It has been suggested to me that the Post-Gazette and other local media sources are weak on coverage of LGBTQ stories, suggested that this is conventional wisdom. I disagree.  While our local media needs improvement, the PG is particularly attentive to LGBTQ issues. I suspect the issue is that the local media doesn't act as a PR vehicle for LGBTQ events rather than coverage of LGBTQ issues. I don't see that as a problem.  There isn't a single local group that has effective PR resources (believe me, I am often promised press materials that never materialize).  It is a growing pain. 

They picked this up off the wire (or whatever serves to bring in national tidbits these days).

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island lawmakers voted yesterday to allow same-sex and unmarried couples the right to plan the funerals of their late partners, overriding a veto by the governor, who warned it eroded traditional marriage.

The bill passed 67-3 in the House and 31-3 in the Senate, and enjoyed support from several Republican lawmakers, who in the same party as Gov. Don Carcieri, an adamant opponent of same-sex marriage in a state that does not recognize gay unions.

The new funeral planning rights also apply to unmarried heterosexual couples

Ah, the erosion of traditional marriages extends into eternity.  I wonder if Governor's Carcieri's version of religion passes out virgins to dead defenders of marriage?

Equality Advocates PA goes through another leadership change with the resignation of EX Lynn Zeitlin after one year.  Zeitlin isn't leaving for some specified opportunity and a replacement hasn't been identified so we can only imagine what has been going on.  The LGBTQ community has zero attention for organizing infrastructure when it comes to advocacy which really hurts us. Yet, it is hard to donate to an organization that is out of touch with Pittsburgh.  This literally leaves us at the mercy of those who play Western PA political/Democrat ball which is an unsettling place to be.  Even if their hearts are in the right places, the fact that it is January 6, 2010 and there are no domestic partner benefits for Allegheny County employees shows that they just don't quite have the muscle we need to be significant players.  I don't think we'd be well served by continuing to pay obeisance to that approach.

We need a dedicated organizer and to get that, we need to get behind an organization that can unite fractured organizations as well as truly represent the diversity that is the LGBTQ community Pittsburgh.

????

More from the PG on the Uguandan death penalty bill.

It is just hard to know where to focus.  KDKA on-air staff need GLAAD media training.  The Trib actually managing to pull off any positive coverage is just amazing.  Those national investments aren't going to come to Pittsburgh if we continue to struggle with the advocacy leadership vacuum.