May 31, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

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Cruising Pittsburgh: The story of clandestine gay sex, from the Fruit Loop to Grindr

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MAY 31-JUNE 7, 2023

VOL. 32 ISSUE 22

Editor-in-Chief ALI TRACHTA

Director of Advertising RACHEL WINNER

Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD

News Editor JAMIE WIGGAN

A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ

Art Director LUCY CHEN

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SERVING PITTSBURGH SINCE NOV. 6, 1991 04
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12 Queer joy without commercialism: how to celebrate this June BY INDIA KRUG 14 Show your support with these gifts for newly out LGBTQ friends and loved ones 17 LGBTQ News: Campaign to distribute supportive signage ramps up during Pride 18 LGBTQ Events: Celebrate 50 years of Pride in Pittsburgh at these big events happening all month long Crossword and Classifieds FEATURE STORY LGBTQ LGBTQ

Proud to support all communities, all year long.

We stand with the LGBTQ+ community today, tomorrow, always

Proud to support all communities, all year long.

We stand with the LGBTQ+ community today, tomorrow, always

3 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023

CRUISING TOGETHER

A history of clandestine gay sex in Pittsburgh

ONE NIGHT IN THE MID-1980S, Scott* tells me, his roommate went to the Fruit Loop — a secluded stretch of roadway in the southwest corner of Schenley Park — hoping to catch some dick. When the roommate returned, Scott, who had never gone cruising himself, despite spending many nights looking out the window of his apartment into the park, longing, or at least curious, asked how it went, expecting a raunchy story.

But the roommate, scowling, recounted a distasteful exchange that had turned him off: Making a slow turn about the Fruit Loop in his car, watching and being watched by the men at the edge of the woods, the roommate rolled his window down. One of the watchers approached, friendly and direct: “J’need blowed?”

This yinzer was too much for Scott’s

fussy roommate, whose desire could not override his bourgeois, judgmental impulses. He’d rolled up the car window and high-tailed it home.

Many years later, Scott recounts this night with regret. Despite living so close to the Fruit Loop, Scott spent the ‘80s too afraid of contracting HIV/AIDS to pursue his own desires — to allow himself the surprise of connection and pleasure with strangers — so instead he got too drunk at gay bars (once smashing the glasses behind the bar at the House of Tilden), and lived vicariously through his roommate’s stories. Because Scott allowed himself so few experiences of his own, he was especially disappointed when his roommate’s forays didn’t pan out.

Scott’s anecdote swiftly illustrates something of the range of men who seek sex with men, a range which, when considered with any seriousness, challenges

popular ideas about who might or might not have gay sex. What’s exciting about cruising is that you don’t know who you might encounter, or who you’ll desire — Yinzer, or priss, or both — until you try it.

In the last few years, the closing of gay bars and adult bookstores, as well as a clearer understanding of the profoundly limited benefits of visibility and assimilation in a structurally homophobic and transphobic culture, have reignited a robust interest in cruising, and its history, especially among younger queer people. But because public sex is technically illegal, cruising is, by necessity, a secretive act, largely anonymous, and mostly undocumented, except when intercepted by police. Case in point: in 2008, a school principal seeking gay sex at Harrison Hills Park in Natrona Heights was entrapped by a police officer which, after the man lost his job, was reported in the local paper.

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CRUSING TOGETHER, CONTINUES ON PG. 6
5 CP PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JARED WICKERHAM A
car rolls down the Schenley Park Fruit Loop

For reasons of both safety and neglect, historical information on cruising beyond out-of-date listings on old web pages is difficult to come by, though it’s worth remembering that many more people have gay sex at night than live gay lives during the day. Cruising, historically, includes not just gay men seeking sex with other gay men for pleasure, but also straight-identifying men looking for gay sex, sex for pay both straight and gay, and trans women, often misrepresented as men in newspaper coverage. So how to begin telling Pittsburgh’s cruising history? The Fruit Loop is one of few spots to survive AIDS, redevelopment, the closing of the leather bars, and the rise of Grindr, but for much of the second half of the 20th century, the most wellknown place to cruise in Pittsburgh was a series of now-quiet blocks surrounding the board of education building in North Oakland. In those decades, the area between Forbes and Fifth Avenues along Dithridge Street was known as the “meat rack” to police, and the “meet rack” to gays.

On June 2, 1980, Jerry Byrd published an article in the Pittsburgh Press with the headline “Police Turn Spotlight on Gay Night Life in Oakland.” For “the first time in 25 years,” Byrd wrote, “homosexuals in search of partners” were “the subject of police attention.” Over an eight-day period, 24 men were arrested, though, according to Randall Forrester, cofounder of the LGBTQ mental health facility Persad Center, and the only gay man who appears to have been willing to speak on-record about the arrests, “No one was arrested who was actually participating in illegal acts ... It’s our position that we’re not going to defend people having sex in people’s backyards or behind buildings. ... If that has gone on — and undoubtedly it has — an attempt is made to make it invisible.”

