HARRISBURG -- Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll has died, the governor's office announced tonight.
Mrs. Knoll, 78, had battled a rare form of cancer.
Earlier today, Mr. Rendell had reported that Mrs. Knoll remained in a rehab center and was continuing her "rough and difficult fight" against the cancer.
Mrs. Knoll died at 6 p.m. at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., according to Mary Isenhour, executive director of the Democratic State Committee.
"This is a very emotional thing. We extend our sympathies to the Baker Knoll family in their time of loss," Ms. Isenhour said.
A 40-year veteran of Allegheny County Democratic political wars, Mrs. Knoll served as state treasurer and made a strong third-place finish out of seven candidates in the 1994 Democratic primary for governor.
Eight years later she went on to capture her highest post, lieutenant governor in the Rendell administration.
She was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in May.
The man in line to take over as lieutenant governor, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, said Ms. Knoll "was a tremendous leader for the commonwealth and embodied the type of character expected of true, effective public servants. Her passion and commitment to bettering the lives of Pennsylvanians will be sorely missed, as it was certainly a staple of her public service."
Just got word this morning that someone from Erie took charge of the Pittsburgh "Join the Impact" effort and relocated it to Oakland ???? I have had no response to my inquiries so I don't know why someone would do that three days before the event, especially after all the PR previously directing people to the City-County Building.
The fear I'm hearing via email is fear that folks who might have showed up will be discouraged by yet another example of how poorly organized Pittsburgh's gay community is and just not come at all.
Hopefully, the organizer will get in touch and let us know her thoughts.
From my friend, Dr. Emilia Lombardi comes word of some events that may interest you. Unfortunately, due to a death in our family, Ledcat and I will not be able to attend. I would like to hear more.
Thurs. Nov. 13th 7-9pm Trans Town Hall meeting University of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall Rm. 562 On fifth ave between Lytton ave and Tennyson Ave http://www.tour.pitt.edu/tour-102.html Amanda Green (Allegheny County Councilperson, district 13) Stephen Glassman (Chairperson, The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; ) Dan Frankel (PA Representative, 23rd district) They will talk about the statuses of the county and state nondiscrimination legislation with an emphasis on the gender identity component. Afterwards there will be a discussion on forming a trans political advisory committee. This meeting is open to trans people and allies. Sponsored by the Steel-City Stonewall Democrats Snacks will be served
Sunday Nov. 16th 2-4pm Trans Lobbying Training Conducted by Jake Kaskey Education and Outreach Coordinator Equality Advocates Pennsylvania 3520 5th ave 2nd floor conference room please RSVP elombardi@stophiv.pitt.edu or 412-383-2233
Here's your chance to be part of the nationwide outrage over the passage of California's Proposition 8 which amends the state constitution to limit marriage between a man and a woman.
11/15/08. Join your queer brothers and sisters, and our allies, this Saturday, November 15, at the City County Building at 1:30 PM. From Join the Impact website:
On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents? lifetimes, and for many generations before us. WE CAN?T DO THIS ALONE! WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need organizers in every major city to work with us and get out the protest! I know you?re all tired from all of the work you?ve done for this great election year, but I?m asking for one more push! Let the country hear our voices together. Let them see that we are a strong, adamant, and powerful community that deserves equal rights, and CAN?T BE DEFEATED!
Why should you get riled up over a California issue and give up your Saturday afternoon to protest about marriage rights when we here in Pennsylvania struggle to beat down marriage amendments of our own and don't have the clout in Western PA to hold the Mayor accountable for his promises to appoint a gay liaison?
Well, that's exactly why. You can stay home and let the same few straggly group of advocates determine the priorities of our community and send that message to our legislators. Or you can get off your butt and take a stand. It just doesn't get any sadder that to realize our nation elected Barack Obama and, in the very same day, four anti-gay propositions were approved in their respective states. Fingers have been pointing at the various folks we could blame for that sad state of affairs -- the Mormons, the Catholics, the African-American faith communities, etc.
The truth is that we must first accept our own share of the blame. Our opponents were better oganized and had an appealing message. Meanwhile, our community refuses to wrestle with the looming questions of the racism, transphobia and sexism which plague our community, not to mention the economic issues. We bury our heads in the sand and the best we get is a watered-down version of ENDA --- it was appalling that Congressman Jason Altmire was APPLAUDED for his vote on that non-inclusive legislation (I like Jason, but we lost an opportunity to educate him when he got a pass on that one.)
So, what will a protest on Prop 8 do for Pittsburgh's queer community? For starters, it gets us out and mingling and tallking. It brings us together and builds a foundation and makes this battle more than the work of the same 5 or 6 local advocates. It makes the battle about all of us. It is our lives and I for one don't think its very acceptable that legalized gay marriage was bitch slapped back into the 20th century, even if I personally don't think marriage is the most important civil rights issue for the gay community.
So, we plan to be there on Saturday at 1:30. Hopefully, I can live blog if I find somewhere to rest my laptop.
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:*
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.
Be sure to read this piece from the Post-Gazette Saturday diary:
In this miracle we call America, my own life is a testament to promises made, and kept.
I studied and worked hard. I have a good job. I worked in Congress for a well-known senator as the Reagan revolution began, one of only a handful of black Senate staffers at the time.
None of the blessings I've enjoyed would have been possible had it not been for those whose blood was spilled in Alabama in that summer of 1963.
Now, as a gay African American, a proud father and, I hope, a minister some day, I stand second to none when it comes to having pride in my country and what it has achieved. Mr. Obama's election reminded me of that.
The promise that now lives in me has been passed on to my children -- my beautiful "rainbow" sons -- two of them African American, one Puerto Rican and one Irish.
