Equal sept 2013 issuu

WHAT THE DUCK Its a bird- Its Insane SEPT 2013

a look at the Festival of Firsts

The Big Reveal

An anonymous writer shares his secret

RAISING THE FLAG ON NORTH SIDE

The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh moves in

SHE'S GOTTA HAVE ART

Sam Thorp hangs it up

is taking a stand for equality & saying “I Do” believe in doing the right thing

YEAH... You know what he’s thinking...

FALL CRAFT BEER

2013

PUMPKIN

PATIOFEST September 26th – 29th

Pumpkin Beer Tap Takeover starts on September 26th —With a large selection of pumpkin, Octoberfest, and cider beers, Speciality Craft Beers, and Food Specials Saturday 28th and Sunday the 29th Patio Lunch Parties at noon!

FREE Sample of specialty craft draft each day while it lasts!

Steelers vs Vikings the 29th at 1:00 pm Fall Food Specials

CATCH THE BLACK AND GOLD ALL SEASON LONG...

infinite possibilities

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Season Patio Kick Off Tailgate Party 9/8 at noon!

Open at 12:30pm for all 1:00pm games, and 3:30pm for all 4:00pm games.

on E l l s w o r t h

All Games in HD!

VIDEO LOUNGE AND CAFÉ

$2 Domestic Drafts for all games.

HAPPY HOUR FROM 6:00 – 8:00 PM

PHON E :

412.661.5600

WE B SIT E :

WWW.5801.US 5801 ELLSWORTH AVENUE

The Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts is supported by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, two anonymous donors, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Carol R. Brown Performance Fund, the Buhl Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the Hillman Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation.

CONTRIBUTORS & THANK YOU’S G. Michael Beigay is a freelance photographer and special education professional for Allegheny Intermediate Unit. His photography has provided educational tools to aid students with cognitive disabilities. He also has worked with a media specialist at his LGBT-friendly church to develop various multi-media productions.

Michael has shot for Cue, Whirl, and now Equal.

He is one of the hosts for G2H2 and he is also the main photographer.

Philip Ezzo, one of the tallest men in Pittsburgh, is currently a pastry cook at the Duquesne Club downtown. He has been a writer and columnist in LGBT publications for over four years. He is known for his sense of humor and charming personality. In his spare time Philip is a chapter leader with Gay 4 Good, Pittsburgh chapter, where he is an outreach coordinator.

Jack Bellas is Partner of Revive Marketing Group and resides in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Jack’s love of the city is rooted in its culture, growing restaurant scene, and continuously evolving nightlife.

Stacey Federoff is a Sutersville, PA, native, Penn State alumna, and reporter living in Park Place near Regent Square. She has written for The Daily Collegian, The Chautauquan Daily, Trib Total Media. She loves music, vinyl records, coffee, running and volunteerism.

John Britt was born and raised in Jeannette, PA. John has lived and worked all over the city for over 23 years from South Side to Mount Washington to East Liberty. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Political Science and post graduate studies in Information Systems.

Mike Buzzelli is a standup comedian and author. His book, Below Average Genius, a collection of humor pieces culled from his weekly humor column at the ObserverReporter newspaper, is available at Amazon.com.

Karla Doolittle is a mother, wife, writer, artist and advocate. Residing in Regent Square with husband Devon, a professional singer, artist, advocate.

Jonathan Fobear is a native of Cass City, MI. For 12 years he has been an art director branding nonprofits, corporations, destinations and city festivals. He’s designed ads, magazines, logos and identities for clients as big as The Dept of Agriculture and NASA, to clients as small as his mom & dad. Jonathan has presented branding workshops both in Pennsylvania and New York and currently lives in Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Roy J Gloeckl II is an aspiring voice actor/children’s author with a BA in Creative Writing, Minor in Theatre and Certificate in Children’s Literature from Pitt. Said degree does not assist in the tending of bars, but he remains optimistic. In the meantime, our intrepid writer continues to seek a rabbit hole, down which he may tumble — or a Prince who will carry him off into the sunset.

Anastasia Hons-Astle Anastasia is a seventeen year-old with a passion for human rights and all things glittery. The goal of her obsession with proper grammar and literature is to write full time. In her free time, Anastasia plays with her pitbull, Rose.

Ramon Harmon has worked in the beauty industry for over ten years, as a professional hairstylist and freelance makeup artist. Ramon can also be found on stage as the drag personality Anna Steezia.

