Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Earlier in the week, I posted about the decisions by Mayor Ed Gainey and Mayoral candidate Corey O’Connor to not honor their commitment to complete our Political LGBTQ&A for next week’s election.

My post was deleted from some spaces on Facebook and other platforms because it was creating negative energy for the campaigns.

Today I found this on the link I shared on NextDoor.

Mr. Ron Schoedel of South Park wrote “I would say nobody cares about the disgusting LGBQT (sic) community …and there is no place anywhere for people like that …except 1 place”

Then Phillip Holland of Baldwin/Brentwood pushed back on that hateful message.

This happens every single day. My mere existence is an affront. Having opinions and challenging mainstream Democrats on their alleged support of LGBTQ+ folx is an affront. If I just didn’t post my thoughts. If I just gave the candidates the benefit of the doubt (again and again) then this man, this local small business owner, wouldn’t have an opportunity to – is he threatening me? – do this.

If I just made myself smaller and quieter, I would be safer. If I accepted being treated poorly – by both candidates – as just part of the process, I would be safer. Maybe my questions were too pushy, my tone was too aggressive, my expectations that they would keep their word too demanding. I would be safer.

We see how that’s working out.

My nephew’s graduation party is this weekend. In South Park. Where this person lives. And while that seems like a coincidence, it really is just evidence that we will not be safer if we don’t hold Democrats accountable to do their jobs – everywhere I go, even in super Blue Pittsburgh, PA – I now worry about being a woman, a person with disabilities, a person with mental illness, queer, lesbian, fat, old, poor, etc.

If the Mayoral candidates for super Blue Pittsburgh, PA want me to just silence myself so the opinions of Mr. Schoedel need not distract from their campaigns …

So don’t message me that you are sorry. That’s not helpful because I needed your first action to be an email to your preferred candidate asking why they did this.

But if you feel the need to reach out to me – tell me what the “1 place’ Schoedel references actually is? What’s your best guess? Hell? Squirrel Hill tunnels during rush hour? The building where Rax used to be?

We aren’t safer in Blue Pittsburgh.