I recently interviewed Lambda Foundation Executive Director Anne Bowman about the 25th anniversary of the Foundation.  25 years is quite a milestone in gay history and the well-being of our community foundation is something to be mindful of as we celebrate our way through June.  To purchase tickets for the Joan Rivers event, click here.

Thank you so much for asking about the Lambda Foundation. I am truly honored to be the Executive Director of the second oldest LGBT funding organization in the nation. Part of my job description is to get the word out about Lambda and I will gladly answer your questions.

 

1. How did the Lambda Foundation get its start? 

 The Lambda Foundation began with a conversation between Randy Forrester and Lucky Johns. The two men pooled all of their resources together from the community and The Lambda Foundation was incorporated on June 17, 1983 with $16,000. The first grants were issued in April, 1984 to Dignity Pittsburgh and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center

 

  

2. Lambda has given away more than $1 million over 25 years, mostly in increments of $3000 or so. Please describe the impact of reinvesting $1 million in Pittsburgh's LGBT community.

 

Granted $3,000.00 doesn?t sound like a lot, but I think the smaller organizations that we have funded would disagree. I have attached a list of just some of the organizations The Lambda Foundation has funded and it is quite impressive. We have helped LGBT organizations in every area from the arts to healthcare. Our scholarship program has helped along LGBT students. We also have an emergency funding program that has helped some organizations when they were in dire straits and the possibility of closing their doors as a very real option. I am truly grateful to be the Executive Director of an organization that has helped so many.

 

 3.  Describe some of the projects which Lambda helped (or is helping to) seed.  Just to name a few:

 Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force- I really don?t think I need to describe what they do. Everyone in the community knows of the wonderful work that Kathi Boyle is doing.

 

Transpitt- a wonderful support group for the often overlooked transgender community.

 

The Esther Project which through the leadership of Deb Aaron became the first federally funded health project which measured the risk factors for cardiovascular disease among lesbian women.

 

 4.  Can you list any highlights or exceptional moments from the past 25 years?

 

I have only been on the Board for 3 years so I took this question to August (Buzz) Pusateri and past Board President Chuck Honse.

 

The Lambda Foundation funded the legal battle for Travelers Bar. Which was locally known as the Saturday Night Massacre. It was normal in the early days that the police would raid gay bars. Travelers was raided one night and some pretty serious injuries of the patrons occurred. Lucky Johns, owner and one of Lambda?s founding fathers took the practice to court. The case proceeded to go to federal court and we lost. But the practice of raiding gay bars in Pittsburgh was ended.

 

Another legal battle that Lambda funded was The Fairness Campaign in the late 80?s. There was a movement to rescind an anti discrimination bill that gave lesbians and gays human rights in Pittsburgh.

The Foundation rallied forces and squashed the movement.

 

Last but not least Our Annual Ball- the first LGBT black-tie event in the area. This year it is being held at The Priory, Nov 22, 2008. Lisa Ferraro will be performing. Please come and join us in celebrating 25 wonderful years.

 

 5.  How does Lambda stay in touch with a queer community that looks very different than the gay and lesbian community of 25 years ago? 

 

I personally stay in touch with what is going on in the community by reading your blog. It is quite informative. You are correct that the community has changed from 25 years ago. 25 years ago HIV/AIDS was devastating our community and it seemed like no one cared. There were only a few LGBT organizations in existence. When you look around and see all of the organizations and events that are taking place, yes I think it has changed? but for the better.

 Pat Liddy our wonderful President is out and about at community events.

 Reading through the grant applications and seeing the innovative and committed programs that are being created is also quite informative. 

 

 

6.  What challenges does the foundation face in the coming years?

 

The challenges are immediate. Many organizations are facing funding cutbacks on many levels, federal state and local. The Lambda Foundation has always been there to help them. Over the last ten years most of our funds have come from dividends, interest and capital gains on our portfolio. That is not happening now. We truly need to get the word out. When you give your funds or time to Lambda you are participating in nearly every LGBT organization in the area.

 

 7.  Where do you see the Lambda Foundation in its 50th year?

 

 I would love to see that $3,000 grant to become a $10,000- $25,000 grant. In order to achieve that lofty goal we are definitely going to need to expand. We need to get the word out about our organization and get more people involved. I know the economy is not so great. If everyone on our list just sent in $10.00 it would have an impact. HRC started out with $5.00 checks coming in, look at them now.