Forrester’s sanitized take was largely at odds with the potent, sensual atmosphere Byrd conjured: “Beginning after dark on Fridays and continuing well past 3 a.m. through the weekend, they ‘cruise’ slowly on foot and by auto along Dithridge Street ... the squared-off five-block section has been quietly acknowledged as a ‘cruisy area’ since the mid-1950s, when homosexuals were driven from the downtown area by the city’s Morals Squad.”

6 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM CRUISING TOGETHER, CONTINUED FROM PG. 5
COURTESY OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER Front cover of Gay Life magazine advertising cover story on visiting Pittsburgh's gay bathhouses, September 1977. Donald Thinnes Papers. COURTESY OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER Advertisement for the Club Baths of Pittsburgh ("three exhilarating floors") on the back cover of Gay Life, September 1977. Donald Thinnes Papers.

In September 1982, the same blocks of Oakland were in the papers again. Two queer people, David Fields and Kim Rogers, had been murdered during a night out; they had been seen hours earlier on the steps of the DOE building. Seeking to nuance the sensational early coverage, Byrd, along with a second Press reporter, Douglas Root, published several articles about Fields and Rogers’ lives and circumstances, instead of focusing exclusively on their murder. In an article profiling Fields and Rogers’ families, Fields is described wearing rose-colored nail polish, press-on nails, and a white minidress purchased in secret but worn in public when out with queer friends.

Another article profiled the scared and grieving hustlers who had worked alongside Fields and Rogers downtown. One hustler, who worked in Mellon Square near the William Penn Hotel, described for the Press how sex workers protect each other, at work and in their private life: “A little hustling for money Downtown, homosexual activity Uptown ... ‘I know most of these guys. We have a sort of friendship-type thing.’”

Underscoring the hustler’s point about the compartmentalization of work and play, the Press article notes of the meet market: “Unlike other sections of the city, sex for money is out of place here. Men meet men to love men.”

In this same era, people seeking gay sex could, increasingly, find it for cheap or free in the video arcades of adult bookstores and porn theaters, whose gaudy marquees illuminated the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh, and at social venues like gay bars, bathhouses, and after-hours clubs. The infrastructure of gay social life was supported by mob connections and built by Robert “Lucky” Johns, and members of the Tavern Guild he founded. In 1978, an anonymous hustler, speaking to Gay Life magazine, claimed that “you can’t hustle in Pittsburgh. Hell, I hustle the hustlers … the 25c booths ruined the hustlers … now it is a giveaway.”

CRUISING TOGETHER, CONTINUES ON PG. 8

7 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023
COURTESY OF THE NEWSPAPERS.COM
Three-article spread on gay life in Pittsburgh by Jerry Byrd and Douglas Root for the Pittsburgh Press, October 24, 1977, following the murders of David Fields and Kim Rogers in September of that year PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH QUEER HISTORY PROJECT Lucky from the "Gay Picnics" in 1983

Too Hot For July

AIDS Free Pittsburgh and its community partners will host Pittsburgh’s fifth annual HIV biomedical awareness event, Too Hot For July, held at KLVN Coffee Lab (6600 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA). This event will be held outside in block party style to recognize, commemorate, and celebrate the community. The event will feature a head lining performance by DreamDoll, DJ sets and performances from local artists, a twerk off and vogue battle, free HIV/STD testing, health information and activities, and on-site health professionals to answer questions about HIV and general wellness. Too Hot For July is FREE and open to the public.

Hosted by Wadria Taylor, Naheen Binion, and Pissy, this year’s event will feature artists including: Pillz, Auntie Chanel, Huny, Joshua Orange, Manny Dibachi, 412Step, Lexa Terrestrial, and Alumni Theatre Company. The vogue battle (OTA, no house alliances) and twerk off will be coordinated and judged by Pittsburgh Ballroom legends with cash prizes and trophies awarded. Testing and other wellness services will be provided by Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Inclusion Health and Allies for Health + Wellbeing. A vendor marketplace featuring small local businesses as well as food and drink by KLVN, Spirit, Goodlander and more will be in attendance!

The purpose of this event is to honor those living with and affected by HIV, and to educate the community about advancements in prevention and treatment that can end the epidemic. HIV prevention and treatment strategies have exponentially improved over the last decade, yet new HIV infections still occur at a steady annual rate. While HIV can affect anyone, the CDC reports that 1 in 2 African American men who have sex with other men, will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime if current transmission rates persist. This statistic indicates a public health crisis that is completely preventable, but often overlooked.

