Thanks to Ehrrin for sharing these with the Correspondents.  Click on the photo to see the whole slide show ....

Nearly 125 women of all ages, ethnicities, sizes and shapes turned out Friday evening for Pittsburgh's first-ever dyke march, a grassroots effort organized by two local queer women in less than one month.

The event kicked off with a rallyesque bang at the CMU lawn with some spoken word, a few djs and a lot of lady mingling.  We marched from CMU to Pitt and back along the Forbes/Fifth corridor.  The pace was a little fast for those of us who aren't uber-physical, but the energy was high as the parade participants chanted, cheered and enjoyed the delicious feeling of being amongst a crowd of women laying claim to the dyke mantle.

The organizers expected/hoped for about 40 participants especially as they relied mainly on word of mouth to promote the event.  They got well over 100 women, some reportedly driving in from West Virginia to attend.

The event grew out of frustration that most spaces in the local community are defined by men, either the men who attend or the men who own the actual space.  This holds particularly true for PrideFest where some sense that queer women are invisible.  Some women just opt not to participate in the LGBT community or travel out of state to attend dyke-friendly events.  Eli and Khalia, the organizers, chose to create dyke affirming spaces and settled on a dyke march to coincide with PrideFest.

They are both quick to point out that the PrideFest Committee and the Gay & Lesbian Community Center have been supportive, providing listings of the march on their calendars and spreading the word about the event.  PrideFest organizer Jeff Freedman told the City Paper that he viewed the Dyke March as a mobilization of the community, something he claims is long overdue.

The event did face an organizing problem when the Pittsburgh City Police failed to show up on time for the start of the march even though the organizers had followed all of the city policies and procedures to request the permit and arrange the event.  They tried repeatedly to contact the police and were unsuccessful.  Rather than see the event collapse, they turned to allies and asked them to help block traffic counting on the fact that the permit would offset potential problems. 

We marched up Forbes and all the way to Fifth Avenue near the Cathedral of Learning when one squad car from Pittsburgh's Zone 4 showed up at the event.  Organizers showed him the permit and he allowed the event to continue.   This sargeant stayed for about 20 minutes and then left the group to finish the parade unescorted. 

The event ended back at the lawn where jubilant women spent some time decompressing from the bit of a high this sort of dyke-positive event had created.  I spent some time talking with both Eli and Khalia to get their perspectives on the value of creating dyke friendly spaces.  I found them both to be articulate, passionate and -- perhaps most importantly -- willing to take action to build the dynamics they think will strengthen the community.

What I did not find was any sense of man-hating or male-bashing or desire to completely disengage from the male homodynamic.  I did an informal survey at PrideFest about the Dyke March and found that a lot of the women who did not attend had heard these sort of rumors about the event and the organizers. Fortunately, they were willing to listen to our experience and expressed a genuine interest in participating in the future once we reassured them that no one was planning to castrate gay boys. 

These women have done a good job creating a dyke-affirming event.  The next challenge is to reach out beyond their circles of genderqueer women to all those dykes who didn't attend, didn't hear about it and are pretty much mainstream.  Their voices should be part of the dialogue because they too are being disregarded by those in power. There are lots and lots of suburban dykes in Pittsburgh complete with minivans, car seats and years of misogeny on thier backs. 

More on that later when I discuss why being labeled an assimilationist is not cool ...

From Thursday's Post-Gazette:

The controversy over the gay marriage bill should add numbers and energy to Pittsburgh Three Rivers PrideFest 2006, taking place this weekend.

PrideFest is the occasion for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to hit the streets. It will begin at noon Saturday with a march from the Eliza Furnace Trail, Downtown, to the festival grounds at Riverfront Park on the North Shore.

A decent piece, situated in the entertainment section where it should be well read.  The article goes on to mention the Theater Festival, the movie from the Film Society, and an event at the Holiday Bar.  What it fails to mention (or just alludes to) is Pride Night at PNC Park.  I want a specific reference to the Bucs being homo-welcoming.