   I really think in 25 years we will have achieved equality. (Wouldn?t that be nice?) It has amazed me how much progress has been made in the last couple of years even with such headwinds coming from the right. Corporations are developing diversity departments. Our corporate partners UPMC and Merrill Lynch have been so supportive it amazes me. When I received the Merrill Lynch ad for our Joan Rivers Program (attend the event and you will see it) I looked at it and knew we are definitely making progress.  

 

 

8.  Please list your current board members (by affiliation if possible).

 

Patricia Liddy       President

 

Rev, J Howard Cherry, OSL, OE    Vice President

United Methodist Clergy, retired

 

R. Craig Bennett, CPA       Treasurer

Terry Collier & Associates, P.C.

 

August ?Buzz? Pusateri    Secretary

 

 Dr.Nina Markovic       Director

Associate Professor University of Pittsburgh

 

Anne Bowman     Executive Director

 

 

 Any parting thoughts?

 

  As you know we are presenting An Evening with Joan Rivers at The Byham Theater to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. Joan Rivers graciously accepted our invitation and is taking time from her busy schedule to come to Pittsburgh. Go to her website, www.joanrivers.com, she truly has a busy schedule. She courageously was one of the first celebrities to support the gay community. Come on Pittsburgh, let?s show her how much we support and love her by selling out the house. There are plenty of $40 tickets available. Call The Byham Theater 412-456-6666. After the show you can check out all the other events going on for Pride. Scott Noxon, Pegasus, is presenting 8 Inch Betsy. Downtown Pittsburgh is going to be vibrant and alive on Saturday June 21st.

 

 

I really need to say something about Scott Noxon, owner of The Eagle, Pegasus and There Video Lounge, who has been instrumental in the production our Joan Rivers event. Working with him during the preparation of this event has been a true delight. I really did get to know him these last few months and all of the wonderful things he has done for every LGBT organization in the area. I can honestly say he is one of the nicest men I have ever met. He truly cares about the community.

 

 

Could you give me a brief bio of yourself and your role with Lambda.  I didn't even know you had an ED!  I admit that I'm not very informed.  I don't want to be someone who takes you for granted (no pun intended).

 

You asked for a brief bio. So I will make it brief. My career was in the financial services industry from age 21 to 49. I had positions in every area from sales to CEO. I lived in New York City from 1974 to 1983. I returned to Pittsburgh in 1983 right before the birth of my son, Geoffrey. My son?s father and my best friend, Stephen, died of AIDS when Geoffrey was just a baby. Shepherd Wellness Center helped Stephen and his family in so many ways; they will always have a special place in my heart. I joined the Lambda Board 3 years ago. Right before my 50^th birthday the Board was considering employing an Executive Director. Funny, how you reflect on your life when you hit that age. I wasn?t enjoying my career any longer and I realized it was time for me to give back to the community. I did love all the things we were doing at Lambda.  So I presented a job description and budget to the Board. And the second half of my life story begins??.

 

A partial list of funding recipients:

ACLU Pittsburgh. AIDS Task Force Upper Ohio Valley. AIDS Task Force of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. AIDS Town Meeting. Allegheny College. Allegheny College in Support of Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. Allegheny College Gay/Lesbian History Conference. Anawim. Archivist. Asian-Pacific Lesbians of Pittsburgh. Asians & Friends. Beaver County AIDS Service Organization. Beaver County AIDS Task Force. Bet Tikvah. Bi/ Gala, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Bi/Gala University of Pittsburgh. Black & White Men Together, Youngstown. Bridges/Erie Gay Community Newsletter. Gloria Brusoski. Butler County AIDS Task Force. Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. Chattam College LABiAT Alliance. Christian Lesbians in Action/ Metropolitan Community Church. Johanna Classen, Lambda Scolarship Winner. Caritas House. Carnegie Mellon University GALA. Carnegie Mellon University/OUT. Contact Pittsburgh, Inc. Rebecca Corran, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Corpus Christi House. Crime Stoppers. Cry Out/ Act Up. Dignity Encounter Weekend. Dignity/Pittsburgh. Dignity Region III. Dreams of Hope.Kathleen Douglas, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Epidemiologic Study of Health Risks in Lesbians (ESTHER Project). Family and Children?s Services, Blair County. Joshua Ferris, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Flying Pig Theater Forum on Lesbian & Gay Youth. Dustin Frazier, Lambda Scholarship Winner. G&L Alternative Dimensions, GLAD. GALA, West Virginia University. GAY 90?S. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Carnegie Mellon University. Gay & Lesbian Cable Network. Gay & Lesbian Community Center (GLCC). GLCC Newsletter. GLCC Phone line. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Gay & Lesbian Health Line, West Virginia University. Gay & Lesbian Youth Conference. Gift of Women Church/ Dignity. GLENDA. Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Whitney Houston, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Heritage Project. Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh. Jewish Lesbian Feminist Support Group. Matthew Jinkeom, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Judaism & Lesbian Conference. Lesbians & Gays in the Holocaust Presentation. Lesbian Health Organization. Lesbian are Parents. Look to the Eastern Sky. Lost Visions/ Richard Parsakian. Menergy Conference. Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). Metro Family Practice, Inc. Mon Valley Media. Mountain State AIDS Network. National Lawyers Guild, Pittsburgh Chapter. 1987 March on Washington. Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, Pittsburgh (PFLAG). PFLAG, Dubois. PFLAG, Indiana. Pennsylvania Humanities Council. Persad Center, Inc. Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS). Pitt Men?s Study. Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment (PACT). Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF). Pittsburgh Action Against Rape. Renaissance City Choirs. Seven Project. Shepherd Wellness Community Center. Stonewall Institute. The Diversity Project. Thomas Merton Center. Three Rivers Arts Festival. United Jewish Federation. Human Rights Task Force. Craig Waldo, Lambda Scholarship Winner. Upstairs Theater. Woman to Woman. Women for Racial and Economic Equality. Women United in Recovery. Woman?s Law Project. Youth Empowerment Project (PERSAD).

