more do-able), gain traction?
In any case, this whole "family fight," is undermining the long view of equality. There are no winners in this kind of a backstabbing event, where LGBs can be seen doling out horrible anti-T bigotry in the comments of blogs. I can only hope that Donna will reconsider this decision, but I have great respect for her efforts to represent the T perspective to the HRC board.

It does seem that repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would be more politically viable, so Pam asks a good question.

Can the national organizations wade through this? I'm on a national LGBT email list with some pretty heavy hitters and I have to admit I'm a little concerned.

Pam also flips the local cries of "foul" on their head. Here in da Burgh, I've experienced multiple incidents of LGB's decrying the publicity of our "family fight" or airing the dirty laundry as a few have put it. Many women are absolutely incensed, even livid, that other women are criticizing Celebrate the Night, accusing us (yep, I've been included) of hurting the lesbian community. Others, such as myself, are appalled when women insist on referring to a transwoman as "he."

The local debate has quickly escalated into a polarizing L v T situation, even though most of the T defenders are, in fact, Ls. Confusing, no? I think there are far more women who support CTN's decision to exclude Jessi as well as their understanding of transwomen than there are those who support the views I espouse. I wish it weren't so.

There is some good news, namely that discussion and conversation continue. Emilia is organizing a podcast. Another local woman set up an email list to encourage ontological exploration of gender identity issues (I have to admit the level of discourse left me in the dust about four posts into the discussion so I stopped reading ...). While some women aren't comfortable having some transwomen attend women-only spaces, they acknowledge that these same transwomen shouldn't lose their jobs because of gender identity.

I've been feeling a bit discouraged this whole situation. No one attacks me with the venom and deadly aim of local lesbians. Not the Christians, the right wing nuts, the Ice Cream twin defenders, the Santorum lovers. Not even the Anarchists with whom I am often at odds. No one does nasty condescension and disrespect like a lesbian, especially one taking the time to post a comment informing me that no one gives a shit what I have to say. :-) The comments don't get me down. It is the fear that most lesbians share those views about trans inclusion that is so discouraging. If they share those views about people giving a shit about me, its all good. Blog hits are blog hits.

Pam's post has me ruminating about my discouragement and I am vowing to turn my attitude around. There's good stuff happening. I'm hangin with some cool chicks on Saturday night. People are writing letters to the editor in the City Paper that will clarify the fissure described above and I gotta think that sort of exposure to the light can only help heal the wound. I'm going to rededicate myself to covering trans issues and highlighting the impact of overarching issues on transmen and transwomen.

In fact, I've been asked to submit a question or two as part of an interesting new blogger debate, focusing on the Mayoral race. Maybe that's the opportunity to put my money where my keyboard is ...

As for ENDA, it would be a tragedy if we left our trans sisters and brother behind. Easy for me to say because I live in a City where employment protections exist for me and state protections may not be far behind (see earlier post about Frankel). I personally believe it is better to pull back on the legislation and educate, educate, educate on gender identity while perhaps putting some energy into passing DADT.

Hopefully, Pittsburgh and ENDA will move forward to create a community that values everyone in the alphabet soup.

Deconstructing Jessi - Why Pgh's Lesbian Community Owes One Woman an Apology

Sue — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:00:26 -0400

For the past 24 hours, I've mulled over the best approach to this post updating you about the discrimination experienced by Jessi Seams, a local transwoman, when she attempted to audition for a women's variety show. This week, the City Paper's feature article is thoughtful exploration of this specific incident in the context of larger debates over gender identity, trans-inclusion and the LGBTQ community.

A prominent local gay male told me he was unhappy the story was being published because it aired "the dirty laundry" of the community. While I get where he is coming from, this is problematic thinking, even dysfunctional -- the problem isn't that we have dirty laundry, it is that people know we have it. That perspective doesn't help those who are oppressed within our community. Well, now the readers of the City Paper know that all is not right in the land of the homos. Surprise!

