Readers.

Here's a bit of shameless pandering.  I am searching high and low for raffle prize donations.  Can you help?  Any item large or small -- a candle, a CD, a tee shirt or mug promoting your company/organization -- all will be put to good use.

My program is sponsoring one of Pittsburgh?s few vegetarian events on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.  The event will include a meal with vegan options (entr?e, salad, beverages and dessert) for $10.00/person.  We hope that this unique fundraiser will help us raise funds for our community social activities, including a 2010 trip to Ocean City, for our program consumers who most often live on very small fixed incomes.  These activities help us keep people engaged in the community and focused on managing their mental illness rather than isolating which can lead to more serious health concerns. 

 Clearly, we?d love you to come to our fundraiser!  The meal will be delicious and it is quite a bargain for $10.00! 

I am asking for your support in another way.  We are trying to have a random raffle to help us meet our goal.  Would you be able to donate an item that we can include in one of our baskets?  It can be as simple as a knickknack, candle, pot holder or other craft item.  We?d also love to put together theme baskets that might appeal to our vegetarian crowd ? a pet basket, perhaps a vegetarian dinner kit, or even a ?night on the town? basket.  We?ve had a nice response from our business partners, but the economy is tough. So I?m asking you personally if you can donate something small ? maybe a modest gift card from your favorite veggie restaurant, coffee shop or movie passes.  Perhaps even a copy of your favorite vegetarian cookbook.  I?ve had a couple of tee shirts and mugs donated which is also very helpful ? maybe your employer has a bit of ?swag? that you can share with us.

Your support will make a difference for the individuals we serve through our community activities programs.  You will also be supporting the vegetarian lifestyle and promoting an alternative twist to the very popular Spaghetti Dinner/Pancake Breakfast traditions. 

I really appreciate your consideration.  Your donation will be tax deductible and acknowledged in our event program (which will double as a vegetarian resource guide) and the agency newsletter. 

On behalf of Community Human Services, thank you for your support!  Hope to see you on June 16.

Thanks for your help!

(My mother-in-law gave me this tip at our Mother's Day lunch as it hasn't yet made the Pittsburgh papers.)

From the Sharon Herald (largest paper near the college) comes word that John Gechter will be permitted to graduate with a GCC degree.  In a deal struck with the college, Gechter must complete his two remaining classes elsewhere which can then be transferred back to GCC for his degree.

Gechter had previously been suspected when school officials learned of his roles in gay male pornography.  Gechter claims he was using the money earned to finance his education.  A video was discovered by another student who shared it with the general student body.  Gechter was two classes away from completing his undergraduate degree. 

Gechter states he will drop plans for a lawsuit in return for this resolution.  He plans to move to New York City where he has been cast in a play. 

As for the students who spread the information (and the video?)?

 GCC also did not offer any specific comment as to whether any students were punished for spreading the e-mail about Gechter, only stating that ?in mid-April, the Office of Student Life and Learning at Grove City College received information indicating one of our students was actively involved in the hardcore pornographic adult entertainment industry.?

 Student reaction seems mixed with some students sympathetic to Gechter for being suspended so close to graduation.

Other students seem in la-la land, stating that they do not believe Gechter was harassed at their good Christian environment.  Seriously?  I've been to a whole lot of churches in my life and met a lot of very human Christians engaging in gossip, slander, and other nasty low down behavior.  I also attended a Catholic university so I definitely know what happens in that kind of good Christian environment. 

I am glad things worked out for Gechter and hope other students take heed to enroll in schools that accept federal financial aid if they plan to finance their education by freelance work in the adult entertainment industry.  Still, I can't help wondering if the students who "gossiped" this information around the campus even get that they violated a Christian code of conduct? 

How can the College act in "good faith" if these students and those who allegedly sent "hate email" to Gechter go about their way with nary a backward glance?

You may have heard about the new movie OUTrage which explores the controversial practice of outing LGBT elected officials and staffers who want to have their cake and eat it, too.  In other words, they work diligently to oppose full equality in their legislative guise, but still live the gay life -- be it enjoying the quiet cloak of privilege with their partner or trolling for sex with other persons of the same sexual orientation. 

Pittsburgh has at least three reveals connected to this project, courtesy of BlogActive.com. All three are/were legislative staffers investing their time, talent and energy into promoting the anti-equality agendas of their bosses. 

Agree with outing or not, clearly this is a conversation worth having here in Pittsburgh, particularly as we have many a social conservative Democrat representing our region and more than one elected official who falls into this category themselves. 

