Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The legacy of Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary is hotly contested, revised, and yet still remains vitally important to all of us LGBTQ people. I decided to create a list of 50 events and actions you can take to honor that legacy. These are not in any particular ranking nor chronological order. This list is meant to inspire you to think about who and where we are as a community 50 years after this important event. Is our legacy a list of events? No, not just that. But when you stop to consider just how many events and how representative they are of our larger community, including the geographic locations – it helps for us to have perspective.

Bear in the mind that even while this is our shared legacy as a LGBTQ community, it is not an equitable legacy. We talk a good game about our allies, but not nearly enough with our own bi, queer, trans, and non-binary neighbors. The legacy of racial injustice within our community can be found by simply looking at how we’ve erased who was at Stonewall and what roles they played in the ensuing years of struggle for liberation.

And, yes, of course I left things off this list. It is just one list – create another one to center the legacies you want to highlight.

I urge you to click at least one link, to attend one event or activity, and to invest even a few dollars in at least one of these important resources.

1. Primary Election Day (May 21) Your Local Polling Place
2. Drag Queen Story Hour (June 1, 15, 22, and 29) Various CLP locations.
3. ReelQ ReelStories CALL HER GANDA (June 26) City of Asylum
4. 2019 Pride Concert: A Celebration of our Community of Singers! (June 1 and 2) ELPC
5. Queer Craft Market (June 2) Ace Hotel
6. Art in Context: Before Stonewall (June 28) The Andy Warhol Museum
7. Trans Family Potluck (Weds June 26) PFLAG Pittsburgh
8. TransPride Pgh Femme Meet Up (June 17) Persad Center
9. Protest: NYC to PGH 10 Years Of Delta After Stonewall (June 28) Ellsworth Avenue
10. Golden Girls Live (June 9) Arcade Theater
11. Happy Birthday Marsha Film Screening – Panel (May 19) Ace Hotel
12. Art in Context: Before Stonewall (June 28) Andy Warhol Museum
13. Stonewall 50: A Gender Inclusive Celebration for Families (June 29) Andy Warhol Museum
14. PRIDE Soirée Happy Hour (June 28) Hotel Indigo
15. Impulse Pittsburgh – Pride after Party (June 8) Social House
16. Celebrate Pride After Dark (June 21) Carnegie Museum of Natural History
17. 50 Years Since Shotglass Heard ‘Round The World-STONEWALL (June 28) Franklin Bistro, Johnstown
18. Kierra Darshell’s Sunday DRAG Brunch (May 26 and June 2) Pittsburgh Improv
19. Brittney Chantele at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival (June 8) Point State Park
20. 2nd Annual Blue Ball (June 1) Blue Moon
21. Kickoff to Pride Drag Show (June 7) Lucy’s Place, Johnstown
22. World Melanation | A Celebration of Hue- Womens Celebration (June 15) Repair the World
23. LGBTQ Housing Summit for Older Adults (June 1) Doubletree Green Tree
24. Prism LGBT Youth June Meeting before Pride! (June 1) Beaver
25. 2019 Erie Pridefest and Parade (June 29) Erie
26. 2019 LGBTQ+ Health Provider Symposium (May 31) Erie
27. LGBT Mercer Community Charity Showcase (August 2) Hermitage Wal-Mart
28. Donatella: A Queer Variety Show (June 9) Arcade Comedy Theater
29. Pagan Queer Munch (June 28) Persad
30. Amy Ray Band (June 4) Club Cafe
31. Lucy Spraggan (June 17) Club Cafe
32. PFLAG Families Like Ours Camping Trip (June 14-16)
33. Rachel Anne Bovier is back (June 7) The Glitterbox
34. Drag Queen Bingo hosted by Miss Thea Trix (June 23) The Elks in Wilkins Township
35. Register for Pittsburgh Black Pride (July 22-28)
36. Invite a LGBTQ speaker for your club, group, workplace, etc.
37. Celebrate the Grand Opening of True T Pgh Studios (June 7)
38. Learn how to register people to vote in the November 2019 elections (June 5) East Liberty
39. Visit the Jim Fischerkeller Library at the Pgh Equality Center to access nearly 10,000 books with LGBTQ themes (ongoing)
40. Resist consumerism by donating your stuff to Goodwill & support five local LGBTQ organizations (June 20)
41. Educate yourself about Stonewall by watching/reading media that centers people who were there, especially trans folx, QTPOC, and drag artists. Movies Other Movies Even more movies Suggest other movies
42. Request a copy of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project magazine. Read it. Share it. Buy a dozen copies and donate to a local GSA to use in the Fall.
43. Support queer media – subscribe or become a patron of Autostraddle, Curve, Erie Gay News, The Central Voice, POZ Magazine, POC Zine Project,
44. Join a body-positive drag and burlesque celebration with the Velvet Hearts (June 15) Brookline
45. Donate directly to support QTPOC leaders and creators – whether $5 or more. It matters.
46. Read about Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ history.
47. Honor our LGBTQ elders, those are with us and those who are no longer with us.
48. Sign up by text for ResistBot to take daily or weekly actions on political and legislative issues that impact our communities.
49. Watch POSE Season One on Netflix (or Prime) and save the date for Season Two premiere (June 11)
50. Join the Bi Pittsburgh monthly Dinner & Discussion event or their Monthly Meet Up
51. What else should we add to this list? Leave a comment! – We’ll add any new submissions in order received.
52. Come As You Are: Pittsburgh’s Rainbow History Tour, June 15 by Doors Open Pittsburgh and Shepherd Wellness Community
53. Eric Himan live at Southern Tier Brewing (June 6) North Side.
54. Pittsburgh Golden Games Musical Game Show, (June 8 and 9) Mariposa Theater, Bellevue

And, of course, we urge you to support the People’s Pride 2K19 on June 8 and 9. Send them a donation now to support their work. I’m still thrilled and delighted that they are bringing Pride to the Northside (not the North Shore) – and to a park! Kudos to SisTers Pgh and True T Pgh for tapping into that legacy aspect of Pittsburgh Prides of years gone by. It reminds me a lot of this image used to illustrate the difference between equality, equity, and liberation.