I am wrapping up this year on a high-note with a truly unexpected honor – inclusion of our blog in the Library of Congress archives. The United States Library of Congress has selected your website for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. We consider your website […]
My fiscal sponsorship relationship with Persad Center has formally ended. I made the decision earlier in the fall after two specific incidents made me aware beyond a shadow of a doubt that allying the #AMPLIFY and other community art projects with the current incarnation of Persad was both unhealthy and hurtful to my LGBTQ neighbors. […]
I was informed today that Persad Center faces a dire choice due to finances – either merge with the much larger Allies for Health + Wellbeing (formerly known as the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force) or face potential closure altogether. Without any timeframe for this, I have to make immediate decisions about my mental health treatment […]
This is part of a new occasional series exploring LGBTQ organizing in rural Pennsylvania communities. After our recent driving trip through the PA Wilds communities, I was impressed that after an almost complete lack of queer visibility, a slew of new LGBTQ projects unfolded in my feed – a Pride event in Elk County, a Pride parade […]
I can’t remember a world without the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. My family subscribed religiously to the PG and the Pittsburgh Press for my entire life. I have vivid memories of pouring through each section from the funny pages to the front pages. I even read the Want Ads just because they were there and being there […]
It’s Christmastime in 1944. War is raging and, here at home, a group of neighbors gathers at the VFW to make the most of what they have. This new original musical comedy, first staged in 2017, is back by popular demand and tells the story of an oddball friendship between a trio of singing sisters, […]
The workers at Persad Center, the LGBTQ mental health and community center founded in 1972, voted affirmatively to unionize with the United Steelworkers (USW) on Thursday, December 5, 2019. The Persad Staff Union now joins the ranks of other white collar workers including the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh employees. That’s an interesting aside given that […]
This is a post from contributing drag artist, E! The Dragnificent ~ Sue Twinkle! is an amazing kids drag variety show that lets kids express themselves the way that they thrive in performance. This annual show was founded by my mother, Dré Aliquo-Varela in August of 2014. The first-ever twinkle show was put on at […]
Enter now to win a free download of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording! As in Baz Luhrmann’s film, Moulin Rouge! The Musical celebrates some of the greatest popular music of the last 50 years. The stage musical features many of the iconic songs from the movie and also includes recent hits released since the movie premiered […]
Enter now to win a free download of Kesha’s “Raising Hell” (feat. Big Freedia) from her highly anticipated forthcoming album High Road, out January 10. Download/stream “Raising Hell” (feat. Big Freedia): http://smarturl.it/kRaisingHell High Road is available for pre-order NOW: http://smarturl.it/kHighRoad Facebook.com/kesha Twitter.com/kesharose Instagram.com/iiswhoiis Rulez You can enter as often as you like, but you can only win once […]