Mara Rago specializes in portraits, fine art, pets, events, model portfolios, legal, and corporate photography. She has a studio in the East End of Pittsburgh and shoots in studio as well as on location. Photography is Mara’s life. It’s a passion. Capturing visions in her little black box is a gift... and, every day, she is grateful.

Guest contributors: Chris Bryan

About the Cover

Cover photo by Mara Rago Cover model Mayor John Fetterman Shot on location in Braddock, PA

Are YOU interested in writing for Equal Magazine?

Email joek@equalmagazine.com 4

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SHOT BOYS Every Tuesday & Friday

FALL INTO

SOMETHING

NEW

Underwear

KARAOKE 1st Thursday of the month

(412) 391-9990 965 Libert y Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Open 2 PM to 2 AM 365 days a year!

KARAOKE Every Thursday

WITH LOVE Hello Friends and welcome to a shift in the season, a shift in our perspective and perhaps a shift in our awareness.

Just as summer begins to slip into fall, Equal Magazine is excited to branch out and “leaf” convention to the winds of change with our first issue to feature a straight ally on the cover. Mayor John Fetterman towers like a mighty oak as he stands strong for marriage equality and a message that can certainly help us all grow in a new direction.

Read all about it on pg 26. The Delta Foundation is putting down roots with a story that will affect our entire community on pg 14. We also feature an inspiring story about coming out and embracing your true self on pg 40. While many birds will soon be heading south for the winter, Pittsburghers will be welcoming a giant duck in the Festival of Firsts on pg 33. We still hold strong to the roots of our community and have many of your favorite features including our Out at Work spotlight, as well as a FULL calendar of events that will carry you into fall with pride for our city and our community.

Enjoy.

LGBT Visibility Everywhere Joe King

Joe King Editor-in-Chief

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WHAT PAGE IS THAT ON?

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33

photo via Flickr

14

The Delta Foundation Finds a Home

26

Mayor Fetterman makes history

30

Come out, come out wherever you are!

33

What the Duck? It’s a bird, it’s insane!

September

26

FEATURES

National Coming Out Day

Festival of Firsts lands in the ‘burgh

IN (ALMOST) EVERY ISSUE 10

12

16 18

22 25 40 42 44 46

Calendar of Events: What’s happening in September Gay and Goin’ On: Out and about in the community Ally: Doing good in Westmoreland County Fitness: Pounding the pavement with the Pittsburgh Frontrunners Arts: Sam Thorp believes we’re all superhero’s Out at Work: Praising Jesus There’s Something on my Mind Traveling Jack: Oh, Hai! Youth: Hitting the books with GLSEN Hot Girl Reads a Book

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Subscriptions start as low as

73¢

per issue

Publisher: The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh Board Members Gary A. Van Horn Jr. President Louise F. Stutler Vice President Brian J. Stankavich Secretary Peter J. Karlovich Treasurer Samuel C. Badger Michael G. Bartley Daniel M. Catanzaro Steven R. Herforth Jim Sheppard Emeritus Board Members Charles W. Honse William R. Kaelin Donnie R. Thinnes

A subscription to Equal Magazine would make the perfect gift for you or someone in your life.

Plus it’s the only way to guarantee that you’ll get it every month!

$10 = 11 issues ($0.91 an issue) $18 = 22 issues ($0.82 an issue) $24 = 33 issues ($0.73 an issue) Subscribe today at

pittsburghpride.wufoo.com/forms/equal-magazine-subsription 8

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Editor-in-Chief Joe King Art Director Jonathan Fobear Director of Marketing and Development Christine Bryan Emotional Support

Mark Coffee Ice Cream

For questions, comments, and advertising inquiries, please email info@ equalmagazine.com EQUAL Magazine PO Box 100057 Pittsburgh, PA 15233

Charles P. Tierney

The mission of the Delta Foundation is to be a vigilant catalyst for change that produces increased opportunities and a high quality of life for the LGBT community.

Opinions and claims made by advertisers are those of the advertisers ONLY. Equal accepts no liability for claims made by advertisers. All rights reserved. ©2013 Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh.

P

Animal Rescue League 14th Annual Paw Prints

Saturday, October 12, 2013 Heinz Field • East Hall • 7-10 p.m.

VIP TICKETS VIP individual $200 VIP Couple $350

TICKETS General Individual $150 General Couple $275

Presented by:

Tickets can be purchased at www.animalrescue.org/paw-prints-tickets For more information, contact Ann Yeager at 412-345-0346, ayeager@animalrescue.org or go online: www.animalrescue.org

“THE BEST DOG GONE ELECTRICIANS IN THE BURGH!”

