Do you want Ricky Burgess to be the Mayor of Pittsburgh?

Mayor Peduto Ricky Burgess

This weekend, sitting members of Pittsburgh City Council and the Councilor-elect Bobby Wilson are debating whom to elect as their President. They will vote on Monday at 3 PM. The two contenders are Ricky Burgess, District 9, and Corey O’Connor, District 5. There are lots of factors to consider, including their legislative records and leadership […]

Political LGBTQ&A with Anthony Saba, Crafton Borough Councilperson-Elect

Openly Gay Arab Man

While on the local level we can only have so much impact, I believe that everything starts at the community level.  I would focus on making sure that all of our neighbors, regardless of their identity, understand what we are fighting for, equality and community. – Anthony Saba A few days after Election Day 2019, the Victory […]

Political LGBTQ&A with Edward Alo, Crafton Borough Councilperson-Elect

Openly Gay Crafton Borough Councilperson

I believe it is extremely important to have various representatives of the LGBTQ in elected office as well as in the public view.  I believe it provides a role model for younger generations.  When I was growing up in the 90s, my first experience with the LGTBQ was from MTV and Will and Grace.  It […]

Political LGBTQ&A with Jessica Semler, Etna Borough Council Member-Elect

Jessica Semler Etna Borough Council

If I had more folks that look like me out and in positions of power when I was younger, I truly think I would have come out to others, and myself years earlier than I did. It means so damn much. More LGBTQ folks in office means visibility of what it can look like to […]

Trump Targets LGBTQ Foster Care and Adoption – My Latest for @PghCurrent

Political LGBTQ&A with Jonathan Warnock, Indiana Boro Councilmember-Elect

Openly Gay Elected Official Indiana County

I say all the time that I’m just fighting the future, i.e. doing everything I can to mitigate the effects of climate change. Working for LGBTQIA+ rights feels the same. No minority group in history has gotten rights without a fight, and no group will keep them without vigilance. I’ve been involved with this for a long time now, going back to college and grad school working the the ‘gay/straight’ alliance clubs where I went to school. I seem to be unable to turn down the chance to advocate for equality or work to fight our climate future… just ask my husband.

Want to host a house party for LGBTQ political blogging?

Long story short, we are hoping to organize a few house parties in the near future among Pittsburghers who support LGBTQ political blogging. I promise that its tied to 2020 Elections. You don’t have to be rich, you don’t have to be cool. You don’t have to watch Dynasty.Curious? Email me pghlesbian @ gmail.

Updated (Again) – Western Pennsylvania Elected FIVE Openly LGBTQ Candidates in the Rainbow Wave

The LGBTQ Victory Fund reported on 13 Pennsylvania LGBTQ candidates who won their elections this week, including two from Western Pennsylvania: Jessica Semler in Etna Borough and Bruce Kraus in City of Pittsburgh. Add two THREE more names to this list.  Edward Alo and Anthony Saba, both openly gay, were elected to Crafton Borough Council. […]

13 Openly LGBTQ Candidates Won Their Elections in Pennsylvania in 2019 ‘Rainbow Wave’

Jessica Semler Bruce Kraus

  This is amazing – 14 openly LGBTQ candidates in Pennsylvania were identified by the Victory Fund in yesterday’s elections. 13 of them won. Two of those candidates were from Western Pennsylvania – City Council President Bruce Kraus won reelection and Etna Borough Council candidate Jessica Semler, an openly queer woman, won her first campaign […]

A History of My Friendship With Mayor Bill Peduto

One of the longest running relationships has been with Mayor Bill Peduto. Our friendship is a very loose use of the word; we aren’t personal friends and have rarely had a lot of face-to-face contact. What we’ve shared has been our investment in LGBTQ and other progressive issues, even though we haven’t always been on the exact same side every time.