Here in Pittsburgh our civil rights successes are more modest, namely beating back an anti-gay marriage amendment and actually having legislation introduced on the state level to expand discrimination protections to the LGBTQ community. Still, I'm going to refrain from (once again) beating the drum about the entrenched social conservatism of local Dems (oopps!) and focus on Pride!
You can find a listing of events here. The PrideGuide is out and about. It is very shiny. You'll get the scoop on Pride events and some rather interesting advertisements. I expected to hate it, but its just a bigger version of previous Guides. I read it cover to cover.
I received an email about an interesting event AFTER PrideFest and sponsored by the Pittsburgh Black Pride Association. It is called Pride in Jazz - Blues Women of the 20th Century. That looks really cool.
With a wink, a nod, or a shake of their hips, the women of Blues weaves tales of life, love, tenderness, heartache, and hardship with their song. These five women, who are widely recognized for their eclectic and soulful approach to creating music, move their sound comfortably from mainstream jazz to R & B ballads, avant-garde to Brazilian funk. Their live performances are a joyful celebration.
Presented by the Pittsburgh Black Pride Association, this all-women group showcases all the great women of Blues with historical information and humor.
And don't forget the Dyke March on Saturday afternoon
The Pittsburgh Dyke March is June 21st!!!<------- DON'T SELL YOUR PRIDE!!!! *Pittsburgh's 3rd Annual Dyke march* WHEN: June 21st WHERE:March starts at Mellon Square Park (Downtown) TIME: Meet and greet 2:00 pm Keynote address: Betty Hill-2:40pm March kick off: Colelea-2:55pm
We will march down 5th ave, make a right on Liberty, right on William Penn Place, then head back around to Mellon Square park *Trans family welcome* *This march will be accessible, we will have a truck for those who would like to ride the march* After party At Donny's and Weezie's Brought to you by THE PINK PARTY PRODUCTIONS! With special performances by: Colelea Bekezela Joey Murphy Smells Like Gina Ya Lioness Homemade/Dyke made teeshirts and bags available Come on out! Let's make some noise and take up space! Visibility! Spread the word! Any questions, please message us at our myspace page The Pittsburgh Dyke March is personal, it's political. We are claiming celebratory feminist space for LBTQ (lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer) wimmin. Our realities and issues have been set to the side of the larger "inclusive" GLBT umbrella, and we've been told we must compromise. We've been told to assimilate to appropriation by corporate advertisers and sacrifice our interests to further the "greater good" of the gay community. As womyn loving womyn we are claiming this loving and political space, not only to celebrate the fierce radical spirit of the Stonewall Riots, but to remind ourselves that dykes are, and will continue to be, a revolutionary force to be reckoned with. How we organize and celebrate with one another matters, our love matters, our art matters, and dyke lives matter
Saturday night is the Joan Rivers concert to honor the 25th anniversary of Lambda. Sunday is the actual Pride festival and the PrideMarch. The Pittsburgh parade marshalls are an interesting choice -- Father Lynn Edwards and City Council President Doug Shields. Both are deserving, but I'm curious as to why the committee would select two allies in lieu of at least one LGBT individual. Maybe I'll find out on Sunday. There are some national marshalls, too, but that's not the same thing.
On a personal note, I'll be staffing a booth at PrideFest. I picked up my tent today. It seems very complicated so if you see a lesbian struggling to get something erected, please send help.
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 LesbianCommunity 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 LiddyPresident
Rev, J Howard Cherry, OSL, OEVice President
United Methodist Clergy, retired
R. Craig Bennett, CPATreasurer
Terry Collier & Associates, P.C.