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HTS IG

OR

’

R

W

KERS

7

Sat

OR

’

R

W

IG

with the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh KERS

Sat Impulse Pittsburgh Presents:

8:30 PM Cattivo Bar Lawrenceville

9 PM Taverna 19, Strip District

For info, call 412-345-7456

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RIGHTS AL

HTS

EQU

Parade RIGHTS AL

EQU

Labor Day

PATF Healing Weekend

Mon

ARE

6-8 Fri - Sun

2

ARE

Sept

STAY BUSY

Fri

13

with the

Haus of Haunt

19-21

Fri

G2H2 Happy Hour

Thurs - Sat

Spank!

The Fifty Shades Parody

Location TBA G2h2pittsburgh.org

Byham Theater trustarts.org

26-28 Thurs - Sat 6 PM Pittsburgh Opera Strip District pittsburghpride.org/tickets

Fall Craft Beer Patio

Pumpkin Fest 5801 Shadyside

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Images courtesy of Logo TV & RuPaul’s Drag Race

5-7

Tues - Sat

5-7

6

Fri - Sun

Gestures: the Fine Art of

Non- Verbal Communication Most Wanted Fine Art

Greensburg Garden and Civic Theatre showclix.com

Friction Pittsburgh Presents:

Opposites Attract 10 PM Cavo, Strip District

5015 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224 most-wantedfineart.com

11 Wed

12 Thurs

JIGGLY

Il Volo

CALIENTE

11 PM CAVO Strip District

7:30 PM Heinz Hall pittsburghsymphony.org

21

Fri

Sat

For tickets, flavorsus.com/vain

20-22

Fri - Sun

26-Oct 27 Thurs - Sun

Comedian

Fortune

3rd Annual Pittsburgh

Feimster

Leather Pride Weekend

Cruze Bar, Strip District

O’Reilly Theatre ppt.org

pittsburghleatherweekend.com

27-Oct 3 Fri - Thurs

28

Pittsburgh International

Festival of Firsts trustarts.org

Sat

Aaron Pfeiffer

with his band 7pm Clear Story Studio Southside

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EVENTS

What’s Gay and Goin’ on?

Cystic Fibrosis Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest @ Omni William Penn

Photos by G. Michael Beigay Persad’s Steel City Scavenger Hunt Gay for Good 2nd Anniversary Party

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Equal Magazine Launch Party @Skybar

Honcho’s Sweet Sweet Fantasy Booze Cruize

G2H2 @ Mario’s East Side

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NEWS

There gays the Neighborhood!

The Delta Foundation’s new home is Pittsburgh’s first office space owned by an LGBT non-profit

By Ramon Harmon and Christine Bryan Photo by Jon Holmes The North Side just gained a new resident now that The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh has found a permanent location for their offices. With a recent purchase of a building at 911 Galveston Ave, in the Allegheny West

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area, they are proud to be the first LGBT organization in Western Pennsylvania to own real estate.

The former 8,600 square-foot screen-printing shop will provide office and community space on the first floor. It currently has three apartments on the upper two floors

that will provide income that not only saves the foundation money but also earns it a little income each month. Previously the Foundation has rented space in various locations throughout the city.

With a staff of two and an active fundraising board, the Delta Foundation has experienced

rapid, steady, responsible growth over the last seven years, and has had many accomplishments including: Produced the largest Pride event in Pennsylvania, which is also the 5th largest special event in the city.

Collaborated with Allegheny County to establish a Human Relations Commission that protects LGBT individuals from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Worked with City Councilman Kraus to pass equal benefits legislation that will require City contractors to offer their employees same-sex partnership benefits, making Pittsburgh just the 13th city to offer this.

Coordinated the efforts of the annual (PITTSBURGH)RED/World AIDS Day event each December in conjunction with the City of Pittsburgh Office of the Mayor and over 30 non-profit organizations and corporations.

Joined forces with Visit Pittsburgh to offer the TAG Approved program to area hotels to help accommodations effectively reach and sensitively serve the LGBT community.

Gave away over $75,000 in seven years to various non-profit organizations.

Been embraced by the Pittsburgh corporate community for its advocacy work.

Started a new LGBT publication that has a circulation over 10,000 each month.

Been featured on every major electronic, print and social media outlet and has positioned itself as the authority on LGBT news and issues with the members of the media.

