Send Me a Holiday Card, I’ll Donate $1 to Pittsburgh’s LGBT Community Center

Pittsburgh Christmas lesbians

The first card we received this year was sent to “Sue and Laura” – it’s from my very conservative Christian cousin’s family so I’m glad they at least acknowledge our relationship. But I wish they realized Laura has a last name. It has been ten years. The second card was sent to the “Dunhoff-Kerr Family” […]

Pittsburgh: Not So Equal After All

Marriage equality Peduto pittsburgh equality

Pittsburgh received 72 out of 100 possible points on a recent national survey of municipal equality released by the Human Rights Campaign.  The city was not ranked in 2012.  The index was divided into 6 categories: non-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and relationship with the LGBT community. Pittsburgh […]

City Councilman Burgess Doesn’t Seem To Think LGBTQ Identity Reflects Diversity

City Councilman Ricky Burgess believes – nay, insists – that the next President of City Council be a person of color. And he’s willing to step up to the challenge.  Burgess notably the only member of that body who refuses to sign the Pridefest Proclamation because Pride is too “sexualized” has also historically  ignored the […]

Sometimes Irony Is Rewarding

A few weeks ago, I reached out to David Highfield from KDKA TV News to invite him to serve as a guest caller for OUTrageous Bingo. Last night, he took the stage. He was a hit! A few hours later, this happened:   See how that works? I invite a television journalist to bingo and […]

Raise Your Hands. Raise Your Hands High.

We often take our hands for granted, much in the same way those in authority take the diligence and support of the hands of the working folks for granted – like them, we assume our own hands will toil until they. simply. Don’t. Through the dustbowl Through the debt Grandma was a suffragette Blacklisted for […]

Who Do Our Allies Really Welcome to the Table?

Tonight, I have no tact, I’m paranoid and I don’t understand how collaboration works. So the gatekeeper decides that I do not get access to my elected official unless I explain myself to him first. This is why I hate that so many elected officials have gmail accounts that are screened by staff anyway. What’s […]

Photos from LGBTQ Rally in Lawrenceville

I’m still working on my write-up of the rally itself – I hope to have some constructive, next-step news early this week. In the meantime, you can take a look at the photo I took at the rally. Click on this photo to go to the entire album.

Pgh Gay Men Assaulted in Alleged Gay Bashing Incident

Two local men, Ben Stoviak and his boyfriend Aaron , reported that they were physically assaulted by three unknown men around 2 AM Sunday morning. Stoviak posted this on his Facebook page: Last night, a group of men attacked me and my boyfriend on Butler Street in Lawrenceville. After yelling, from across the street, “Faggot!” […]

Saturday is Peduto Campaign Kickoff

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Series on Mental Illness

This week, the Post-Gazette is running a series by the excellent Joe Smydo about the impact of the closure of Mayview State Hospital on people living with mental illness in this region. A special five-part series Sunday, Sept. 22: Overview and portrait of former Mayview State Hospital patients. Monday, Sept. 23: Community hospitals struggle with […]