I have to admit I was disappointed when Ledcat and I rolled out of Slapsticks last night, after catching their "Four Funny Females" show.  It should rightfully have been called "Some Kinda Amusing Ladies, a Gal with Potential and Gab."

Harsh?  Eh.

Slapsticks is located on Library road just moments from the intersection with Saw Mill Run Boulevard aka Route 51.  It took us 13 minutes to get there from the Northside.  The venue is cute and festive and smoke free.  The service was just this side of horrible.  Our waitperson was clearly unhappy to be assigned to the room and it showed.  Next time, I'll bring a bottle of water. 

But overall the venue is fine.  No drink minimum and comfortable.

The performers though made me a little depressed to be a female in Pittsburgh.  It was supposed to be all revolutionary and groundbreaking because four female comedians never happens in Pittsburgh.  Now I know why.

First up, was young Subhah Agarwal, a CMU student who was clearly inexperienced but had some promise.  She had good timing, did a nice job with her ad libs and felt comfortable.  I feel somewhat rote in saying that her best work came when she invoked her mother because that plays into the idea that ethnic mommies are funny stuff and clearly the comedic alley for 2nd generation female comedians.  However, I think Subhah did the best job when she was skewering American xenophobia.  She missed some great opportunities to poke at the host (and her female comedians) for being unable to pronounce her last name (or unwillingly to learn).  I'd see her again. 

Next us was British born Sally Choppings who gives public speaking presentations on humor.  This felt like one.  Her jokes were actually funny, but her delivery was very old school.  I almost fell asleep waiting for the punchlines.  It felt like dated material even though it was sort of universal.  Ledcat liked her and said I'm being mean because I expect everyone to be like Gab.  Eh.

Third was the most significant disappointing comedian I've seen in a long time (including Gab's shlubs from the Brillobox who just sucked period).  Her name is Nancy Marshall and ten years in the LA public school system gave her fodder for two jokes.  Two.  And one of them was a fat joke about herself.  Because you can't be a plus-sized woman and not mock yourself, right?  I mean fat is funny.  Well, it can be except her jokes were from the 1980s and there was no biting zing in them.  Sitting on a size 2 woman to make an impression is more obvious than the fact that customer service was not a skill set for our waitress.  I just sat there with my jaw on the ground.  That's the best she can do?  She actually made VCR reference as if it were relevant.  She was soooo disappointing.  Ledcat kept kicking me so I wouldn't say anything.   She did make one funny joke about being more patriotic than thin people.  It was funny. 

Then Gab was up and she was smoking.  Maybe it was part relief at being able to laugh, but I found all of her material amusing even what I've seen many times before.  Gab did some new political stuff that was very good -- she should pursue that because she has a flair for it.  President Obama should give her lots of material. 

Overall, it was a good experience.  It does prove, however, that we need more women to step up to the mike.  We need a female led comedy workshop for all the wannabee comedians out there (ahem, Gab).  Wouldn't it be great to bring a group of funny women together at Hoi Polloi for a night of learning from someone and a small intimate crowd to try something out on?  I mean if the unemployed Seth Rogan crowd can waste their time hanging in a pot haze at the Brillobox, we can do it, too!

And for those of us who are actually fat, a chance to do some clever work instead of Roseanne Barr retreads.  Good lord.