“This is huge for us. Not only does the purchase of this building help bring stability to the organization but it also gives us an asset so we can put more money into building awareness for the LGBT community. We’re thrilled to now have a place we can call home,” said Gary Van Horn, president of the board of directors.

end of 2013.

“Commercial real estate is so tight and we really wanted to stay in the city and we looked everywhere. This gem of a building popped up.”

“THIS IS HUGE FOR US. IT BRINGS STABILITY TO THE ORGANIZATION AND GIVES US AN ASSET SO WE CAN PUT MORE MONEY INTO PROGRAMS. WE NOW HAVE A PLACE WE CAN CALL HOME.”

While the Delta Foundation is not a grantmaking foundation, its board likes the potential to expand into that area. Its programs include a planned art installation for National Coming Out Day, an LGBT speakers series, as well as some “really fun, very special, events that we think the community will be very excited about.”

The organization’s recent completion of a strategic planning process made it clear that buying a property needed to be one of its first priorities.

“We’ve already had people approach us saying the neighborhood and the LGBT community desperately needs meeting space. We’ve been embraced with open arms and we’re excited for Pittsburgh’s LGBT community to have such a wonderful space on the North Side.”

Interior and facade renovations will take several months with move-in expected by the

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ALLY

PRIDE

NOT PREJUDICE in

WESTMORELAND

COUNTY

By Anastasia Hons-Astle Photos by Jonathan Fobear

Founded in 1972 with the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay son, PFLAG is the original ally organization.

Made up of parents, families, and friends of LGBT people, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality through its mission of support, education and advocacy.

Now in its 40th anniversary year, PFLAG has over 350 chapters and 200,000 supporters crossing multiple generations of American families in major urban centers, small cities and rural areas in all 50 states.

Since 2010, Jim Galik and Jean Slusser have helped lead the charge to create change in Greensburg with the creation of a local PFLAG chapter.What was then known as the Westmoreland LGBTQ Collaborative, developed into a PFLAG chapter a short 16

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time after Jim, who at the time was President of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ligonier Valley, and his partner Jean decided to join the Collaborative.

After several meetings, the group was split into three divisions: the Westmoreland County LGBTQ Inter-Faith Network, which is a group of religious leaders of diverse faiths who affirm and celebrate the spirituality of all LGBTQ people and their friends and allies, WestCo Pride, a group of health and human services providers dedicated to making Westmoreland County a safe and welcoming community for teens and young adults, and a local PFLAG Chapter. These groups were able to develop in large part due to the active support of Ted Hoover, Director of PERSAD Center’s Community Safe Zone initiative.

Today, Jim is proud to continue his work as president of the Inter-Faith Network, as well as his and Jean’s involvement with PFLAG-Greensburg. His goal in working with PFLAG is to provide a safe and supportive community for LGBT individuals and their families and friends. PFLAG holds monthly meetings at Trinity United Church of Christ in Greensburg on the second Sunday of each month from 2-4 PM. According to Jim, “We begin each meeting by reading the eight guidelines developed by PFLAG. Top priorities are to ensure confidentiality and safety. We usually spend half of the meeting to allow for personal sharing, and then we often have a guest speaker or film or other special activity for the second half.”

In addition to regular monthly meetings, PFLAG-Greensburg has worked to promote awareness and support for the LGBT community in a variety of activities including fundraising for the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and the American Cancer Society, marching in the Pittsburgh Pride March, and holding an annual Pride in the Park picnic at Hempfield Community Park. Both PFLAG-

Greensburg and Westmoreland LGBTQ Inter-Faith Network have also marched in the annual Greensburg Holiday Parade the past two years.

Needless to say, Jim Galik and Jean Slusser are proud allies of the LGBT community and have devoted their lives to supporting all members and allies of the LGBTQ community. Extending the support of that community past Pittsburgh has helped to prove that this state is evolving in a positive direction.

Western PA PFLAG Chapters: PFLAG Butler County PO Box 1631 Butler, PA 16003 info@pflagbutler.com PFLAG Erie/Erie & Crawford Counties PO Box 8914 Erie, PA 16505 pflag.erie.crawford@gmail.com Phone: (814) 367-3311

PFLAG Greensburg PO Box 181 Greensburg, PA 15601 pflagbg@gmail.com Phone: (724) 610-9334 PFLAG Indiana PO Box 272 Indiana, PA 15701 pflagindiana@comcast.net Phone: (724) 357-8309 PFLAG New Castle 1010 Delaware Ave New Castle, PA 16105 newcastlepa.pflag@gmail.com Phone: (724) 614-0342 PFLAG Pittsburgh P.O. Box 113244 Pittsburgh, PA 15241 info@pflagpgh.org Phone: (412) 833-4556

HIS GOAL IN WORKING WITH PFLAG IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY FOR LGBTQ INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.

