Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

This was a tough decision.

You, dear readers, deserve candidates who follow through on their commitment to answer questions. We see this NOT playing out every single day as federal elected officials avoid town halls or other forms of engagement with their constituents.

Both Democratic candidates for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh agreed to participate in our annual Political Q&A series. They’ve both participated in the past: here and here. The series stretches back more than a decade and has had nearly 150 respondents.

In the case of this year’s Mayoral candidates.

They both set their deadlines and missed them. I emailed the campaigns repeatedly, including campaign managers. New deadlines, new misses.

Last week, I saw one candidate made time for a national LGBTQ outlet The Advocate. Both made time to speak with local LGBTQ outlet QBurgh. Both interviews with white men. I’m not saying that they should haven’t have done those interviews, but both journalists missed a key fact about Gainey hiring the first trans woman into a senior leadership role – the circumstances under which she left. My Q&A did not miss that key fact. I asked that question.

I threw up my hands. They have both been officially dis-invited from participating.

Why is this happening? Let’s speculate.

• One campaign manager previously ignored deadlines on another high-profile campaign (ACE Innamorato.) So perhaps it’s just how they personally do business? Every year?
• I am suing Allegheny County and UPMC in federal court for civil rights violations. Not so much retaliation as standoffishness? Read about the case here.
• I was an inaugural co-chair of the City’s LGBTQIA+ Commission, but opted not to consider a second Council term for reasons I made clear internally.
• In 2017, I was canceled by a high ranking member of Mayor Gainey’s team. That’s all been scrubbed, but I have screenshots. I was never uncanceled, just scrubbed. I had to bring up the canceling in the context of the Commission, but no one actually addressed a “personal matter.” Also not why I left Commission. I took this seriously and it significantly impacted my work so I don’t underestimate that it could be a factor at any time including here.
• I’ve been harassed repeatedly for years by a staffer in the County Controller’s office who used to work in a former Mayor’s office. And I ask about it, a lot specifically if that staffer would go back to the Mayor’s office if O’Connor wins.
• I’m a woman.
• I’m just a blogger.
• I have chronic mental illness.
• They already did multiple LGBTQ+ engagements.
• They didn’t like my questions.
• They didn’t have answers for my questions.
• I don’t follow them on Instagram, but I have more followers than both of them together.
• I’m generally regarded as quirky/annoying/awkward, even though I’ve grown my blog and social media following over 20 years, received multiple national awards, and pay for it myself.
• Their web filters send anything LGBTQ+ related to spam and no one thought to whitelist us. It’s happened before by the City itself. (Tip – check your white/black listing settings.)
• I do very out of the box things like setting this boundary in a world where holding candidates accountable is very hush-hush.
• Most likely. It just wasn’t a priority and they strung me along.

This is the time to be vigilant for and transparent with the trans and queer communities. Our children are the focal point of so much vicious hate. If you have to answer 32 LGBTQ+ Q&As, you do it. You go above and beyond. You don’t fall back on what you did yesterday. You keep showing up for these kids and the adults.

Perhaps most critically, you keep your promises and honor your commitments, big and small. We are having huge conversations about the influence and impact of MAGA tied donors to both campaigns. How do we know who is telling us the truth?

Watch what they do, not what they say.

That’s why I said something about them not doing something. You deserve better.

The Q&A series will continue through Election Day. I’m sure allies to both men will also not respond out of loyalty or defiance of an uppity woman.

Maybe this election cycle marks the end of the series. Maybe I will be persona non grata for four years. Perhaps the pot holes on my street will be unfilled, the snow unplowed, and my 20th blogiversary (Dec 29, 2025) unproclaimed.

But I am not going to remain quiet when questions about trans folx are ignored or downplayed.

Watch what they do, not what they say.

Here is what I plan to do:

• Since they didn’t answer my questions, I’m going to do a deep dive into their other interviews and see if I can find the answers.
• I am not publishing their Q&A’s. Both campaigns have been informed.
• I am not taking any guff from Democrats who think I’m serving Pittsburgh up to Tony Moreno with this decision. Wrong question. Why did both candidates treat this outlet, our readers, and this blogger with disrespect?
• I am going to cast my vote.
• I’m going to watch what they do, not what they say.

Then I’m not going to talk about the Mayor’s race anymore.

Admittedly, I am tempted to put a Sophie Powers video in here, I’ll refrain.