September 2009 marks my debut article with Cue Pittsburgh, the region's newest LGBT publication. A glossy magazine (think Whirl with more tiaras, fewer furs), Cue's success shows that Pittsburgh's community really is expanding in multiple directions.
I was asked to pen a piece about local florist and gourmet gift entrepreneur, K.S. Kennedy. You've read my account of his resurrection after a devastating fire. In this piece, I chose to focus in on a new fascination for me — the emergence of mini community “hubs” instead of a “gay” neighborhood. A Pleasant Present in Squirrel Hill is a great example as would be several local gay bars, including Cattivo's emergence as a lesbian hub.
What's unique about the hubs is the creation of a safe, affirming space combined with integration into the larger community. What I notice about Cattivo is the constant influx of neighborhood folks seeking pizza (ah, that pizza). Long gone are the days of South Hills brats lesbian baiting outside of CJs. Pop into A Pleasant Present for some rainbow merchandise and you'll inevitably bump into some very straight shoppers enthralled with the latest cool gift Michael has on display. Get your hair done at Veraldi's Salon in Oakland and the same thing happens, albeit with a little bit of a feminist/vegetarian/Buddhist twist.
The same is true of K.S. Kennedy Gourmet Gift and Floral. We started shopping there because we learned he sold fair trade roses and wanted to support family. Fast forward 10 months and he's a dear friend. We drop in to check out the new merchandise, pick up fair trade organic coffee, get the neighborhood scoop and ALWAYS meet new people, gay and straight.
When Pittsburgh's OUT offered me a chance to co-host a vodcast (is that really a word – so awkward) with Ledcat, the first person I called was Kerry. He was thrilled for us and threw out a dozen ideas that would benefit lesbians around the region. And it was Kerry who urged Joe at CUE Pittsburgh to offer me the chance to write the piece. Yes, folks, you can work for multiple media outlets and be fully committed to building both into powerhouses. It is called freelancing.
That's the kind of community support we need to continue building and I honestly think it is going to come from the hubs tucked here and there about the region. The Gay & Lesbian Community Center would be well served to tap into that neighborhood power to create channels of communication.
Check out the new issue of CUE Pittsburgh. Check out the new issue of Pittsburgh's OUT.
And definitely check out our new vodcast Sister ShOUT! on Out Online this coming Sunday night. Kerry will be watching!
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I've seen this magazine, but never picked it up when I saw Marsha Mellow was a columnist. When are the papers and magazines going to realize the day of the diva bar bitch and the porn crawlers are far behind us. People want to read stories about real gay people, not charicatures.
The website is a little slick. I found the article about the flower shop. That's nice. If I lived on the Northside, I'd order flowers there.
But I'm not supporting a foul mouthed anti-lesbian drag queen who pulls us down.
When I think gay owned, I think bars. I don't think about my dry cleaner or the bakery down the street. That's a great angle. I can see an online interactive map with the hubs highlighted and voted on by the community, not the advertising dollars.
This is great, Sue. Congratulations.
What are the links to find Cue and OUT all the time? I agree buying the news is better, but you know how we internet nerds are about the online. Plus I doubt the vodcast in the print edition of OUT is very good.
@Been around the block.
I really must agree with you.
as a professional entertainer, I would NEVER use foul language directed to the audience (referring to them as MF's). why would anyone go to see anyone that calls them MF's?
also, I am a trans-woman and resent the automatic assumption that I am anything like the person or caricature that is on stage.
I have left the venues during these shows before.
but I shall read the magazine to determine its worth, whilst skipping over said column.
I just watched the video from the Warhol Event and I think Tony might be full of crap. They have some drunken fool screaming “faggots” into the camera. Even if the drunk guy has no idea where he is, the OUT crew had to know they were surrounded by the best and the brightest in the gay media world. If Out TV is so revolutionary, why would they put that stupidity in their video instead of talking to Michelangelo Signorile? It is an embarrassment that they put that up on their website and then expect us lesbians to suddenly think they are turning things around. That was less than a month ago, Tony. You couldn't edit out the drunk jerk or you didn't want to?
Who wants that to be the first thing NetRoots Nation folks see when the visit our local media sites?