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FITNESS

H G R U B S T T

PI

S R E N N U TR

N O R F

By Stacey Federoff Photo by Jonathan Fobear Pilots, professors and those newly transplanted to the Steel City have been seeking out Pittsburgh Frontrunners since 1989.

The club, one of 100, is an international organization for LGBT runners and walkers.

The Pittsburgh club sees visitors to the city about once per month because of the group’s reputation and easily accessible runs three times per week – rain or shine.

“In the middle of January, when it’s 20 degrees, you know that someone’s going to meet you,” says runner J.T. Doughty of Manchester.

In August, the group gathered to participate in Run Around the Square, the annual 5K race in 18

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Regent Square, where one member hosted a potluck brunch after everyone finished their 3.2 miles.

over the years, men have made up a majority of the Frontrunners, but all LGBT people are welcome.

This month, a Frontrunners contingent will take on the Great Race, as they have since the earliest days of the group.

“The group tries to remain casual, welcoming walkers as well,” says runner Ellen Guise of Edgewood. “It’s an inexpensive sport, all you need is a good pair of shoes.”

In 1993, the Frontrunners organized its first Pride Run in conjunction with Pittsburgh Pride Festival.

“In addition to running, it’s formed my community,” says runner Ken Ho of Squirrel Hill, who said the group helped him fit in after moving here from Washington, D.C., in 2005.

Dave Torrey, who joined the group in 1995, says

For more information, visit pittsburghfrontrunners.org or follow them on Twitter @ pghfr. The group runs three times per week, 9 AM Saturdays and 7 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays, meeting at the Columbus Statue adjacent to Phipps Conservatory at the corner of Schenley Drive and Frew Street Extension in Schenley Park.

Find your love. Show your love.

Getting tested together regularly is an important part of a healthy relationship and creates an open dialoque about protecting each other.

PATF offers free HIV testing 6 days a week.

Call 412-345-7456 for more information

19 Equa lMa ga z ine.org Contact us at 412-345-7456 or visit www.patf.org for 20 minute rapid testing hours and information.

One recent sunny Saturday morning, I decided to lace up my running shoes bright and early. I wanted to meet with the Frontrunners to see what a legacy 24 years as a group meant for someone like me, still a relative newbie with just two years of running experience.

8:20 AM Hit the snooze a few times, but not for lack of enthusiasm to meet the Frontrunners.

8:43 AM Head to Schenley Park, glad for the change of scenery, since normally I can be found on the trails in Frick Park.

8:55 AM Park my car after picking up my friend to join me. This takes a couple tries, since we got lost circling to find the correct route to the playground -- where the Frontrunners suggest parking to avoid expensive Oakland meter fees or tickets.

9:21 AM

eventually gather to run the four-mile regular route. And we’re off!

9:24 AM I realize that member Ken Ho has become our “tour guide” for the route, as he’s stuck with my friend and I at about the same pace. My confidence wavers a little when he cheerfully says he nearly died the first time he attempted the first long uphill part of the route.

9:28 AM Ken lets us know that we’re more than halfway up the hill, an announcement for which I’m very grateful.

9:30 AM We pass Ellen and Sammy coming from the other direction, since the second part of the Frontrunners’ route winds in a circle.

9:35 AM My running buddies and I start fantasizing about breakfast.

9:37 AM

After noticing coordinator Dave Torrey in a Frontrunners shirt and member Ellen Guise with her dog Sammy, a chocolate lab mix, the group starts forming. About a dozen runners

We emerge from the trail near the playground where we parked. Ken says it’s sometimes “very tempting” to take the short-cut, but we power through it.

9:43 AM Through the trees, I can see St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church in the lower part of Greenfield and hear the traffic zooming by on the Parkway.

9:49 AM We emerge from the trails once more, the last part of the route, hitting the sidewalk on Bartlett Street.

9:58 AM Ken asks if we want to take the old brick-paved ramp or the stairs. My friend and I choose the brick-paved ramp, which puts the Phipps Conservatory statue of Lady Liberty in sight, an encouraging finish line for the run.