Too Hot For July is in partnership with True T Pgh, KLVN Coffee Lab, Goodlander, Spirit, Flyspace Productions and Honcho. Generously supported by Allegheny Singer Research Institute (AHN), UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Allies for Health + Wellbeing, Highmark WholeCare, Pittsburgh Area Center for Treatment, Metro Community Health Center, Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, PIttsburgh Action Against Rape, Prevention Point PIttsburgh, Southwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, The Open Door, University of Pittsburgh Research, Coordinated Care Network, Shepherd Wellness Community and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

AIDS Free Pittsburgh (AFP) is a public health movement to end the AIDS epidemic in Allegheny County by 2030. AFP is a collaborative initiative, comprised of government agencies, healthcare institutions, and community-based organizations that strive to support and improve the care of people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as high-risk negative communities. AFP is financially supported by the Allegheny Singer Research Institute (AHN) and UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside and is managed by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

In 1979, a gay man looking for sex in Pittsburgh was likely to find success at any of the three bath houses around the city, or at the Crossover Lounge, a leather bar just down the street from where Central Outreach is today. In 1977 the Holiday Bar in Oakland advertised its “new, deodorized men’s room” and “completely sanitized cruise bar” in a special issue of Gay Life magazine, whose cover story was a first-person account of a visit to the baths. Brian Michaels, who was also the magazine’s society columnist, tried to demystify the experience for readers: “[T]onight I’m the new piece of meat in town ... It is usually assumed that gay baths are patronized for but one purpose — quick, anonymous sex ... but there are those who attend just to watch or be watched, or to make an attempt to socialize in a non-alcoholic environment.”

Pittsburgh’s notoriously lively cruising scene in the 1970s and 1980s was also reported to be a racist boys’ club for white men who just happened to be gay, though Pittsburgh’s first, less-documented queer nightlife scene preceded the gay bars run

by Lucky and his network.

Photographer Teenie Harris, who was born in the Hill District in 1908 and spent decades documenting Black Pittsburgh in attentive, prolific detail, was perhaps the first to positively represent queer life in the city. As Justin Hopper wrote for Pittsburgh City Paper in 2007, many of the nightclubs in the Hill, such as Little Paris and the Crawford Grill, hosted both major jazz performers and drag queens, who sometimes took the stage together. Harris’ photos show queens dancing, pulling faces in gorgeous outfits, drinking and smiling among the men.

Looking from the present, we must assume that cruising happened in the Hill District’s queer-friendly nightclubs, as well as at the docks and in the railyards that were crucial to Pittsburgh’s industrial life 100 years ago and which give “trade” its name, even if we have little explicit historical evidence that this was so. Wherever people gather, so does their desire, and desires which cannot or don’t wish to exist in the open emerge elsewhere.

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CRUISING TOGETHER, CONTINUED FROM PG. 7
CRUISING TOGETHER, CONTINUES ON PG. 10
COURTESY OF THE WARHOL MUSEUM IN 2007
"Three cross dressers in a bar, one in full evening dress with sequined bodice" (ca. 1959), by Charles "Teenie" Harris
... many of the nightclubs in the Hill, such as Little Paris and the Crawford Grill, hosted both major jazz performers and drag queens, who sometimes took the stage together.
9 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023

In 1983, the Pittsburgh Trucking Co., a new leather bar named for Tim Kincaid’s 1976 pornographic film Kansas City Trucking Co., which codified trade as a fetish genre, opened on River Avenue on the North Side. PTC quickly supplanted The Crossover, and by 1985, was hosting the northeast regional Mr. Drummer contest, part of a network of leather competitions sponsored by the San Franciscobased Drummer Magazine ahead of the International Mr. Drummer contest.

While neither the Crossover nor the PTC survived the 1980s, Mr. Drummer remained, relocating to the Norreh Social Club, which later became Donny’s Place, in Polish Hill. In 1999, when Drummer folded, Mike Zuhl bought the contest and headquartered it at Leather Central, the basement leather bar at Donny’s. More recently, International Mr. Leather, a new contest founded by Zuhl, has diverted his attention. Then the eponymous Donny retired. His bar’s liquor

license expired last summer, and it closed in late September.

Officially, Donny’s was the last place to cruise indoors without a membership. Unofficially, however, the story is different, richer, more complicated, and more precarious as well. Like sex work and illegal drug use, cruising happens regardless of

But secrets are hard to keep in what a friend calls this one-degree town. A few weeks ago a man I know from Grindr sat down with his mother at the bar where I work. We avoided eye contact for the length of their drink, then cracked smiles as he paid the bill. Because he’s so circumspect, for months I had thought he was straight or stealth until I ran into him in the Lucky’s bathroom last summer, where he embraced me, then went on about his night. This happened again at Jellyfish, at Hot Mass, and once, I think, on the street.

its legal status, and those without access to more discreet indoor venues are more at risk of violence and contact with police. In the present economic and political climate, secrets once open are more likely to be closed, or to be guarded closely by those to whom they are precious.

