Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

You know how I love the LGBTQ-positive letters to the editor. Here’s a great one from the Post-Gazette written by Ellen Garbundy of Butler:

I found the photo on page B-2 of Monday’s paper offensive. The caption read: “Anti-gay protesters were on site but largely ignored during Pride Fest after the parade on Sunday.” The message on the protesters’ sign does not resonate with me at all. That sign could have been ignored by the editor and, in its place, images of the parade participants celebrating pride in who they are.

My grandson is being raised by two loving mommies. They both work hard at their jobs, are active in their community, pay their mortgage and other bills and attend church on Sundays. Nowhere in your coverage did you portray families like this. Showing photos like that might help homophobic people see that same-sex couples are just like the rest of us.

To be fair, the Post-Gazette did print multiple positive photos but I don’t believe there was a simple same sex family with children pic.

Ellen is spot-on that the images in media to impact people’s perception, but I think there is also value in being  a “truth teller” as a Alvin McEwan from Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters puts it. Tell the truth, print the truth, photograph the truth about the attempts to demonize and isolate folks in the LGBTQ community. Let the public see the hate signs and children being forced to protest something they can’t possibly understand. And let them realize that Pride carried on and  no one paid attention to the hate.

But I appreciate Ellen taking umbrage with those who hate her family and making time to write a letter about it. Ellen is changing hearts and minds as much as any PG photographer.