9:59 AM Finally breakfast! We follow the Frontrunners inside the Schenley Park Visitors Center to get smoothies and other goodies, which is the best part about running: loading back up on all the calories to get out there and do it again next time!

Tell your friends! Bring your co-workers! Alert the media!

Join us at these upcoming dates for Xtreme Bingo!

Friday, September 13 Saturday, October 12 Saturday, November 9 Sunday, December 15 Order your tickets at pittsburghpride.org/tickets or call 888-71-TICKETS 20

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W(h)ine Event at Animal Friends Friday, September 27 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Animal Friends Caryl Gates Gluck Resource Center 562 Camp Horne Road Pittsburgh, PA 15237 RSVP by Friday, September 21 Denise Arndt, Senior Client Associate 412-665-9908 denise.arndt@ubs.com

Please join us for our unique event designed with animal lovers in mind! Come and meet our team and other pet owners to savor wine and share dog and pet stories together in a relaxing atmosphere.

We hope you can join us for this fun evening and hope to see you there!

Hosted by Walnut Wealth Management Group UBS Financial Services Inc. Lee Oleinick Senior Vice President–Wealth Management 5600 Walnut Street Pittsburgh, PA 15232 ubs.com/team/walnut

Lee Oleinick has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the Top 1,000 Financial Advisors in the U.S. (2012, 2013)

We will not rest

arron’s Top 1,000 Financial Advisors in the U.S. is based on asset under management, revenue, and quality of practices. ©UBS 2013. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a

ARTS

No Bones About It Local Artist Sam Thorp Gives Anatomy a New Spotlight.

By Karla Doolittle Art by Sam Thorp “Vogue” magazine recently referred to Pittsburgh as a “city with an emerging art scene which has superseded its industrial identity.” One of those emerging talents is Sam Thorp, a painter hailing from Brackenridge, Pa. “I’ve spent my life living on the edge of where Pittsburgh turns into Pennsyltucky,” said Sam. After graduating from Freeport High School, she went on to study at Indiana University of Pennsylvania obtaining an Art Education degree and State certification to teach K-12. One of her most influential teachers was Terri Perpich, a legendary artist with a studio in Freeport.

Sam’s parents and siblings are all artists in their own right. Though she says her talent wasn’t apparent at first, “I worked hard and studied the accomplishments of others to achieve the success I have today,” Sam said. She grew up idolizing superheroes while reading comic books, science fiction and fantasy and became interested in the artwork that came with it. Her first taste of publicity came at age fifteen at the Freeport Laube Hall Art Show. Since then, her work has been in collections all over the world including France, Holland, Australia, Israel, United Kingdom, Texas, California, New York and Detroit.

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We’re all in this together.

We work better when all of us work together. Inclusion means every person is valued, and all contributions are welcomed. At UPMC, inclusion begins with a core belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

UPMC Center for Inclusion inspires a culture of collaboration throughout our company and within the communities we serve, all based on the simple idea that inclusion matters — to all of us, every day.

Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC is ranked among the nation’s top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

In Pittsburgh, her work has been displayed from everywhere to coffee shops and bars to galleries including The Warhol and Carnegie Museum of Art. In addition, she’s been an art instructor in public schools, higher education campuses, and art camps. Helping students to express themselves and appreciate the creative process led her to write a textbook, ‘Figure Framework: Textbook for Anatomy and Figure Drawing.’

Sam supports the LGBT community by organizing and curating shows for the GLCC including an installation highlighting other LGBT artists such as Mia Donna Maneer, Anna Bender, Donnie Toomer, and Caldwell.

She’s also donated art to Persad and other various community fundraisers, has participated in the “Visual Aids” exhibit in NYC for the last five years, and is helping out with the Garden of Peace project which helps raise money for various LGBT issues in Pittsburgh.

Her work was also featured in the national traveling “Tranny Roadshow” as well has the GLCC of Los Angeles where her artwork is in a permanent collection.

Sam Thorp will curate her next event called “Gestures: The Fine Art of Non-Verbal Communication” at Most Wanted Fine Art as part of the First Friday Gallery Crawl on Friday, September 6.

“Everyone is a superhero, fighting their own battles and it makes us all beautiful. All of us. And, we NEED to see that!”

“When I saw my first Boris Vallejo book cover, I KNEW I wanted to do that.”

“My role in the LGBT community IS that of an artist, which means a certain responsibility to visibility, to make us visible, all of us.

I try to use local characters whenever possible.”