I'm not suggesting that we begin a witch hunt, simply that we bring a topical and timely film to Pittsburgh to generate constructive conversation on the subject matter.  We've elected one openly gay person and may be on the brink of electing an openly gay judge.  This is the time to examine the need for elected officials (and their staffers) to remain in the closet, as well as to ponder the implications of members of our community working for people who want to keep us in second class status. 

One of the film's participants, Michael Rogers of PageOneQ media, was recently interviewed by a DC talk show.  During that interview, the male host told Rogers that he wanted to take him outside and punch him in the head.  Nice.  He then refused to offer an apology because he thinks outing hurts innocent people.  Personally, that's a bullshit argument -- the individual's choices to lie to their spouses and children are the source of hurt, not the reveal.  Their choice to promote an anti-equality agenda hurts a lot of people.  There are plenty of quietly LGBT persons who work for a fair agenda.  This is about hypocrisy, not a witch hunt.  Watch the video and ask yourself if a representative from any other minority group would  be subjected to a threat like this.

Admittedly, I am naive as to how to bring a film to town.  I took a shot in the dark and contacted some folks who may be able to advise me on that process. I also contacted a few local theater that show this sort of film and simply asked for their assistance.

Again, you may disagree with outing but that should prompt you to want to see the movie and understand the phenomenon better. 

Sunday, June 21, 2009 the Indigo Girls are back in Pittsburgh and the Lambda Foundation has just announced an exclusive "meet and greet" backstage with Emily and Amy.  Tickets for the meet and greet are $35.00 and will include the opportunity to have a photo of your family taken by a professional photographer.  Tickets for the concert are $30 and $40. 

Lambda Foundation Executive Director Anne Bowman comments that "the Indigo Girls have been very gracious" to add this to the previously scheduled concert date. 

Founded in 1983, the Lambda Foundation is Pittsburgh's oldest LGBTQ foundation and recently celebrated 25 years of supporting our community.  From Persad to PFLAG, Lambda has been part of almost every significant LGBTQ focused project or service in Pittsburgh.  Every year the community gathers to celebrate and honor community leaders in style at the Lambda Ball.

Now this is great news for Pittsburgh's Pride month festivities.  We can attend a great concert, get the opportunity to meet LGBTQ icons and help raise money for an important community organization.

Mayor Ravenstahl is getting some heat for supporting Anthony Coghill in the District 4 City Council race.  Coghill did not receive the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.

Huh.  I've heard rumblings that the Mayor is "disappointed" he did not receive the endorsement of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats.  Other rumblings suggest that there is concern about fallout after the primary.  It has come from multiple directions so this latest news about the Mayor is interesting. 

Let's hope he shows some consistency by respecting Democratic groups that don't adhere to the ACDC endorsement.  Just like he isn't.  Fair is fair, right?

I don't think Steel City should endorse the Mayor in the general election because there is no membership vote for that endorsement.  Pressure to do otherwise is undemocratic and would make me suspect of the value of the process.  Damage control is not in the best interests of the members. 

Let's hope the organization stays true to the vote.

The other usual "thuggery" is alive and well in Pittsburgh politics. Sigh.  These family feuds to get their proteges into office are just ridiculous.  The machine needs a good ass kickin at the ballot box.

Grove City suspended 21 year old John Gechter for his gay porn career which he used to finance his college education. Gechter was due to graduate this year and begin graduate school in the fall.  Gechter is appealing the decision, claiming that his work in the porn industry under an alias is not the school's concern. 

Grove City feels otherwise, citing the school's Christian based policies on student conduct.  Students are required to abstain from sexual activity.  Grove City says that Gechter's sexual orientation was not a factor in their decision.  Gecheter identifies as bisexual.

Oh my.  I'm not sure I believe Grove City and here's why:

But on April 23, a fellow student found Mr. Gechter's ample body of work on the Internet and forwarded evidence of his secret identity to friends. By the next day, Mr. Gechter estimated that the e-mail had reached two-thirds of the student population -- and he'd landed in a meeting with administrators.

Two-thirds of the student population are viewing pornography and Grove City seemingly takes no action.  Why was the student who discovered the offending video surfing for pornorgraphy in the first place?  Don't tell me he just happened to find it. If he took such offense, why not discreetly share this information with the school administrators out of Christian love and compassion? Isn't the intent to ridicule and mock Gechter a problem?

Then there is this.

 He says he's received nearly 200 "hate mail" e-mails from other students and has even been pelted with fruit salad in the cafeteria.

Ah, more Christian conduct on the part of other students.  That code of conduct doesn't seem to have quite caught on with the Grove City student body. 

The code of conduct can be found here.  Here's the relevant portions.