From the Post-Gazette we learn:

The former Mellon Financial Corp. was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, as one of the "Best Places to Work for GLBT Equality." Last year, Mellon merged with the Bank of New York, which did not make the list (http://www.hrc.org/issues/best_places_to_work_2008.asp). ...

Is your company on the list?  Mine is too small. Neither is my insurance agency, my cell phone provider, or my car manufacturer.  The good news is that my credit card company and the manufacturer of my computer are listed.  Plus, Starbucks - my guilty pleasure.

Here are the specifics on Mellon.  Let's hold our breath and hope that the merger will pull Bank of New York up to this level next year.

Also, the 4th Annual Pittsburgh NaviGAYtour is due out this spring.  Get it -- a gay and lesbian tour guide. Does that mean there's a separate issue for queers, bisexuals and trans men and women? Anyway, this little PG story is basically a giant soliciation for gay friendly restaurants who want to be included in the tour guide.  Make sure you tell your favorite local business.  Somebody call the Square Cafe! 

On the national front, Governor Bill Richardson is ending his Presidential campaign.  Richardson is by all accounts a progressive candidate on LGBT issues ...here's what Pam has to say.

* He signed legislation expanding New Mexico civil rights laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. (At the time, only three other states had included transgender protections.)

* He signed a hate crimes law that included actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.

* He signed an executive order in 2003 extending health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of N.M. state employees.

* He's on record backing full-fledged civil unions and (unlike John Kerry) opposes state-level constitutional amendments banning gays from marrying.

* While in Congress, Richardson backed military service for out gay men and lesbians. That means, unlike Al Gore, John Kerry, John Edwards, Hillary and the rest, he was anti-Don't Ask, Don't Tell when it was very uncool to be.

I'm still pulling for Edwards even though I was not pleased with his comments about Hillary Clinton's demonstration of emotion.  I just can't get excited about Obama given my concerns about his pandering to religious interests.  Gussied up in lefty politics, it is the same marriage that makes Mike Huckabee so unpalatable.   Obama's affiliation with ex-gay zealot Donnie McClurkin is cause for concern, too.

This ties into yesterday's post about joining the Steel City Stonewall Democrats. 

If the frontrunning Democratic candidate for President can be (in either case) pretty weak on LGBT issues ...

If the Mayor of Pittsburgh can publicly oppose gay marriage AND gay civil unions without losing any of his gay support ...

If the County Chief Executive can publicly oppose domestic partner benefits for County employees and hide behind "the budget" while planning to run for Governor ...

If, If, If ... then we need to make sure our voices are being heard in the Democratic Party. Steel City Stonewall Democrats needs to be accountable for and accountable to the LGBT community.  You can make that happen. 

Earlier today, someone apparently hacked into the website of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats and sent a very strange rumor out that a local LGBTQ businessowner is a rightwing Republican along with the thinly veiled suggestion that patronizing those businesses would fill the coffers of George Bush.  Something like that.

It took me about two minutes flat to debunk that rumor.  First, the message itself was poorly written and included a recommendation to visit MY site if the Steel City site went down.  That's odd, especially as I have no content up about that individual at all.  Second, I hit the City Paper website and found evidence that the individual had contributed to the Bruce Kraus campaign.  Kraus is not a Republican.  He is not a rightwinger.  He wasn't even endorsed by the local Dems. 

Finally, I asked Steel City for the heads up.  They have issued a statement:

Early this morning a message was sent out to a large number of addresses in our database from treasurer @ steel-city.org by some unauthorized person who hacked into our system or somehow obtained a password. We regret this unfortunate incident, and we are investigating the matter at this time.

The message pertained to a business owner in our community.  The business owner in question has in fact generously supported our community, including efforts by the Stonewall Democrats and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.  We apologize to this individual and to everyone who received the message.

Kris Rust

Co-Chair

I'm amazed at how many people came to my site in response to this rumor.  I'm further amazed how many times it was posted on livejournal.  My God, people, think!  What if someone posted an anonymous rumor implying you were betraying your community with no evidence to back it up? 

Ledcat thinks it is the handiwork of Diane Gramley or another wingnut.  Regardless of the source, we have to think before we pass along rumors.  Steel City Stonewall is a good organization that makes things happen on our behalf.  They deserve better than to be punked for a personal vendetta. 

So if you think this sucks, surf on over and do the best thing -- join.  Become a member and do your part to be part of building a strong local LGBTQ wing of the Democratic party.  We cannot afford to take things for granted here in Western Pennsylvania as far too many of our elected Democrats are social conservatives and shelter their homophobia behind the Catholic Church.  It is very important that the people we elect remember the LGBTQ in "we" especially as we head into the next Gubernatorial election (hi Dan O.), the 2009 Mayoral Election (Luke doesn't support gay civil unions, remember?) and so forth. 

The only valuable lesson is the reminder to think twice before spending your money in establishments that are hostile to your own self interest.  Put your gay dollars where they count.  Start with Steel City Stonewall Democrats.  Ledcat and I belong.  All the cool homos do.

Speech given by Bruce Kraus, Pittsburgh's first openly gay City Councilmember, upon his swearing in on January 7, 2008.

Here's something.  Today, Bruce Kraus was sworn in along with other new City Council members Patrick Dowd and Ricky Burgress.  Doug Shields was reelected as City Council President without the vote of Tonya Payne.  Maria of 2 Political Junkies called Kraus' speech "very inspirational."

Mr. Kraus, who is openly gay, cited gay rights icon Harvey Milk, a San Francisco politician who was assassinated in 1978 "so that one day, some 30 years later, one's orientation would no longer be a factor in determining their ability to serve as an elected official."

He called for "a city where all people are invited to our great common table, to share in an equal voice and have every opportunity to participate in the stewardship of their futures, and have access to every resource that will lift them and their loved-ones up [to] the very highest quality of life."

That's lovely. The phrasing "life them and their loved-ones up" is so inclusive and respectful, especially when you consider how many heterosexual families don't fit the mold.  I wish I could have seen it, but we don't have cable.  People should put this stuff on YouTube.  I like how he folds his groundbreaking election into a call for inclusiveness throughout the City. 

I wonder how many openly lesbian committeemembers have served Allegheny County's Democratic Party?