Now I understand that he is just exceedingly respectful, reticent to step on my toes or my time. In a city as densely connected as Pittsburgh, this is a rare gift. Because we met by cruising, I can’t look him up on social media, or find his work history. I don’t even know his last name. But desire itself is an archive if you know how to look; because some of our wanting is the same, we find each other again and again. •

CRUISING TOGETHER, CONTINUED FROM PG. 8 COURTESY
OF THE HEINZ HISTORY CENTER
Flyer for the Leather Shed upstairs at the Pittsburgh Trucking Co., mid-1980s. Donald Thinnes Papers, Heinz History Center
Like sex work and illegal drug use, cruising happens regardless of its legal status, and those without access to more discreet indoor venues are more at risk of violence and contact with police.
11 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023

QUEER JOY WITHOUT COMMERCIALISM

THE FIRST PRIDE WAS A RIOT led by trans people of color, but since then, Pride has, in some cases, fallen prey to commercial interests. Certain companies have been known to add rainbows to their logos and push Pride-themed products, hoping we’ll forget that they are simultaneously funding anti-LGBTQ efforts and politicians. Let’s remind ourselves what Pride is really supposed to be about — queer history and solidarity. Here are some ways to place community over corporations, and make space for queer joy with your friends.

Queer movie night

Invite friends over for some good company and a good movie — everyone can bring snacks or some wine — and put on a film that celebrates the LGBTQ community. Movies like Paris is Burning, Anything’s Possible and Portrait of a Lady on Fire are great choices, but there are plenty to pick from. Maybe even throw in some self care? Here’s a recipe for a face mask you can make with ingredients you probably have in your fridge:

1/2 of an avocado

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of water

Combine until smooth, apply a thin layer to your face, and wash off when dry!

LGBTQ+ AAPI Day of Visibility picnic on Flagstaff Hill

This year marks the fifth anniversary of LGBTQ+ AAPI Day, and Rangoli Pittsburgh, an organization working to uplift the voices of queer and trans South Asians, along with JADED, is celebrating with this outdoor event. The potluck dinner is on June 1, from 6-9 p.m. Bring a dish and your best pals.

Pride Shabbat

On June 2, attend a Pride Month Erev Shabbat service hosted by Bet Tikvah, a local congregation that is independent and queer-centric. For those interested in coming for the first time, you can DM the organization on Facebook or Instagram, or email them at info@bettikvah.org.

CommUnity Funday

On June 4, head over to Harold’s Haunt — an inclusive and welcoming “theybar” located in Millvale — for their CommUnity Funday. On the first Sunday of Pride month, they will be hosting with Glittersty, a local queer artist resource that plans sober pop-ups and events. Play yard or board games, listen to music, hang out on the porch, and enjoy some dietary-inclusive food. The event starts at 2 p.m.

Alternative Pride fests

On June 25, attend People’s Pride, hosted by SisTers PGH — a Black, trans-led nonprofit that leads community organizing and mutual aid efforts in the city. The march and festival will take place in Swissvale, with live music and vendors. The march starts at 11 a.m., and the festival headliner is R&B/soul singer Durand Bernarr.

Be gay make zines

When it’s a nice day, take some friends to one of Pittsburgh’s parks and have everyone bring picnic blankets and collage materials. You could make one zine together, or work on your own and share them with each other at the end. Here are some prompts: What does a queer future look like to you? How do you practice tenderness with yourself? Let the manifesting commence.

Pride month community dinner

This weekly delicious soul food dinner is hosted by True T Pittsburgh, a local creative arts organization that celebrates queer and trans people of color. Stop by True T Studios in Bloomfield every Saturday of June from 4-6 p.m. to share a meal and make friends. To learn more, visit True T on Facebook.

Pride month book club

Ask some friends if they’d like to read a queer-centered book together and meet up to talk about it at the end of the month. I’d recommend James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, but again, there are tons to choose from. You can check the book out at a public library or buy it from a local independent bookstore.

DIY outfits for Pride festivities

Going to a pride parade this year? Link up with some friends to make your own colorful, badass outfits. The possibilities are endless: make friendship bracelets, try out makeup looks, paint or draw on each other’s jeans, tie dye some shirts. Need inspo? Look up a list of queer codes and flags and invoke their themes and colors. •

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CP ILLUSTRATION: LUCY CHEN
To find more great Pride events in the city, check out City Paper’s Pride-themed events guide on pg. 18, as well as QBurgh — a local LGBTQ news and community organization.
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GIFTS OF PRIDE

SMALL, KIND GESTURES can mean the world to someone transitioning or who just came out. But how does one choose what to give, or how to express their continued love for and support of that person? In honor of Pride Month, Pittsburgh City Paper has a gift guide for just such an occasion, with options that also support local businesses.