The City Paper took a different approach, focusing on the two parades/marches associated with Pride: the Pride Awareness March and the Dyke March.   I like the thoughtful contrast between the two events.

A separate and more overtly political statement by Pittsburgh?s gay community is planned for the day before PrideFest ? the city?s first Dyke March. Organized by a Bloomfield woman who calls herself Khalia Latte, the June 16 event will travel between the university campuses in Oakland. ?It was created as an act of visibility ? not to be an attack on Pride ? to counter the [greater] representation we felt was given to gay men,? says Latte. ?We?re hoping that this event will act as a catalyst ? as a rallying point for our community, to network, to try to politicize our community. Increasingly, gay space has become de-politicized, assimilationist.?

That's a valid arguement.  I suspect, however, that for many people attending PrideFest itself is a political act.  Leaving their closets, even just for a day, to mingle with gay people and experience first-hand a gay affirming atmosphere is the political statement. 

Then there is the rest of us. Sure there are those its easy to peg -- the party crowd who come to Pride to see some skin, ogle the hotties and have a good time; the family crowd who want to check out the booths, stroll in the parade and enjoy a beautiful day surrounded by other same-sex parents; the ... oh wait, I guess that proves my point -- PrideFest is what you make of it.

Now, I know what Khalia is referencing.  The GLCC is solidly white, middle class, middle aged gay male dominated.  The committee has been chaired by white, middle class, gay men for at least the past five years and counting.  The white, middle class, gay men tend to be the most visible and outspoken components of the community.  And the ones with the money to donate to the organizations.  Followed closely by the white, middle class, middle aged lesbians.  The power dynamic is clear. The invitation to be part of the organization has been extended, but that's not the same thing as creating a queer friendly environment.  See earlier post about Queer v Gay and the posted comments for a glimpse into the larger dynamic at play.

To be fair, these people have stepped up and saved the GLCC and PrideFest.  They put in hundreds of hours to keep the center running and provide essential services.  Their time, talent and donations ensure we can run a phone line, service dozens of kids each week and provide a gay-affirming space in the heart of Pittsburgh.  They deserve kudos for that.  Others stepped up to turn Pride from financial ruin and keep it free for the public.  PrideFest has gone from a small little street fair to a huge public celebration of the gay community thanks to these very same white gay men. 

I credit both Khalia and Jeff Freedman, PrideFest organizer, for publicly acknowledging that the two events are complementary, not competitive.  The beauty of the current model of PrideFest has been its generative nature -- creating space for new "acts of visibility" including everything from a gay film to a dyke march to a religious service. 

If these disparate queers and gays can generate this type of relationship around Pride, it bodes well for the larger dialogue.  And that dialogue is coming.  There are some significant issues of inclusiveness/exclusiveness in the gay community that I've referenced in previous posts.  The most obvious divides are along race and age, but certainly include socio-economic status as well.  But it goes further than that --- the GLCC is not handicapped accessible, but many of the queer events are held in bars or other venues where smoking is de rigeur --- both are acts of exclusion.  PrideFest is free, many queer events are by donation -- both are acts of inclusion. 

How mighty it will be when some of these energies move from working side by side to working together. 

For that unique McIntire take on all things PrideFest, tune into KDKA AM 1020 tonight during the 8 PM hour for a discussion on the upcoming Pride activities.  We'll be discussing marching dykes, gay movies, pancakes, parades, pirates and the ongoing debate over gay stereotypes ...call in with your thoughts!

************************************************************

We usually have this conversation after PrideFest. 

After reading the local media coverage on the parade and the festival, coverage which usually includes at least one visual image of a drag queen and a throwaway reference to a scantily clad man in leather.  People start grumbling about the way we are portrayed in the media wondering about the absence of "normal" looking homosexual images.  But rather than stop at a diaologue about the media, we fall headlong into our own internalized homophobia to complain about the presence of individuals who are not normal. Or more not normal than the rest of us.  Or don't pass for normal.  Or something like that.

