Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

First, do no harm.

I don’t think Donny’s Place, a former gay bar in the Polish Hill neighborhood, should be designated as a historic designation. And it certainly shouldn’t be the first place so designated.

Back in 2021, I was contacted by Preservation Pittsburgh to support their efforts to designate the site of the former lesbian bars, Wild Sisters and Bloomers, as a historic location. I did not support that effort.

First, “reclaiming” women’s spaces is a tactic by TERFs to advance their anti-transgender agenda. I am a frequent target of this specific tactic. I wanted the group to explore that angle and specifically to include the voices of trans women during the planning phase.

Second, tying a pro-queer visibility project to a space now occupied by Christians (Hot Metal Faith Community) is uncomfortable. Its not a matter of the pastor welcoming the recognition of her building history, it’s a matter of queer folx feelings about that. It would be a win/win for the pastor and the owner of the building, but this is not about them. And there’s the larger debate about what constitutes a welcoming and affirming congregation. That’s not for cis het folx to decide. Again a conversation within the community was necessary.

I wasn’t denying the historical importance of the space. My fear was starting with this one will derail the project for younger queers and provide cover for people who seek to hurt us. So I will need to know how the group will address those issues head on. 

I never received that information.

No plaque is worth any further trauma to the trans community, especially now.

Pittsburgh has a strong foundation on curating history through the Pittsburgh Queer History Project.

Fast forward to 2024 and the effort to honor the legacy of Donny’s Place, an effort the City’s Planning Commission rejected. Again, I do not question the historical contributions of this venue. I’m a little concerned about the motives of everyone involved. But my real concern is deeper.

It is 2025 and the City of Pittsburgh has not yet designated ANY space for its contributions to LGBTQ history. Let’s take a beat and ask why. Why the scramble? What’s taking preservationists so long to make this happen?

After all with Donny’s Place, it was members of the community proposing designating historic status. But that’s not quite the same thing as a careful process including the entire community discussing the value of historic preservation of our Pittsburgh experiences.

A significant amount of our community history has happened in spaces that are no longer there, never had a building, or are occupied by folx who do not want to celebrate that history. Our lives were often lived in-between spaces, in the shadows and behind closed curtains. Perhaps we need to consider spaces that we never occupied and ask some tough questions.

Why are these organizations failing an aggressive cultivation of this important process? Progress Pittsburgh is a nonprofit. The City Historic Commission is a government body.

Bars are incredibly important, how do you pick just one? Shouldn’t we be talking about this as a community?

To get this process rolling, I have a suggestion – the Pitt Men’s Study established in 1983. It was groundbreaking, it was tied to most local bars and organizations, original participants are still with us to help offer context and perhaps historical items. It started in a building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, an institution that should be on board with this effort of preserving history. It supported the lesbian focused ESTHER research project.

And it is still here. It has historical importance, worldwide healthcare importance, social impact on everyone in Pittsburgh and it is still here.

And there’s tremendous significance in claiming the gay history on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Those of you who know, know – Pitt has fought battles against domestic partnerships starting in the early 2000s and then a decade later refused to treat trans students, faculty, and staff with dignity and respect. Rallies and resistance around a multitude of queer issues hold the University accountable right now. I myself was assaulted in the School of Social Work and subjected to anti-LGBTQ slurs by other students. It very much scarred my academic experience, especially when I was cornered in a stairwell by one of those students.

Our history is deeply entwined with Pitt. Let’s make a lasting official legacy by starting with one of the highest profile, most prestigious programs the University has sponsored – with government funding.

So my recommendation is to start with the Pitt Men’s Study, then soon move out to other spaces including gay, lesbian, and LGBTQ bars. Recognize the impact of Persad Center’s original locale as well asa the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, now Pittsburgh Equality Center. The homes of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and Shepherd Wellness Community. The bookstores. The site of the first Gay Pride March and the first Dyke March. The Trans Pitt phone line. The space in Schenley Park where David Piergalski was beaten to death in 1989. The original Pittsburgh Black Pride. The protest at the Traveler’s Club.

Maybe remind Pitt of their own complicated legacy around LGBTQ+ rights? It seems pretty queer to honor the legacy of the Pitt Men’s Study while holding up a mirror to its host.

But that’s just my opinion. What truly needs to happen is asking the community. A steering committee that holds a town hall. These are our histories, not those of developers, distant family, and a handful of community members. We can begin or continue these conversations now rather than wait for developers to show up.

I understand that Bloomers and Donny’s are significant to our community. That history should be documented and memorialized. But to make decisions without robust conversations about the bigger picture is reactive.

Let’s be proactive, the deciders of our own historical narrative.