I'm struggling to find the right words. I am very angry with some of the women in the local lesbian/queer women's community. Angry and disappointed at their narrow-minded, bigotry and amazed at the vitriol they spew in Jessi's direction. These chicks have mounted a self-righteous attack based on the supposition that Jessi wants to have her cake (live part-time as a man) and eat it, too (live part-time as a woman). They are so absolutely fucking terrified that anyone even associated with a penis might invade their woman only space that they've elevated this one particular transwoman into some sort of spy for the patriarchy (h/t to Jess Snodgrass).

It all comes down to these particular lesbians and their circle of small-minded cohorts having the privilege of self-determination (as lesbians) while women such as Jessi and her male-born counterparts do not. Period.

Here are a few examples:

We'll call this one "Double Amen"

I'm curious...I read the article in the City Paper and Emilia is quoted as saying,

"You're Jessi, period," Lombardi says, gazing at her. "She's my girlfriend."

However, Jessi does not live as a woman at work or even around his own family according to the article.

So, my question is this....If you say someone is your girlfriend during the "night hours" or when you're in a bar, etc...yet they live as a man when they are at work and when they are around their own family, are they then considered your boyfriend?

Just curious is all....

That is probably the most ridiculous and disrespectful statement I've read all week. If this sensibility reflects the CTN fan base, perhaps Jessi is better off (as are the rest of us).

In another stunning example of uncritical thought, one woman thinks the City Paper and Jessi are *creating* fissures in the local gay community. In one long rant, she condemns Jessi for taking advantage of the economic benefits of being male in her work life, demonstrates total ignorance of the reality of life as a transwoman or transman, and continues to blindly defend CTN without even remotely addressing the very real questions many, many women have been asking. She does make use of lots of hyperbole. At least, I think this is hyperbole.

Furthermore, the consequences are deadly. United we stand,
divided we fall.

For example, I have never seen a trans-janitor at any Celebrate the Night
event! This kind of slanderous attack puts the ONLY women-centered,
non-smoking, non-alcoholic event in the city at risk.

However, s/he has chosen to slander the community that I hold dear in attempt to elevate her own position and that is inexcusable

It is preposterous to claim that these fissures around gender identity and inclusion have just somehow appeared in what was previously a harmonious, united community. I guess if you dwell in the land of white, middle-class gay male and lesbian privilege, perhaps it was. One needs only take a look at the composition of the board of our own community center to recognize that inclusiveness is not our strong suit. For a lot of reasons that are much bigger than the current individuals serving on that board. I used to be one of them and making those types of institutional changes wasn't an easy challenge to tackle. I left so I have to shoulder some of the responsibility for not achieving institutional change.

So what do you think? Does Jessi get to determine her own gender-identity? Should CTN conduct background checks on performers? Would your own history on the Internet stand up to scrutiny? Could you, perhaps, be found less worthy because you don't conform to rigid norms of behavior, sexual or otherwise?

More importantly, of course, can Pittsburgh's LGBTQ community successfully navigate the fallout from illuminating our failure to include transwomen and transmen in our institutions, social and otherwise? We can't even admit it! We can't even admit the possibility of it!

I just truly do not understand how lesbians who have lived partially closeted at work, with their family (extended or not), in the bowling league, at church, or wherever --- how can these very lesbians be so damn judgmental of Jessi living part of her life as a man. How can they not see any parallel?

I'm perplexed. I'm angry. I'm frustrated. I've been invited to participate in a podcast discussion on the topic and I'm looking forward to exploring these issues in a context where people can at least muster up the respect to use appropriate pronouns. I suppose I shouldn't condemn people for being disrespectful when I myself have contemplated slowly strangling any lesbian who ever again whines about the demise of Bloomers, CJ's or any other lesbian bar all the while hoping a new woman-only establishment would magically fall from the sky and not require female-born female loving patrons to buy anything other than a free-refill coke to be financially viable. Strangling in a purely hypothetical sense, of course. Ledcat does not approve, being a fan of Bloomers herself.