Its a predictable as the rain. 

A different twist on that same discussion involves the queer/gay dynamic.  As young members of the community come into their own, they are bringing their queer identities with them.  And their queer sensibilities as well.  They are looking for something more from PrideFest than perhaps the gay community has been able to provide.  

Frankly, I like PrideFest the way it is but I can definitely see areas for growth. I enjoy wandering around booths and talking to vendors.  I appreciate their support in attending the event, especially the service providers.  I like some of the homespun entertainment. I'm perfectly content to grab some food, flop down on the hill and be entertained for a few hours with all the hokiness that comes from a community festival.  It recharges my batteries to just be gay in a sea of homosexuals.

I'd like to see more political speakers, not just politicians.  I'd like to see edgier talent, especially tapping into the emerging queer performance collectives.  And I'd like to see the vendors grow and grow because economic might translates into social power. 

As always, sides will coalesce on these dialogues.  The people who work very hard to put together PrideFest will rightly point out that the committee is open to any interested person and that PrideFest is defined by those who organize it.  The people who voice discontent will rightly point out that PrideFest doesn't belong to any one organization, it is bigger than the institutions which manage it and its fair to expect it to represent the true scope of Pittsburgh's LGBT community.

The age-old debates about sponsorships, holding the event on Father's Day weekend, supporting local LGBT stores versus bringing in new vendors and so forth will continue forever. 

My hope is that the dialogues continue as well.  That as the young gay generation grows from organizing Girlcotts to PrideFests, we find an infusion of queer energy that rejuvenates all of us. 

I've still got this really nasty taste in my mouth from the Mary Cheney interview.

So I'm trying to figure out this MySpace thing b/c someone from the Steel Queer N'At collective posted my post about their performance ... there.  That's a horrid sentence.  But you get the point.  Anyway, I'm trying to figure it out and I notice that one of the acts from the collective is performing this Friday at Quiet Storm.

They are Thrive, three poets The Black Ass Bombshell..aka Vanessa German, Sweet Thunda aka Bekazela Mguni and Savannah Montana..aka Becca Cooper

We were very impressed by their acts.  The Black Ass Bombshell did this wicked piece about Jorge and I was so enthralled by their outfits that it took me at least two minutes to realize who Jorge was.  Then tonight I discover that Vanessa German is the woman who won the national SLAMBUSH contest.  And I think I heard her at the Peace Rally in 2005.  Where I was very impressed but it ended up I had been marching on a broken foot all along so the incredible pain sort of edged everything else out.  That's right -- I marched for peace on a broken foot. Then I went to Starbucks. 

So it all sort of swirls together to prompt me to go to The Quiet Storm this Friday at 8 PM to see Thrive perform en masse.  After marching for dykes on a never really gonna heal from being broken foot.  Then I'll march for Pride Awareness on that same foot. 

Thank god my father wants to spend Father's Day at the movies.  At least there'll be no marching. 

I would greatly appreciate if there could be a blogging for peace/equality/healthy feet/Starbucks event in the near future. 

(I'm keeping this at the top of the blog throughout PrideFest.  Scroll down for other current blog posts since Monday)

Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - Pittsburgh City Council will approve the PrideFest Proclamation, 10 AM, City Council Chambers.

Thursday, June 15, 2006 - The 3rd Annual Pittsburgh Pride Theater Festival, a showcase of eight one-act plays with lgbt themes, will take place June 15-25, 2006 at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co., 542 Penn Avenue (at the corner of Penn and 6th in Pittsburgh's cultural district), downtown. Tickets for show times are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. You can contact the box office at 412-288-0358 or email them at pittsburghpridetheaterfestival@yahoo.com for more information.