“Decidedly Queered” flowers

Flowers carry many surprising meanings, some of which are significant to the LGBTQ experience. Better yet, they can be found at any local florist or nursery, presented as a bouquet or potted plant.

According to the JSTOR Daily article “Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered,” influential writer Oscar Wilde made the green carnation a “secret, subtle hint that you were a man who loved other men.”

Vibrant purple flora are especially intertwined with LGBTQ history. Violets are connected with the lesbian ancient Greek poet Sappho, while lavender recalls the struggles of gay Americans who were persecuted by the government in the mid-20th century.

Initially used as a slur against gay men, pansies have been reclaimed by the community as an important symbol.

Greeting cards from Maude’s Paperwing Gallery

210 Grant Ave., Millvale. maudespaperwinggallery.com

The queer-owned shop Maude’s Paperwing Gallery has a seemingly endless selection of items tailored for the LGBTQ community, including flags, pins, prints, and more.

The Millvale establishment carries a number of greeting cards made for friends or loved ones who have come out. Choose from cards by Liv Lyszyk Prints, Ladyfingers Letterpress, The Third Arrow, or Ash and Chess, all of which are queer and/or trans-owned businesses. The cards feature messages for transgender or LGBTQ-specific recipients, such as “Congrats on your new name!” or “No matter where you end up on the spectrum you are loved all the same.”

Pick up any of these cards in person or order them online at the Maude’s website.

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Books from Stories Like Me

4381 Murray Ave., Greenfield. storieslikeme.com

Buying for an LGBTQ child or teen pres ents its own challenges, as many Pride gifts are designed for adults. Luckily, the Greenfield bookstore

Me specializes in material for young readers across the LGBTQ spectrum, and across age groups, from children’s books to YA novels.

Owner Helen Campbell recom mended a few titles to consider, includ ing the activity-filled

Workbook, True You: A Gender Journey fictional Cemetery Boys

Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them and Us, which is aimed at middle schoolers. Choose from these books or check out the shop’s permanent Pride table.

15 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS The Trans Self-Care Workbook PHOTO: COURTESY OF SWOON READS Cemetery Boys PHOTO: COURTESY OF KNOPF BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS This is our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them and Us PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLARION BOOKS True You: A Gender Journey CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM Stories Like Me bookstore GIFTS OF PRIDE, CONTINUES ON PG. 16

Bandanas from WorkshopPGH

5131 Penn Ave., Garfield/700 S. Trenton Ave., Wilkinsburg. workshop-pgh.square.site

Bandanas are an important part of LGBTQ culture (Google “hanky code”), making them an affordable, yet meaningful gift for anyone new to the community.

WorkshopPGH carries a number of beautifully designed bandanas by local and/ or queer artists. Consider the Love, Love, Love cotton kerchief by Portland, Ore.based artist Lisa Congdon, or something from Pittsburgh’s own Mary Tremonte, aka Mary Mack, whose “queer ecology” hankies feature images of critters, birds, mushrooms, and more.

Prism collection from love,

489 Market Square, Downtown. lovestores.co

If you are Downtown for Pride events, stop at love, Pittsburgh’s new concept store in Market Square, which features a new rainbow-themed Prism collection. Create your own little gift box and show your unconditional affection with the Heart Prism sticker, card, and notebook. For good measure, add the collection’s namesake, a crystal able to catch the sun and make its own rainbows.

Donate to a local LGBTQ charity in the person’s name

For the recipients who have everything, or are the “no gifts” type, try donating to an LGBTQ cause in their name. Pittsburgh has a number of nonprofits and organizations dedicated to providing health care, housing, and other resources to the community. These include Allies for Health + Wellbeing, PGH Equality Center, QMNTY Center, Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, and many others. •

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GIFTS OF PRIDE, CONTINUED FROM PG. 15
Follow A&E Editor Amanda Waltz on Twitter @AWaltzCP
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAUDE'S PAPERWING GALLERY PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARY TREMONTE PHOTO: COURTESY OF LOVE,

LGBTQ NEWS PROTECT TRANS KIDS

PITTSBURGH LGBTQ CHARITIES

is reviving and expanding its efforts to distribute Protect Trans Kids signs during Pride month.

Sue Kerr, PLC’s president, says the campaign that last year focused on private homes around Pittsburgh’s North Side is now pushing to get signs to Pride events as far away as Meadville and State College.

“What better time than Pride to send trans youth a sign?” Kerr says in a press release. “Our plan is to send five signs, 100 stickers, and 100 pens to each event. “We’ll also provide information so attendees can request their own signs via the online form.”