That being said, if you still want to hang out and eat Asian food with Jessi, Emilia and some other cool chicks a week from Saturday, email me and I'll give you the specifics. It won't be a lesbian owned establishment, but the food is great and cheap.

Photo Exhibit Focuses on Queer Black Life in Pgh

Sue — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:06:52 -0400

Not a very exciting headline, I admit. I'm a little tired this morning, but I've been meaning to blog about this exhibit for a few days so I need to get down to it.

Teenie Harris. You may have heard of him -- photographer, documentarian of life in the Hill District for nearly 30 years (30's - 60's) which was, as you know, a period of intense socio-economic, cultural and demographic change. Harris exhibits are nothing new for Pgh, but this one provides a unique glimpse into what is generally assumed to be an anomaly in Pittsburgh - historical queer black life.

What's even more interesting is that these photographs are not from hidden little corners frequented by furtive members of Pittsburgh's African-American community. No, this was an integrated scene wheer queer members were part of the larger culture, not separate from it. From the City Paper:

While clubs such as Little Paris, the Loendi Club and even the famed Crawford Grill weren't necessarily gay-owned or specifically gay clubs, they hosted cross-dressing performers and welcomed a gay audience. In some photos in Carryin' On, in fact, female impersonators are backed up by legends of jazz and R&B, likely after their pay-gigs let out: R&B singer Sonny Hines, legendary drummer Joni Wilson, pianist Roy Hamilton. In one of Tines' favorite photos, a car, bedecked in streamers and toting a huge speaker on its roof, drives slowly along in one of the Hill's annual parades. On the car's hood, two drag queens bear a sign: "Meet Me at Little Paris."

The exhibit is the brainchild of Deryck Tines who serves as guest curator for the exhibit. Tines plans to work with local photographers to document today's queer scene for a planned "Then and Now" exhibit in 2008. (Tell your queer photographer friends.)

I really like this particular photograph. There's just this lovely fusion of flamboyance and ordinariness that makes me actually believe the rest of the story about the integration and acceptance of queer black community within the larger cultural context of the Hill District.

The exhibit runs through September 2 at the Andy Warhol Museum over here on the North Side. We are absolutely going to catch it and I must say the articles in the PG and the City Paper have prodded me to make that happen sooner rather than later.

I'm really interested in Deryck's plans to capture the current queer scene. I wonder what the photographers are going to document? Most of the "images" the media feeds us involve this perception that the African-American community is highly homophobic. The City Paper did a stunningly awful job on that front in April of 2006 <how can you write about the local gay black experience without including local gay black women?>

My African-American friends deny that is true and regale me with stories about their parental generations mingling freely with gay individuals. I'm sure my slice of friends are not representative b/c of the fact that they are friends with a lesbian, but still there's this dischotomy. That's my new word ... dischordant + dichotomy = dischotomy.

What should be really interesting is if Deryck's photographers examine the younger queer community and the older gay and lesbian community. I wonder what differences, if any, would crop up?

Anyway, check out the exhibit and stay tuned for more from Deryck Tines. Maybe next year, the City Paper will have found a few local gay black women to interview <just kidding, Chris.>

Correspondent Covers City Council Hearing.

Sue — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:38:55 -0400

I was busy today at the City Council hearing on the promotions of three police officers with domestic violence histories (or allegations). I live blogged for the Pittsburgh Women's Blogging Society. You can start here and scroll back through nine posts.

While local LGBT activist Billy Hileman showed up to testify, I was somewhat stunned that no other LGBT leaders were there to at least put the issue of same-sex intimate partner violence on the table. In the usual scenario, victims of same-sex domestic violence are hesitant to contact the police for fears stemming from perceived homophobia ... they won't be believed, they won't be treated fairly, etc. Imagine the deeper chilling effect upon LGBT couples living in Zone 2 where Commander Trosky now presides? Or having someone show up at your door who is in the news for assaulting his own daughter?