August ?Buzz? PusateriSecretary
Dr.Nina MarkovicDirector
Associate Professor University of Pittsburgh
Anne BowmanExecutive 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. ShepherdWellnessCenter 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 50th 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. AIDSTaskForceUpperOhioValley. AIDS Task Force of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. AIDS Town Meeting. AlleghenyCollege. AlleghenyCollege in Support of Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. AlleghenyCollege Gay/Lesbian History Conference. Anawim. Archivist. Asian-Pacific Lesbians of Pittsburgh. Asians & Friends. Beaver CountyAIDS Service Organization. Beaver CountyAIDS Task Force. Bet Tikvah. Bi/ Gala, IndianaUniversity of Pennsylvania. Bi/Gala University of Pittsburgh. Black & White Men Together, Youngstown. Bridges/Erie Gay Community Newsletter. Gloria Brusoski. ButlerCountyAIDS Task Force. Center for Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights. ChattamCollege LABiAT Alliance. Christian Lesbians in Action/ MetropolitanCommunityChurch. Johanna Classen, Lambda Scolarship Winner. Caritas House. CarnegieMellonUniversity 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, BlairCounty. 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 VirginiaUniversity. GAY 90?S. Gay & LesbianAllianceCarnegieMellonUniversity. Gay & Lesbian Cable Network. Gay & LesbianCommunity Center (GLCC). GLCC Newsletter. GLCC Phone line. Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Gay & Lesbian Health Line, West VirginiaUniversity. Gay & Lesbian Youth Conference. Gift of WomenChurch/ 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. MetropolitanCommunityChurch (MCC). Metro Family Practice, Inc.MonValley Media. MountainState 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. PittsburghAIDSCenter for Treatment (PACT).Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF). Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.RenaissanceCity Choirs. Seven Project. ShepherdWellnessCommunity Center. Stonewall Institute. The Diversity Project.ThomasMertonCenter. 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).
As reported by the PG web-edition, City Council gave a thumbs up on the first vote for the domestic partner registry. The lone naysayer was the Reverend Ricky Burgess. Final vote will be next week. No word on how the Mayor feels about all this registry stuff, but it appears veto proof at this stage of the game.
Sigh. I am only speculating here, but my guess is that Reverend Burgess is sticking with the right wing rhetoric that even second class relationship civil rights are too much for Pittsburgh's homosexuals. This new system is just a scooch along the path toward anything resembling civil unions in Pennsylvania. Barely a scooch. Way more important to this lesbian is the probability that this registry will help our family keep our domestic partner benefits if Ledcat's job is merged into the County. Which is unlikely given her job, but it is good to be prepared. Like Boy Scouts. Only with labia.
I emailed Councilmen Shields and Kraus (no "e") asking for their thoughts on how the registry requirements might impact low income families, suggesting that the City compile a guide on how to meet the registry requirements. The most vulnerable families are those least likely to afford things like attorney fees for wills and those most likely to have financial and credit blemishes impacting their economic stability. Thus, they are most in need of the registry benefits (if any are available to them).
And, to be honest, some of the requirements are a bit arduous. I went through the process of adding my name to the household utility bills and it was a pain. Lots of red tape and questions and three way phone calls. It would be great if the City could put together a simple how to list to make things easier. I would hate to see this great new resource benefit only those of us who have the luxury of joint credit cards and power of attorney documents. That would be a great shame.
You know ... that would be a great project for the Mayor's new LGBT Advisory Board with input from his LGBT Liaison. Oh, except for the little detail that he hasn't appointed any of those people. Darn.
The state Senate this afternoon voted, 41-9, in favor of a bill that bans smoking in many public places.
The House already had passed the bill, so now it goes to Gov. Ed Rendell for his signature.
What a great day. Now if we can only convince people who are addicted to smoking how unpleasant it can be to sit next to them for an hour in a somewhat warm conference room, clapping politely while other people win awards. Now that would be something.
Promises have been made that Allegheny County will be included in legislation to allow for tighter local controls. One can only hope.
I wonder if there's been any study on whether this sort of ban actually drove business to smaller venues, business which increased their overall food sales leading to a bump into the bracket of those who must comply with the law? Wouldn't that be ironic?
Anyway, the lesbians are doing the happy dance. Good job, state legislature. Good job.
A little foray into the fascinating world of sexual history would reveal that our "[recently] corrupted society" has, in fact, been corrupt at least since the dawn of recorded history. Before Mr. Davis makes such broad historical generalizations in the future, I would encourage him and those who hold staunch opinions based on anecdotal versions of history to become familiar with some of the classics in sexual history. I particularly would recommend works by John Boswell, Thomas Laqueur, Peter Gay and George Chauncey, all highlights of the modern sexual canon. Even if you leave with the same opinion, it will prevent the future course of the marriage debate from being filled with historical half-truths.
Three of five charges against the Reverend Janet Edwards have been dropped. A trial on the two remaining charges, brought for performing a marriage ceremony for a local lesbian couple, will proceed in October 2008.
