OUTcomes: Pittsburgh’s Big Queer Rally

OUTcomes:  Pittsburgh’s Big Queer Rally

Yesterday was a complete blur for me.  One moment, I'm sipping coffee with Adam waiting for anyone show up at the rally site and then next I'm sipping tea with Adam waiting for anyone to show up at the post-rally dinner site.  In between, about 125 assorted folks showed up, set up and paid attention […]

Phelpsians to Picket Funeral of PA Lieutenant Governor

Phelpsians to Picket Funeral of PA Lieutenant Governor

I got a tip that the police are on high alert for Tuesday's funeral mass for Catherine Baker Knoll, the recently departed Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Why?  Because Fred Phelps and his homo-hating minions are bound for Pittsburgh to protest her funeral.  From their site (to which I will not link): St. Paul Cathedral – […]

The Big Win is Yet Undetermined

The Big Win is Yet Undetermined

It is 11:39 PM and we are waiting to hear Obama's speech.  We went outside and celebrated with one set of neighbors.  Everyone else either wasn't home or just didn't feel the joy. Still, we also await the outcome on California's Proposition 8 which would invalidate gay marriage in that state.  It hasn't necessarily been […]

Various updates from a lover of freedom!

Various updates from a lover of freedom!

I chatted briefly with folks from Steel City Stonewall about the pub crawl.  They were hot in the middle of phonebanking, but took a moment to chat with me.  Apparently, it went well and Dan Onorato went to all of the bars where he did receive a cool reception from some of the owners who […]

Steel City update – bar crawl and election info you need to know

Steel City update – bar crawl and election info you need to know

Lots of good information here.  I still haven't had any feedback from local Dems on the PG linkages of Rob McCord with Wall Street.  Also, while Jason Altmire does support ENDA, he was willing to vote for the non-inclusive version.  Of course, it is a no brainer that he is better than Melissa Hart, but […]

Pittsburgh is a great place to be gay

Pittsburgh is a great place to be gay

In honor of the Primary Pittsburgh Project,  I'd like to take a few inches of this blog to review why I think this is a great place for the LGBTQ/gay/queer community. First, the City of Pittsburgh has codified our civil rights and civil protections.  It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, […]

The Groundbreaking LGBTQ Presidential Forum on LOGO

The Groundbreaking LGBTQ Presidential Forum on LOGO

I didn't see it.  We don't have cable here at Lesbian Central, so we miss out on all sorts of things like The L Word, Queer as Folk and, well, the entire lineupon LOGO.  I've never seen The Sopranos or pretty much any of its peers.  (Don't cry for us — we trade a cable […]

CPRB and Free Speech?

CPRB and Free Speech?

Beth Pittinger, Executive Director of the Citizen Police Review Board and longtime friend to local activists, seems to have changed her tune of late.  Usually on the frontline defending members of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group and other local activists from police-driven infringements on their right to assemble, Pittinger's sensibilities have been offended by local animal […]

Has Pittsburgh’s PrideFest become just another Strawberry Festival?

Has Pittsburgh’s PrideFest become just another Strawberry Festival?

Three years ago, the Post-Gazette's Ervin Dyer wrote a half page story on the growth of PrideFest. Two years ago, Caitlin Clearly wrote a short, vapid piece about gay flash.  Last year,  Anita Srikameswaran wrote a thoughtful story about Governor Rendell's participation in PrideFest and the issue of gay marriage. This year?  PrideFest merits a […]

The Gay Chat: Here’s How It Went

The Gay Chat:  Here’s How It Went

This is really long, but read to the end for the outcomes.  First, here are the Steel-City endorsements and here are those of the Gertrude Stein Club. Tonight Ledcat and I scurried home to let the dogs out and head over to Shadyside for an historic meeting — the first ever LGBT forum sponsored by […]