So, I wonder why no one from Persad testified at this hearing?

Pittsburgh's Slant on Kids of Gay Parents

Sue — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:17:56 -0400

I am really, really tired tonight so I will definitely not give this justice. However, I've already had two inquiries asking me if I'm going to post about the Post-Gazette article on gay parenting. So here is my post.

Click here for the article and wonderful sidebars.

A few points of interest ...

* The existing research does not suggest children are harmed growing up with gay parents.

* There is not good research comparing children of heterosexual parents versus children of homosexual parents.

* The existing research focuses on upper-middle class white homosexual families, most of whom have adopted their children or concieved their children within their domestic partnership. The intersection of race and class have not yet been accounted for in the research.

Census figures show that about 45 percent of same-sex parents are either black or Latino. And most of those same-sex couples with children have household incomes below that of their different-sex married counterparts.

It stands to reason that when you factor in race, socioeconomic status, blended families, etc things would get dicey --- just like they do in heterosexual families.

This is an important article because it reveals that, yes, Pittsburgh has all sorts of families, including homosexual families. Check out PrideFest this Saturday and you'll see many strollers amongst the crowd. And I'm really proud of the young people who agreed to be interviewed, although I am very curious why their respective parents declined.

Some of my Kennywood compatriots were betting how long it will take until the right wingnut letters are published. Stay tuned b/c you know I'll cover them.

Buffy Sing-A-Long This Friday -- How Very Gay!

Sue — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:31:36 -0400

The search for weapons of heterosexual destruction -- Mary Cheney's baby garners yet another opinion piece

Sue — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 18:53:28 -0500

The PG ran an interesting commentary by Slate's William Saletan who contemplates the oft-cited but never actually proven claim that homosexuals are not fit parents.

The 30-year search for proof that gay parents are destructive looks a lot like the hunt for WMD.

Saletan uses the conception and pregnancy of Mary Cheney to illustrate his point that there's simply no proof that gays make bad parents. There's a lot of date however, that heterosexual men do a lot of damage to children than lesbians. If you want to rely on averages to make parenting decisions as in who should and should not parent.

If you're going to base family policy on averages, the chief problem isn't stepparents; it's men. That's what "pro-family" groups keep covering up. According to Focus on the Family, "increased risks of physical and sexual child abuse at the hands of non-biological parents are another serious concern for same-sex families." Nope, not for lesbians. The latest study the group cites actually concludes that the "key risk factors are living with a stepfather or the mother's boyfriend." Of 55 child deaths reviewed in the study, the number caused by a stepmother or by a biological mother in a stepfamily or live-in relationship was zero.

I don't think Mary's pregnancy warrants all this attention. The fact that she is a dyke is more than mitigated by the fact that she's the daughter of an incredibly rich and powerful white man. I'm sure she'll be able to raise a child of privilege in a manner befitting any other uptown chic. Now what would be interesting is if Heather were to be the biological parent b/c then Mary would have no legal relationship with their child (they live in Virginia). Regardless, Mary and Heather could spawn a dozen children between them and still have no clue of what life is like for the average homosexual parent. And as long as they support a President who embraces the wingnuts, they deserve no kudos for gay milestones.

Back to William's piece ...

You want to protect kids? Here's my proposed constitutional amendment: "Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union involving at least one woman."
Or you could just let Mary Cheney raise her child in peace.

Amen.

Escaping Thanksgiving Unscathed But With A Lot of Dirty Dishes

Sue — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 08:34:41 -0500

That's right ... I served Stove Top stuffing for our Thanksgiving dinner and I make no apologies. :-) I bought an organic free-range turkey, mashed potatoes like there was no tomorrow, and baked the ancient-family recipe Date Nut Pudding from scratch. So I took a few shortcuts in other areas. I think all the organic goodness cancels out the stuffing slur. I should have bought organic stuffing, but I didn't think that quickly on my feet. I'll put my early morning slicing of dates against your onion and celery dicing any day of the week....