More than 30 observers attended. Most, if not all, were supporters of the Rev. Edwards. During a recess they gathered in a nearby home, where they sang and prayed for her. Among them were Nancy McConn and Brenda Cole of Triadelphia, W.Va., the couple she was on trial for marrying.
The trial "is very hurtful, not just for us but for all gay and lesbian couples. But what the church is doing does not in any way diminish the sacredness of our marriage," Ms. Cole said.
"They do not have that kind of power," said Ms. McConn, who is Presbyterian.
My highly confidential informant found the offending strip. It is called "The Meaning of Lila" and it is a silly little attempt to translate "Will and Grace" onto the funny pages. The challenges of extrapolating the gay guy/girlfriend routine are many and Lila makes the classic mistake of assuming she's "in" the group. Yes, Lila drops the H-bomb. Right in front of Blondie, Hagar the Horrible and those cute little critters from Mutts.
Here's the strip ..
The problem here is the classic heterosexual mistake of assuming that you are so gay-friendly, we won't mind if you use terms that are typically offensive. Like fag, dyke and homo. Those are pretty much "insider" terms which belong to us. Lila is obviously gay-friendly because her best friend, Boyd, is gay. Boyd was outed in mid-May. So it took less than a month for the writers to leapfrog from veiled references to full frontal fag haggisms. My goodness ...
Maybe I spend too much time with homo-flinger John McIntire, but this doesn't bother me nearly as much as the inherent vacuousness of the whole strip -- I read back a few weeks online and it is just ... sad. There's none of the warmth and humor that permeated Will and Grace, which was equally vacuous in its own way. In color. With Jack. And Karen.
Lila, however, presumes too much when it used the word homo. It presumed that readers are thoroughly invested in a gay comic strip character (uh-huh) and that Lila's character had proven her gay street cred enough to warrant using the term (???).
Does the fact that so few people noticed mean that society is indifferent to the gay guy/girlfriend dynamic, that it is still acceptable to drop the term homo in everyday conversation or that very few people actually read this strip?
I caught this letter to the editor Thursday and have no idea which strip used the term "homo" recently. Anyone?
I am writing to express my disgust that you would publish, in the comic section, a cartoon with well-known slur (homo: "Offensive slang for a gay or lesbian person," American Heritage Dictionary) as part of the gag.
While the strip is mediocre and poorly drawn (like the cheapo cartoons seen in old UHF commercials in the '60s), mediocrity is not a reason to cancel a strip.
However, blatant offensiveness is and I would not be sorry to never see this kind of tripe again.
Bard Ermentrout O'Hara
I confess that I typically read 1/3 of the comic strips. Mutts, For Better or For Worse, Peanuts, Sally Forth, Lio, the one with Danae, the one with the 7 or 8 brothers who are cops and football players, and the Born Loser. Oh and Blondie. On the weekends, I read Opus, Prince Valiant and Fox Trot. I miss Fox Trot in the dailies.
The constant switch in and out of new comics fatigues me. They are all about people with kids and not very original.
So, I didn't see the slur. Anyone catch it? I'd be interested to see it in context before I jump to conclusions (my favorite weekend hobby). :-)
Update: The Pittsburgh City Paper's Melissa Meinzer and Chris Potter do a really good job with this story on the CP's website. Good example of how web based media serves the CP readership. And you.
I contacted Shields' office and encountered a reluctance to work with a blogger which was disappointing as I worked very hard to get his letter to Sally Kern picked up by gay media around the country. Ah well ...
City Council President Doug Shields and City Councilperson Bruce Kraus are proposing the development of City domestic registry for unmarried couples which would formalize the process for determining eligibility of City employees for domestic partnership benefits AND provide private employers with a similar resource. According to the Post-Gazette, the registry will also recognize familial relationships defined by mutual support.
I'm waiting for a comment from Council President Shields. I'm also poking around to see what impact this has had in other communities, including Philadelphia.
Ledcat and I already have an affidavit of our domestic partnership. It was a pain to get it and put us through more far more hoops than is reasonable. How many heterosexual married couples have to get both names on utility bills -- do you know how complicated that is?
This is an interesting step forward. I'm curious as to how the Mayor rules on this and hopeful this will force the issue of addressing domestic partnership benefits in a potential City-County merger.
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.