“My work is figurative, influenced by the superheroes of comic books. Drawing and painting the human figure, I have to deal with ideas of beauty, gender and sexuality. I also have to deal with the fact that the model is a real person with personality and goals in life.”

For more info about Sam Thorp, visit graphicanatomy.com.

“I’d like to think I have a role as an artist. That I’m somehow contributing to the overall Pittsburgh scene. That having my art in public has made someone’s day better and made other people a bit nervous.”

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OUT AT WORK

THE CHURCH

IS OPEN By: G Michael Beigay Photo by: G Michael Beigay

Gay by God! This is the message that comes across the pulpit of Rev. Shanea D. Leonard, pastor of Judah Fellowship Christian Church on the North Side. It’s the idea that people are born being exactly who God intended them to be, including their sexuality. And she not only embodies it, she also whole-heartedly means it. Rev. Leonard is an out and proud AfricanAmerican female who knows “what it is like to stand in the face of opposition and adversity and proclaim what may not be the popular message.” She predicated her theology on inclusive ministry on the fact that there is no shame, no condemnation, and no remorse for being fully yourself and all that God created you to be.

Rev. Leonard, a native of Philadelphia, has been in Pittsburgh since she attended the University of Pittsburgh 16 years ago. Since then, Rev. Leonard has experienced first-hand, the challenges of being out and having an inclusive message in the church. “There are a number of welcoming churches in the Pittsburgh area,” said Rev. Leonard, but what makes Judah special is that we have also experienced the

homophobia that exists within the AfricanAmerican religious community,” With Judah Fellowship being a new congregation, it has been a challenge getting the word out that they exist. However Judah has already been a presence with Pittsburgh Pride, Black PRIDE, Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, and various other areas of outreach around the city.

Judah Fellowship’s tag line is a different church for a diverse people and that is exactly what they have endeavored to be. Said Rev. Leonard, “Our services are really exciting. One can feel very comforted by the charismatic style of our music and our preaching and the general loving presence of the Holy Spirit. The service consists of various expressions as means of worship in hoping that they can connect with all who come through their doors and that all who attend are engaged intellectually, spiritually, visually, and emotionally so you know that God is for you, God is with you, and there is a safe place for you here.”

Rev. Leonard was most excited to talk about an upcoming event that Judah will be hosting on November 9. The “Healing the Hurt: Overcoming Our Areas of Brokenness” conference will be held at the Pittsburgh

Theological Seminary and will seek to engage the community around the areas that have been of systematic hurt and disconnect in an effort to begin the healing process. This year the event will focus on topics such as HIV/ AIDS, the Transgender Community, Healthy Relationships, problematic Bible scriptures, and many other places where healing can begin.

The purpose of this event, like the purpose of the Judah Fellowship ministry, is to welcome people to the table of justice and equality in order to begin the healing process to be made whole. “We’re hoping that with time people will begin to know that Judah Fellowship is also a place where you can come feel welcome, included, and at home,” said Rev. Leonard.

Thank you Rev. Leonard for sharing your wisdom and being a beacon of light for those who may have felt ostracized from their own faith communities. We are thankful to have you in our community!

Judah Fellowship Church is located at 120 Parkhurst Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. You can contact them at judahfellowship101@gmail. com or at 412-552-3032.

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FEATURE

Let’s make this

OFFICI Mayor of Braddock, John Fetterman, makes national news by marrying for the right reason.

By Stacey Federoff Photos by Mara Rago & Nara Garber It’s never a bad idea to have someone with as large of a presence as John Fetterman on your side.

The Mayor of Braddock -- who has made nationwide headlines for his radical ideas about revitalizing the steel town -- says being an ally for LGBT rights, especially marriage rights, is supporting something fundamental.

“Discrimination, in all its forms, is a zerosum game,” he says. “It always hurts.”

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In early August, Mayor Fetterman performed Allegheny County’s first samesex marriage when John Kandray and Bill Gray of Swissvale approached him with their Montgomery County marriage license.

“It’s weird because he’s a pretty imposing figure, but as soon as I talked to him I could just tell,” John says.

The couple, who have been together 11 years, drove to eastern Pennsylvania on August 2, where Bruce Hanes, the register of wills has issued more than 100 same-sex marriage licenses.

IAL They heard the Mayor on a radio program saying he would perform the ceremony, so to make the marriage valid, they jumped at the chance, John says.

Mayor Fetterman was one of the first Pennsylvania mayors to sign a statement by “Mayors for Freedom to Marry” supporting same-sex marriage rights. He was also named a Champion of Change last year by the White House.

partner Megan Smith, 45, of Forest Hills at his home.