Gay turkey celebrations are always interesting. At best, you have the usual two family balance to master. We spent actual Turkey Day with Ledcat's family which was vastly entertaining due to the adorable antics of the 11 month old niece. Especially when she was staring entranced at 97 year old great-grandpa as he napped in his chair. Plus, there was homemade pecan pie. Now that's Thanksgiving. Friday my family came to our abode for dinner. No baby, but I did get to watch my 110 lb dogs act like total fools over my 100 lb grandma -- she's like the Pied Piper of dogs. Today, I want a cheeseburger ....

No matter how crazy and hectic and stuffing-challenged the holiday, I am thankful that between Ledcast and I we have three 90something grandparents still celebrating with us.

Amen.

Trib's Mike Seats Opens the Closet Door

Sue — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 09:45:40 -0500

Long-time gay admirer (nothing wrong with that) and Tribune-Review columnist Mike Seate outed his Aunt Mary in his newspaper column. And her "housemate" Ms. Lillian. They along with long-suffering Uncle Bernie live in Harlem which presumably is not part of the Trib's distribution area. Hopefully, Ms. Lillian doesn't suft the net on her Blackberry.

Like Florida's disgraced Republican congressman Mark Foley and evangelical Christian leader Ted Haggard, Aunt Mary and Ms. Lillian were sharing space in society's largest walk-in closet.
Lately, it seems, they have an awful lot of company.
Let's see a show of hands from folks who spent Election Night wondering how bans against gay marriage could succeed as a ballot issue in seven states when so many of our public figures and elected officials seem to be in the life themselves.

Paging Robert Traynham! Mike, the homos have been screaming about the hypocricy for years. Check out Mike Roger's blog www.blogactive.com for a long list of "openly gay" Republicans who want to have their cake and eat it too (there is something wrong with that.). I'm glad the heteros are waking up to this.

Without naming names, I can think of a half-dozen local politicians who are well-known in gay and lesbian circles, though the lifestyle they present to voters is more hetero than the crowd at a Ted Nugent bow-hunting seminar.
And for each of those closeted gay power-brokers, I can think of twice that many local notables I've unexpectedly run into at local gay bars and parties. Yeah, I know -- you're wondering what I was doing there myself, but I swear I favor gay bars for the ambience.

Yep, they get forced out of the closet by scandal and intrigue. No one political is walking out voluntarily or proudly. And yet there's subtle pressure in the LGBT community to support our "family" who still cling to the love that dares not speak its name mentality. Maybe we should spend a little less time speculating about Melissa Hart's sexual orientation and a little more time talking honestly with our known gay comrades about their reluctance to come out. However, this being Western Pennsylvania where you can't swing a duck without hitting a "pro-life" Democrat, I suspect our good friends will keep their beards firmly in place.

I'd like to nominate Pennsylvania as the first state in the union to honor a Coming Out Day. We could lead the country with an observance when all closeted gay, lesbian and transgender Pennsylvanians can openly, freely admit who they are without fear of recriminations, judgments or any more of those sideways glances that say, "Isn't it about time you stopped with the 'my special friend and roommate' business?"
It's a simple concept. Straight people could mind their own business. Gay people wouldn't have to hide, lie or resign their political posts.

I was going to laugh uproariously at this suggestion from a Trib writer until I realized that Mike's columns are plucking away at the homo-contempt so rampant in this part of the state. Most people have an Aunt Mary and Ms. Lillian in their family. I just happen to be the Aunt Mary with my own Ms. Ledcat. Minus the oblivious husband and Tanqueray gin.

