Pittsburgh Pridefest – Part Three

I’m going to share my thoughts in a four-part series, built around four distinct events – a face-to-face meeting with Pridefest organizers, a community town hall meeting organized by Roots Pride organizers, the protests at Pride in the Streets on Saturday evening and, finally, Pridefest itself on Sunday. These are events I personally attended/witnessed as […]

Pittsburgh Pridefest – Part One

Pittsburgh Pridefest

More than a week has passed since Pittsburgh’s Pridefest and I’ve used a lot of that time to reflect on my experiences in what has been quite an atypical Pride experience. I’m going to share my thoughts in a four-part series, built around four distinct events – a face-to-face meeting with Pridefest organizers, a community […]

Comedian Gloria Bigelow Returns Home For Her First Pittsburgh Show

Gloria Bigelow

I first learned about Gloria Bigelow from a July 2013 interview in the Pittsburgh New Courier. I was intrigued that this talented queer woman of color was making people laugh around the nation and had not performed in Pittsburgh. We became Facebook friends. So I was thrilled to learn that she’s coming to Pittsburgh – […]

UPDATED Pittsburgh Designates Zones for LGBTQ Community To Protest , Gives 24 Hour Notice to Community Groups

Pittsburgh Pridefest

UPDATE Saturday: Since I wrote this at 11:30 PM Friday, the City has changed the policy about free speech zones and will not require people to use them. More here. I think Mayor Bill Peduto made a significant error in judgment this week regarding Pridefest by failing to disclose plans for “designated areas for protestors” […]

Update on Pittsburgh Pridest

Pittsburgh Pridefest

Events are unfolding at such a dramatic pace that I simply cannot come up with a more original headline. Iggy Azalea has cancelled her appearance at Pride in the Streets. She was supposed to perform Saturday June 13. She cancelled on June 8. The Delta Foundation promises the replacement entertainment will be announced soon. Rumors […]

Iggy Azalea Cartoon by Joe Wos

iggy azalea Pittsburgh

Pgh City Council President Will Not Participate in Pittsburgh Pride

Bruce Kraus Pittsburgh

A statement released by openly gay City Council President Bruce Kraus reads as follows: I have to add something here – Kraus has had conversations with former members of the foundation’s board. That’s a group from whom we have heard almost nothing. There’s a lot of unpacking to be done here.

Three Rivers Community Foundation – An Open Letter to Delta Foundation

June 2, 2015   Gary Van Horn Delta Foundation   Dear Mr. Van Horn,   Three Rivers Community Foundation (TRCF) advances social change through grant making, advocacy and capacity development for grassroots agencies and other organizations. TRCF embraces Change not charity™ by empowering grantee organizations to ensure social, economic and environmental justice in Southwestern Pennsylvania. […]

GLSEN Pittsburgh Withdraws from Pittsburgh Pridefest

I’m just publishing the statements by the groups as I receive them ~ Sue   GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) Pittsburgh stands in solidarity with Roots Pride Pittsburgh and the many people and organizations who are opposed to the actions of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, who booked Iggy Azalea as the […]

First United Methodist Church Withdraws from Pgh Pridefest To Stand With Marginalized LGBTQ Community

Church Withdraws From PrideFest

I received this statement from First United Methodist Church in response to recent disclosures about Pridefest ~ Sue PRIDE 2015 RESPONSE– First United Methodist Church, 5401 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232 Our response to the contracting of IGGY AZALEA for be the musical headliner for PrideFest 2015. IGGY AZELEA is a rapper who in both […]