This week has been filled with much turmoil in the LGBTQ community as we struggle to reconcile the hope of an Obama presidency with the voter support of four anti-gay constitutional amendments. Bigotry has reared its ugly head along with ignorance, good intentions and enough blame to go around and around. At one point, I had to stop reading my email because the finger-pointing is just too much.
Sadly, there has been no online discussion on the local level. The local LGBTQ advocates have issued no statements or email messages or anything of that sort. There has been no calls to action or invitations to reflect on how we -- the collective we -- can move forward. I haven't really seen this level of analysis in the other local blogs.
Which is better? To remain mum or to expose the ugly face of racism in the queer community? It is great that Melissa Etheridge isn't going to pay California State taxes. That'll show 'em. And people are boycotting Rosie's family cruises b/c she didn't ante up. Wow. I shouldn't be so dismissive of people working through their anger and frustration, but the lack of self-awareness on the collision of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation is sad.
We are fortunate that men like Don step foward to proudly claim all of their cultural identity and remind us that our community is diverse. Period. We have to come to terms with that and find a way to build bridges with constituencies that might support a statewide marriage amendment. We have to make sure the Don Hammonds of the region are sitting at the table when we talk with the Ricky Burgesses of the region. Not that Reverend Burgess is a bigot, but he is opposed to gay marriage and we have to be willing as a community to enter that uncomfortable territory to dialogue around these issues and find our common ground.
Ah, Jim Quinn. He has no problems with gays, except for our impact on health insurance premiums what with all the AIDS generating sex we have and our attempts to "muddy the waters" by wanting to get married.
GLAAD is calling on all homosexuals to urge Clear Channel Communications to sanction Quinn.
Please contact Clear Channel to voice your concerns about Quinn's reprehensible remarks about gay people and people with AIDS. Call on Clear Channel to reprimand him and stop providing a national platform for these kids of defamatory attacks.
What Quinn said is really reprehensible. And dated. My God, gay sex produces AIDS? Is that his best riposte to the quest for legalized marrriage? Is that the best he's got? So people with AIDS shouldn't get married? And don't deserve health insurance? That must be some comfort to all the happily wed heterosexual HIV+ folks out there. Too bad for you.
I'm not one for censorship, but I do think Clear Channel is part of the larger problem of the lack of positive representation of the gay community on the airwaves. Pittsburgh just lost one of the few progressive voices on the air with the departure of Lynn Cullen from WPTT 1360. Thus, personally, I think the community would be better served by calling for Clear Channel to diversify the voices on the air rather than gagging Jim Quinn. Of course, that sort of campaign rests upon the outrageousness of these comments.
Rumors are that some local station might bring Lynn back on the air, but no one wants to "'jinx" the deal by talking about it. Someone should start an online petition.
Ledcat and I attended the Lambda Ball during our first year of dating. It was such fun to get dressed up and wear my grandmother's jewelry and dance, dance, dance. We met a lovely couple from Ithaca. It was like magic. You should consider going. Not only is it a really fun night, but you are supporting one of the core groups that keep Pittsburgh's LGBT community flourishing. Lambda has been here for us over the past 25 years, $3,000 at a time. Hurrah! See you at the ball ...
It is 11:39 PM and we are waiting to hear Obama's speech. We went outside and celebrated with one set of neighbors. Everyone else either wasn't home or just didn't feel the joy.
Still, we also await the outcome on California's Proposition 8 which would invalidate gay marriage in that state.
It hasn't necessarily been a good night for homosexuals. We lost in Florida, Arizona and Arkansas. Florida and Arizona approved constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. Arkansas has approved an amendment prohibiting gay couples from fostering or adopting children. As a soon to be former foster parent recruiter, I can only shake my head at the idiocy that would eliminate an entire group of potential homes for vulnerable children when we struggle every day to find homes willing to take in these children. What a despicable turn of events for children.
Clearly, the Democratic surge is good news for us. And Connecticut voters turned back an attempt to prohibit gay marriage.
The time is not ripe for marriage. We may have to accept that reality, but we need to work more diligently to ensure that our other issues are on the table. That means Jason Altmire votes for an inclusive ENDA before he shows up at another gay campaign event and asks for our support. That means Dan Onorato offers domestic partnership benefits to County Employees before crawling through another round of gay bars. That means Doug, Tonya, Bill and Bruce pressure the Mayor to establish the LGBT advisory committee and make more appointments. That means Chelsa, Dan, Jim, Wayne, Don and our other state friends need to beat that Marriage Amendment to death once and for all so we can get on with the business of protecting our civil rights and ensuring that I get to visit Ledcat in the hospital without getting permission from her relatives. That means the Steel City Stonewall Democrat memberships rise and their leaders insist the candidates go on the record by completing a survey to win an endorsement or a recommendation. All of them -- ALL of them -- owe us a more concerted effort to improve the lives of every single gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender man and woman in this region. Adult or child, we too deserve the promise that American can change.
Hold on ... President-Elect Obama just mentioned gay Americans. Now that's what I'm talking about.
"Put their hands on the arc of history and bend it towards a better day."
Let us hope, my friends, that we awake to a better day in California, so that the rest of us can feel some glimmer of hope. Let us hope that people let the hate and fear and intolerance in their hearts begin to melt so that we stop putting up barriers to families that look a little different than the typical family, but feel the same love and connection and hurt and bond that all families feel.
I am tired. I drove to meet a prospective tenant this evening and I was exhausted and out of gas. This gentleman bounced out of his tricked out car, decked from head to toe in Obama-gear and came up to me gushing about my Obama pride bumper magnet. So I ripped it off my car and handed it to him. He slapped that puppy right on his car and drove off with an ecstatic look on his face. I think he was gay, but it doesn't really matter. We bonded in a moment of anticipation, a moment of hope.