Kerr began circulating the signs last summer after a North Side family felt their transgender children were being harassed by a neighbor who posted a nine-foot sign reading “transing kids is abuse and homophobia” in the direction

of their property. The family took the neighbor to court and won the case.

Kerr said at the time a grassroots effort to fund the sign campaign prompted an outpouring of community support.

This spring, PLC raised another $5,000 to distribute 450 signs around the Pittsburgh region, primarily in rural and suburban neighborhoods where LGBTQ communities are underrepresented in this time of culture war fervor.

“Anti-trans rhetoric is fueling divisions in school districts and even the State House of Representatives where four anti-trans bills have been introduced,” PLC says in a release.

“Pennsylvania is home to over 500 school districts, many mulling their internal policies and procedures around identity.

The Commonwealth does not yet have a statewide non-discrimination law, local ordinances protect approximately 30% of Pennsylvania residents.” •

17 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023
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PRIDE EVENTS IN PITTS

BURGH

THU., JUNE 1 FESTIVAL • BLOOMFIELD/ NORTH SIDE/DOWNTOWN/ HOMEWOOD

Pittsburgh Pride Revolution will unfold over four neighborhoods, bringing LGBTQ attendees and allies together for an entire weekend of fun. It all kicks off with a street dance party at KLVN Coffee Lab, followed by the Pittsburgh Pride Revolution March & Parade in Downtown, as well as events in the North Side and Bloomfield. Expect plenty of drag, live music, dancing, comedy, and much more. Times vary. Continues through Sun., June 4. Multiple locations. Free. visitpittsburgh.com

SPORTS • NORTH SIDE

Stonewall Alliance and Stonewall Sports Pride 2023 1 p.m. Continues through Sun., June 4. Allegheny Commons Park. West North Ave., North Side. Registration required. stonewallsportspgh.org

PARTY • OAKLAND

Disco Revolution Pride Party 7-11 p.m. P Town Bar. 4740 Baum Blvd., Oakland. $10. facebook.com/icandy.pgh

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Pride Celebration with cupcakKe, Maya Universe, Oliver Halo, Lys Scott, SUPA’ NXC, and HUNY XO 8 p.m. Spirit. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. 18 and over. spiritpgh.com/events

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JUNE 1
THU.,
LGBTQ EVENTS
Celebrate 50 years of Pride in Pittsburgh at these big events happening all month long. BY CP STAFF // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
CP PHOTO: RAYNI SHIRING Pittsburgh Pride Revolution 2022

Hyster ia 8:30 p.m. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Black Forge. 1206 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $15. BYOB. blackforgecoffee.com

FRI., JUNE 2

FILM • LAWRENCEVILLE

Pride Week at Row House Cinema

Showtimes vary. Continues through Thu., June 8. 4115 Butler St., Lawrencevlle. $12.57. rowhousecinema.com

SAT., JUNE 3

OUTDOORS • BLOOMFIELD

Yinz Run Club presents the Misfits’ Pride Run 9:30 a.m. Trace Brewing. 4312 Main St., Bloomfield. $20 to register. linktr.ee/ yinzrunclub

with a full lineup of national and local acts ready to start this celebratory month off right. See live performances from music artists Ava Max, JORDY, Betty Who, and FLETCHER, as well as drag queens and award-winning DJ Dave Audé. Dance all night on the Sam Adams Party Deck or visit the various booths run by sponsors and LGBTQ organizations. Tickets are selling out so get yours before it’s too late. 3 p.m. 400 North Shore Drive, North Side. $69.50. prideontheshorepgh.com

PARTY • LAWRENCEVILLE

UHAUL Disco and Jellyfish present Squirt 4-10 p.m. Under the 40th St. Bridge, Lawrencville. $10. All ages. instagram.com/ uhauldisco

19 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023 • Massage Therapy Services • Couples Massage Workshop Medical marijuana. It’s all good. Scan to learn more 5502 BAUM BLVD, PITTSBURGH
JUNESAT.,3 Pride on the Shore
PRIDE EVENTS IN PITTSBURGH, CONTINUES ON PG. 20
PHOTO: MARILYN HUE Ava Max

All are welcome to attend this fierce, but friendly flag football game between Team Black and Team Gold!