Pennsylvania recognizing National Coming Out Day would be a welcome event. I'm sure the AFA of PA would have a field day with that one and issue at least 13 poorly worded press releases asking people for money and to pray (in that order). That I would enjoy. But it would be more a celebration of being out for those of us who are rather than an opportunity for real dialogue with those in the closet. The perceived risk is too great.

So they'll continue to take advantage of the private parties and social events AND campaign contributions while we continue to take the risks of living out and proud in a less than fully tolerant society. Sounds fair, right?

FYI, National Coming Out Day is October 11.

Movie About Heroic Gay Chaplain to be shown on 9/11

Sue — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:15:23 -0400

h/t Post-Gazette

A documentary about the Rev. Mychal F. Judge, a gay chaplain with the New York Fire Department who died on 9/11, will be screened in Pittsburgh on Sept. 11.

Ian McKellen narrates "Saint of 9/11," which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. All five festival screenings were sold out.

An obituary published at the time said the chaplain died amid a rain of debris as he went to the Twin Towers to minister to victims. He was 68 and lived in a Franciscan friary across from a firehouse.

His head was struck by debris, according to friars at the Holy Name Province of the Franciscan Friars. Firefighters carried his body to St. Peter's Church on Barclay Street, then to the firehouse, in a scene captured in a memorable Reuters photo.

When TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island in 1996, Judge helped console families of victims. Not long before his death, he went to Northern Ireland on a peace mission with a New York police officer who had been shot and left paralyzed.

The Pittsburgh showing of the documentary, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Lesbian and Gay Film Society and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, will be at the Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave., North Oakland. The 90-minute movie will start at 7:30 p.m. on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Admission, $5, will benefit the Shepherd Wellness Center. Firefighters and members of the clergy will be admitted for free, with proof of identification.

Preacher o' Hate Targets Johnstown Gay Bar

Sue — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:44:11 -0400

A group of wingnut bigots has been picketing Lucille's, a Johnstown gay bar for the past several months. The group's leader, self-styled Anabaptist Preacher Ron McRae, has an illustrious career of hating everyone from Catholics to Mormons to everyone's favorite group, the homos. From the City Paper report, it appears McRae worships at the feet of Fred Phelps.

The pickets began the first weekend in July, and have taken place on Friday or Saturday nights. There have been at least seven so far, and McRae has attended most, along with four to 10 other protesters. McRae did not respond to a request for comment.

“Some of the women [patrons] are very upset — [picketers] call them hogs,” Schnur says. And the preachers’ group has targeted one slim male patron with, “Hey, skinny boy, do you have AIDS?” he adds. They’ve also brandished a sign reading “Sodomites, burn in hell.”

Christianity in action, folks - demeaning and slandering people. Good to know Jesus is in their hearts.

The bar's owner, Tom Schnur, has worked with local police and the Human Relations Commission to contain the protestors, carefully trying not to add wind to their sails. Here's hoping boring the protestors will prove fruitful.

Why does everyone ask me if Yarone Zober is gay?

Sue — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:53:16 -0400

Every single day for the past month (or more) someone has found their way to this little blog by typing the keywords Yarone + Zober + Gay into various search engines. MSN, Yahoo, Google, Ask.com, Dogpile ... you name it, they've surfed here ....

The answer is I don't know. He was recently married and is, according to MacYapper, now getting divorced and living temporarily with Jim Ferlo. Does that make him gay? Nope. Does it make him not gay? Nope. Do I think its worth contemplating? Not particularly.

But PghLesbian is now like the Magic 8 Ball on homo issues. I get all sorts of strange inquiries looking for gay data on assorted Pgh notables ... asking about assorted Steelers, state and local politicians, media mavens, and sometimes an actually openly gay person. And many, many such inquiries on Rick Santorum.

Stop trying to put all these uncomfortable heterosexual people in our closet! You spawned them, you have to learn to live with them. Don't kick them to the curb and think we'll be happy to take them in. Not every homophobe is a self-loathing closet case. Sometimes they are just jerks who should know better.