John was my friend since I was 14 and he was 19 when his mother moved next door to my parents.  He was this amazing man and I miss him a lot.  I miss his smart-ass comments, his willingness to get down on the floor with the pets, his pleasure over a simple meal and his obsessive collecting.  :-)  John was the first person I came out to and he was just so great when I was confusing myself.  The death of a friend who is 41 is just mind-blowing.  Rest in peace, my friend.

 *Dear GLBT Community Leader:* As you probably have heard, the building
housing the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh (GLCC) at Forward
and Murray as well as the former Poli's Restaurant and the Forward Theatre
building are under agreement with a proposal to demolish the buildings to
make way for a private hotel/retail development. Bottom line, the GLCC must
move by April 30, 2009 (with the potential for a 30-60 day extension
depending upon when the developer can get the necessary permits).

For our part, the GLCC Board has been working with an experienced architect,
a facility master planner and a planning facilitator to complete a
Facilities Master Plan. This formal process is helping us in assessing the
GLCC's needs and the role we the GLCC needs to play within the greater
Pittsburgh GLBT community. We now need to meet with our current lessees *and
* other GLBT community groups to complete the next step in the Facilities
Master Planning process. In other words?**

* *

*The GLCC now needs your input so please consider this your "call-to-serve"!
*

*On behalf of the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh, I am writing
to you as a community leader (or if appropriate, another representative of
your organization) to invite you to join us in our discussions and planning
for the relocation of the Center as follows:*

* *

*Thursday*

*November 20, 2008*

*6:30PM - 8:30PM*

*at the*

*Gay & Lesbian** Community Center***

*5808 Forward Avenue***

*Corner of Forward & Murray Avenues*

* *

*Please let us know the following information by Wednesday, November 19th if
you or someone else will be able to join us:*

* *

   1. *Organization:*
   2. *Who will attend:*
      1. *Role in the organization:*
      2. *Telephone:*
      3. *e-Mail:*

* *

*Send to: Gary McKillop at gary@glccpgh.org *

Note: We want to be as inclusive as possible, so please feel free to pass
this along to other GLBT community leaders, organizations, etc.!

It has only been through community support that the GLCC is where it is
today! For that we thank each of you and we look for your continued support
as we face new challenges and opportunities. We sincerely hope that you
and/or your group will participate, support and work with us make the GLCC a
more accessible and visible entity in the Pittsburgh GLBT community.

Sincerely,

Rick Allison

Chair, GLCC Board of Directors