I think this whole show is going to be a disaster, no offense.
I'm surprised either showed up at a Lambda event. They both talk tough about seeing right through the DF but they are kept men. Let's just sit back and wait for some new story to break about the DF and women and see if Tony has the balls to let his “lesbian show” cover it.
Sue. You are a smart woman. Why would you believe this is anything but a joke? Their major advertisers hate you. It makes no sense they would invite you to do a show.
They really do hate you, but that will make for good podcasts. What are they going to do if you bring in new viewers – complain?
Joe is a nice guy. Tony is a nice guy. They are fighting over the same advertising dollars. That can't be easy.
This is in regard to the comment about Out posting the video from the LGBT blogging event. First we were the only LGBT people there covering the event via video. Also, Out TV and Gay Life TV's job is to show you what we encounter. The guy you are talking about in the video is from the G-Spod which is a popular podcast here in Pittsburgh. We wanted to show you what his podcast was like. You did not mention the other interviews we did that night. We did interview the type of people you said we did not. Also, it is not our job to decide what you should see. We show you the news we gather the good and the bad. The interviews and our presents at that event was not to try to get in with or impress lesbians or anyone. We do not even think like that. We were there so Jason had some content for the Pridecast show. Our broadcast is trying to give even coverage to everyone, and we are not trying to impress anyone…we are tying to impress everyone. Keep Watching!
As a lesbian, the whole point is that I want something different than what they have to offer now. That's why CUE started up isn't it? To offer something different for gay men. A lesbian magazine isn't going to cut it in Pittsburgh, so OUT has an opportunity to create what is basically a lesbian talk show.
Smart.
Picking an established lesbian blogger is also smart.
Yes, I am a friend of OUT publishers but I also think there's a place for CUE. Pittsburgh doesn't have to be a one horse town.
This is one of the most incoherent things I've read. You think even coverage of a cocktail party means exposing another podcasters drunken stupid behavior? I think that might count as “getting even” but it doesn't meet any definition of fair and balanced reporting. You didn't report on anything. You did a fluff piece and it was embarrassing, not impressive. There was no news. Why would you embarrass any of those people who talked to you by linking them with an idiot screaming vulgarities? That s sensationalism, not journalism.
PRIDECAST is more typical life in the fast lane version of the gay community, not meant for general consumption. I have no idea what Gay Life TV is, but if you “guys” are running the lesbian podcast I'm sure it will be equally ridiculous.
And please spare us the “we aren't trying to impress lesbians” defense. Anyone who reads your newspaper gets that. Impressing lesbians is at the bottom of your priority list.
Seeeeeeeeee all the chitty chatty gossip about Out's new show? The lesbians are going to tune in to give Out a chance. The lesbians are going to tune in to watch it fail. The lesbians are going to tune in to watch Sue fail.
Congratulations, Tony. YoUUUUUUUUU could not have picked a better way to kick off this new show than pluck Sue from the blogging world to bring her controversial love/hate self into the podcasting world. The only thing lesbians love to hate more than Sue is the gay bar rag. Perfect marriage.
I predicccccccct a winner.
You are saying that it is okay to publicly humiliate a “popular podcaster” and a classy event for ratings? It doesn't matter to OUT that people looking for video about the NetRoots Nation Conference are going to find DJ G screaming “faggot” into the camera as their first impression of your publication?
OUT is not a community newspaper. It is for gay men who like bars and bathhouses. Cue is for gay men who like expensive bars and restaurants. Here's the first real time OUT is trying to do something for lesbians. They could have picked any cute young boi off the streets, handed her a mike and made her a star. For gay men. But they picked someone who is smart, funny and doesn't tolerate fools or fuckwads. This could be interesting. Maybe the newspaper will always be about the gay porn reviews. Don't read it. But give OUT some credit for taking a risk on the internets.
So I googled Pittsburgh lesbian podcasts and this site comes up. It is at the bottom of the list, but it is on Google already along with Jason Cable (??) and G-Spod. So you aren't even on the air and you are on the list! Just don't interview drunk people and all will be well.
Anon above is a genius.
Good for you!
SHOUT OUT to lesbians. I'll be watching.