Friday, June 16, 2006 - Pittsburgh's 1st Dyke March kicks off at the Carnegie Mellon lawn at Forbes & Moorewood Avenue.  Gather as early as 5 PM to mingle, make signs and meet the organizers.  The March itself kicks off at 6:30. We are bisexuals, trannydykes, lesbians, boi-dykes, femmes, butches, femmedykeboi's, butchdykeboys, multisexuals, brazen femmes, soft butches, genderqueers, and many more ...For more information, dykemarchpgh@yahoo.com.

Friday, June 16, 2006 - Pride Movie by the Pittsburgh Lesbian & Gay Film Society.  "Say Uncle"   7 PM at the Southside Works followed by after-party at Tuscany (with ticket stub).  For more information, www.plgfs.org

Saturday, June 17, 2006 - Pittsburgh PrideFest

Awareness March - kicks off at Ross Street at 12 PM, winds through town and the Arts Festival then across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to the festival location on the North Shore. 

Festival -  1 PM - 5 PM at Riverfront Park on the North Shore (near Heinz Field)  Performers, tons of vendors, a DJ second stage, and a chance to see all the homos who come down to Pgh once a year to mingle in a big family friendly homo loving environment (my words). 

Pride Night at PNC Park  -- come out and be part of the homo-contingent rooting for the buccos.  How gay is that!  Tickets will be on sale at PrideFest (yes, the Pirates are setting up a booth).  A portion of the sales go to the GLCC.

Sunday, June 18, 2006 - Family Pride Pancake Brunch at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.  10 AM worship; 11:30 am brunch. 

Click here and here for more specific. 

Now there are two interesting rumors floating around.  First, is that Governor Ed Rendell will be kicking off the Awareness March with a few well-chosen words possibly including "Ladies Start Your Engines!" to our very own dykes on bikes. 

Second, is that the divine and delightful Margaret Cho may be popping up at PrideFest since she is in town for the weekend performing at the Improv. 

Remains to be seen ....

Apparently, someone has their panties in a knot about a recent Correspondent post "Post Gazette Kisses White House Ass, Fawns Over Local Sibs" where I exercise my remaining freedom of speech and criticize Pittsburgh residents who make a living supporting a murderous, hate-mongering, deceitful Administration.  That post has been getting an incredible amount of visitors over the past few days, indicating that someone has passed around the link so all of their friends can click their tongues in outrage, stomp their expensively shoed feet and call me a mean bitch. 

They also insult my family by insinuating I didn't get enough hugs AND imply that I don't know from good ice cream. Perhaps I should be grateful the ice cream twins haven't set the FBI on me. 

But the ice cream bit is just blatantly not true.  We regularly have ice cream and have found that hands down the best place in town is

Shakes, floats, sundaes ... they do it all.  They will even give your dog a baby cone if you bring her with you. 

And, best of all, your hard earned money willl go into the coffers of someone who isn't employed by George Bush.  Now that's a sweet deal!

Mean bitch signing off ...

Perhaps he's run out of things to say or perhaps he just had writer's block.  Either way, its mildly annoying that the good Mr. Mervis, entertainment guru of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, had to go there.   Where, you ask?

Here's a hint.  He's was writing up the Western Pennsylvania Faerie Festival.

For certain people, particularly men who are a little insecure about their manhood, it might be hard to tell their friends that they are going to the Fairie Festival this weekend

It's going to arouse some snickers, but ... well, no buts. It sounds funny. Period.

That's so lame. 

Scott, this whole event is screaming out "HOMO" .... faeries, queens, gossamer wings, men in tights ...in the kind of way that would give a City Paper columnist lots of satirical fodder, but probably wouldn't fly with the good readers of the Post-Gazette. 

I feel for you, man. 

This caught my eye in the June 2006 edition of Pittsburgh's OUT, the monthly gay newspaper.  Click on the image to read the full text of the ad.

We liked True b/c they had a coffee bar and were smoke free.  We didn't go often, but it seemed busy enough as we drove by.  And the buzz from the community meetings here in Manchester is that bars like True are much more desirable than the Shamrock Inn and other rundown unsavory watering holes. 

So what's the story with True?