PITTSBURGH ALZHEIMER'S JUNE 9, 2023

HIGHMARK STADIUM 7:00PM KICKOFF ACT.ALZ.ORG/PITTSBURGHRIVALZ

MARKET • HOMESTEAD

Heart-Eyes in Homestead . 7-10 p.m. Voodoo Brewing. 205 East Ninth Ave., Homestead. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All ages. voodoobreweryhomestead. simpletix.com

SUN., JUNE 4

DRAG • STRIP DISTRICT

Steel City Drag Brunch: Pride Edition

1 p.m. Seating at 12 p.m. Aslin Beer Co. 1801 Smallman St., Strip District. $20-120. aslinbeer.com

PARTY • SHADYSIDE

Pride Closing Party with Jan Sport 4-11 p.m. 5801 Video Lounge & Cafe. 5801 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. $10. facebook.com/5801VideoLounge/events

THU., JUNE 8

FESTIVAL • ASPINWALL

Aspinwall Pride in the Park 5-8 p.m. Allegheny RiverTrail Park. 285 River Ave., Aspinwall. Free. Registration required. All ages. fcprideinthepark.com

FRI., JUNE 9

SPORTS • NORTH SIDE

Pride Night at PNC Park 7:05 p.m. 115 Federal St., North Side. $23-40. mlb.com

SAT., JUNE 10

PROM • NORTH SIDE

The Andy Warhol Museum welcomes LGBTQ youth to a prom event made specifically for them. Touted as the the “largest affirming prom in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” the LGBTQ+ Youth Prom: Andy’s Exploding Plastic Prom encourages attendees ranging in age from 13 to 20 to embrace this year’s rock n’ roll theme as they enjoy dancing, silkscreen printing, and other activities. Dinner is included. 6-10 p.m. Doors at 5:45 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. Free. Registration required. warhol.org

MAYFRI., 19

20 WWW.PGHCITYPAPER.COM
PHOTO: SEAN CARROLL LGBTQ+ Youth Prom: Andy’s Exploding Plastic Prom at The Andy Warhol Museum PHOTO: COURTESY OF VH1/VIACOM INTERNATIONAL INC. Pride Closing Party with Jan Sport at 5801 Video Lounge & Cafe
FRI., JUNE 30
PRIDE
IN PITTSBURGH, CONTINUED FROM PG. 19
EVENTS

The 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Pretrial Services urges you to enjoy your weekend out in Pittsburgh but make the right choice,

SUN., JUNE 11

MARKET • LARIMER

Queer Craft Market Crafts and Drafts. 12-4 p.m. East End Brewing. 147 Julius St., Larimer. Free. All ages. eastendbrewing.com

SAT., JUNE 17

FESTIVAL • LAWRENCEVILLE

Lawrenceville Pride 12-4 p.m. Multiple locations, Lawrenceville. Free. All ages. lvpgh.com/pride

ROLLER DERBY • CHESWICK

For a different Pride experience, head to the Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena for a special roller derby event. The Roller Derby Pride Bout Double Header presents two bouts, with the Steel Hurtin’ taking on the Burning River All Stars, and the Steel Beamers going head-tohead with the Burning River HazMat Crew. 2 p.m. 22 Rich Hill Road, Cheswick. $15, free for kids under 10. All ages. steelcityrollerderby.org

SAT., JUNE 24

FESTIVAL • MILLVALE

Pride Millvale 12 p.m.. Multiple locations. Millvale. Free. All ages. Pridemillvale.org

FESTIVAL • VANDERGRIFT

Vandergrift PRIDE in the Park. 12-8 p.m. Kennedy Park. Jackson Ave., Vandergift. Free. All ages. facebook.com/vanderpride

FESTIVAL • DORMONT

Dormont Spark/Pride 3-9 p.m. Multiple locations. Potomac Avenue, Dormont. Free. All ages. facebook.com/DormontCDC/ events

SUN., JUNE

FESTIVAL • SWISSVALE

25

People’s Pride PGH presents Swissvale

Pride 2023 10 a.m. Dickson Elementary. 7301 Schoyer Ave., Swissvale. Free. All ages. sisterspgh.org

FRI., JUNE 30

MARKET • HIGHLAND PARK

Queer Craft Market 5:30-9 p.m. Union Project. 801 N. Negley Ave., Highland Park. Free. All ages. instagram.com/queercraftmarket

FESTIVAL • HIGHLAND PARK

Family Pride Night. 6-9 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. 7370 Baker St., Highland Park. $25. pittsburghzoo.org

MUSIC/DANCE • DOWNTOWN

Learn the art of voguing during Pride and Joy at August Wilson African American Cultural Center. The art form — an underground dance style popularized by queer Black and Brown communities in 1980s New York City — will play out through a performance by Cordell Jones and a workshop led by Jon Dex Easter III. DJ Icy Pisces will provide music. 7 p.m. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $23. awaacc.org

21 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023
don’t drive impaired.
Beartooth at Stage AE
JUNEFRI., 30 JUNESUN.,11
Call now! 1-855-385-3879 Dental50Plus.com/Citypaper See any dentist — save more if you stay in network Preventive care starts right away No deductible, no annual maximum Product not available in all states. Contact us to see the coverage and offer available in your state. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation including costs and limitations. This specific offer is not available in CO. Call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for a similar offer. In WV: To find a provider in the network visit us at https://www. physiciansmutual.com/web/dental/find-dentist Certificate C250A (ID: C250E); Insurance Policy P150; Rider Kinds B438/ B439. In CA, CO, ID, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV, NJ, NC, ND, VA: Includes Participating Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. Certificate C254/B465 (PA: C254PA); Insurance Policy P154/B469 (GA: P154GA; OK: P154OK; TN: P154TN). It doesn’t matter what dentist you see, we can help pay the bill. Get dental insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. 6323 Get your FREE Information Kit DENTAL Insurance Get help paying big dental bills
Queer Craft Market

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-23-0003408, In re petition of Keyosha Barber, parent and legal guardian of Santana Davis, for change of name to Santana Barber.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 1st day of June 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

MARKET PLACE

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF ANDRES, DAVID R., DECEASED OF GLASSPORT, PA

David R. Andres, deceased of Glassport, PA No. 022301510 of 2023.

Terry Woytovich, Adm. 2207 Washington Boulevard, Glassport, PA 15045, Or to D. Scott

Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF RAUSCH, LILLIAN H., DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA

Lillian H. Rausch, a/k/a Lillian Hilda Rausch, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA No. 03262 of 2023.

Joan R. Tomlinson, Ext. 2802

Houston Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF LUBAWSKI, JAY R., DECEASED OF BETHEL PARK, PA

Jay R. Lubawski, deceased of Bethel Park, PA No. 3440 of 2023. Susan Lucas, Ext. 1340 Quail Run Circle, Bethel Park, PA 15102. Or to Michael L. Balzarini, Esquire. 310 Grant St., Suite 3303, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

ESTATE NOTICE ESTATE OF TUROCY, ANDREW J., DECEASED OF WEST MIFFLIN, PA

Andrew J. Turocy, deceased of West Mifflin, PA No. 022303426 of 2023. Janet Bryja Turocy, Adm. 1729 Gina Drive, West Mifflin, PA 15122, Or to D. Scott

Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

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1.  Sadistic puzzle maker’s setting 5.  You might quiet quit from it

Change (hands) 14.  Simply the best 15.  Levy’s Schitt’s Creek costar 16.  Deep sleep 17.  What Carol Oates used in her books? 19.  Climate-control letters 20.  Say out loud

Mononymous country singer of “Flower Shops” 23.  Fonda’s facial responses? 27.  Relay race prop

Mist application

Mizuno rival

Little snicker

Hall thrives?

47.  Tocumen International Airport country

48.  Grating sound

49.  Desktop that comes with Dolby Atmos

50.  Singer/ songwriter Glynne gets on a plane?

56.  Hanger-on at a hike

57.  Utterly perfect

58.  R-rated material

59.  Locks in

60.  Thin French cookie

61.  “Slam” rappers

DOWN

1.  WNBA legend ___ McWilliams-Franklin

2.  Joey’s nickname

3.  “That, ... or that ... whatever”

4.  Cooking ingredient made from nuts

5.  Groundskeeper’s tool

6.  To-do list entries

7.  Rattle

8.  MDW alternative

9.  Starting point for runners

10.  Beaker

11.  Intertwined

12.  Pile up

13.  Diplomacy

Every other number

22.  The “you” in the Beatles lyrics “Give us a wink and make me think of you”

23.  Rock star Joplin

24.  In the least bit

25.  What to wear

26.  Unappealing junk

27.  ___ Fresh (Tex-Mex franchise)

31.  Ulysses S.

Grant’s first name

32.  2022 Baz

Luhrmann biopic

33.  Fancy style

35. The Apu Trilogy director ___ Ray

36.  ___ Xtra

(Coca-Cola soda)

37.  American Samoa’s capital

39.  Room to grow?

40.  Rope in

41.  Succumbs, as to pressure

42.  Type of fin

44.  JPMorgan Chase CEO Dimon

45.  Pass, as a law

46.  Precious fur

47.  Avocado leftovers

51.  University address letters

52.  Due + due + due

53.  Jazz bassist Carter

54.  Sun-baked, perhaps

55.  Lucky people have it

23 PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER MAY 31 - JUNE 7, 2023 Check out our digital edition at PGHCITYPAPER.COM PITTSBURGH’S ALTERNATIVE FOR NEWS, ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT SINCE 1991. J CREW
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
ACROSS
28.
29.
30.
31.
34.
35.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
43.
10.
21.
First name in diaries
With 37-Across, medicine for Dr. Biden?
Earth mover?
See 34-Across
Handy way of communication
“That scans”
Maggot, e.g.
Persian sleeping quarters
“We have to do that ___?” 44.  Actress success 18.

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