“It was nothing like we imagined and better than we could’ve dreamed,” Peg says.

The couple had talked about getting married, especially after the Supreme Court declared Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in June.

“They’re lovely people and a great couple, so it was a no-brainer,” he says of John, 40, and Bill, 41.

They considered traveling to Connecticut where family members live, but “we always thought if we were going to get married, our choice, our dream, would be to do it here” in Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act, a ban on same-sex marriage, is unjust, Mayor Fetterman says.

So the couple of 13 years, who have two children, also traveled to Montgomery County to get a license.

“Who exactly does it harm if John and Bill get married in this state?” he asks. “They’re not asking for anything special, they’re asking to be treated just like everyone else.”

Peg says they were glad to have Mayor Fetterman preside over the ceremony, about a week after John and Bill, because they feel the he is doing this for local couples as “a pure act of conscience” not because of a political agenda.

John also married Peg Keady, 50, and her

“This is real civil disobedience and to me it’s something we shouldn’t have to be disobedient about,” Peg says.

Both the Mayor and his wife, Gisele, were extremely genuine and helpful, John says, helping fill the rushed ceremony with compassion.

“They just rallied around us like we were part of their families,” he says.

Both couples felt a sense of urgency, since the state Department of Health has filed a lawsuit to order Montgomery County to cease and desist.

The Mayor says the “indefensible” state legislation enacted in 1996 should protect rather than harm the people of Pennsylvania.

“Who wants to live in a community where they’re treated like second- or third-class citizens?” he says.

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“Who exactly does it harm if John and Bill get married in this state?”

Especially over the long-term, from a mayor’s point of view, Pennsylvania’s economy could suffer while other states offer same-sex benefits to couples who leave the Keystone State.

“It’s good for business, it’s good for society and it’s the right thing to do,” he says; instead, the state should be making progress forward. “Having a law like this on the books holds us back.”

John says most of the couples the Mayor has married look to band together with others that were issued marriage licenses.

He hopes Mayor Fetterman’s willingness to support and perform same-sex marriages encourages other officials to do the same, making an impact.

“Now’s not the time to be quiet,” John says.

Whatever turns same-sex marriages in Pennsylvania take, Peg says she is glad to be a part of progress, ready to head to Harrisburg with Megan if she has to.

“I think this is speeding up the process, like putting a rock on the gas pedal,” she says.

Having an ally like Mayor Fetterman to speak out for marriage equality gives strength to progress toward equality, John says.

“When you see someone standing up and fighting and fighting on your behalf, it’s really empowering,” he says.

MAYORS FOR THE FREEDOM TO MARRY William McCall Parker, PA (Armstrong County)

Tim McGuire Homewood Borough, PA (Beaver County) John Fetterman Braddock, PA

Dennis O’Brien Newtown, PA

353 mayors in 35 states have signed the statement supporting same-sex marriage, including 18 from Pennsylvania, of which 6 are from the western part of the state. Full text of the statement can be found at freedomtomarry.org.

Salvatore Panto Easton, PA John Callahan Bethlehem, PA Rick Hoffman Macungie, PA

(Allegheny County) Adam Forgie Turtle Creek, PA

Elizabeth Goreham State College, PA

Sandy Green Kutztown, PA

(Allegheny County)

Luke Ravenstahl Pittsburgh, PA

Libby White Doylestown, PA Josh Maxwell Downingtown, PA J. Richard Gray Lancaster, PA

Nicholas DeSantis New Stanton, PA (Westmoreland county)

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Michael Nutter Philadelphia, PA

J. Richard Gray Lancaster, PA Carolyn Comitta West Chester, PA

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COMING OUT

g n i m o

l a n It’s Natio

!

C t ay u O D

Time to celebrate living life as the person you really are and help others to do the same

By Roy J Gloeckl II

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!

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is turning twenty-five this year! This internationally observed civil awareness day has been helping to promote a safe world for the LGBT community as well as their allies since October 11, 1988.

As A Straight Supporter,” they discuss the many ways to show your friends, associates and co-workers that you are an ally without “outing” them in a painful or awkward way.

Some examples for starting an open dialogue are as follows:

always mean that said straight person should follow their lead. “When in doubt, ask your friend or relative if it would be appropriate for you to use those terms.” There is even a section in the pamphlet titled “Will people think I’m gay?”

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987 which resulted in the founding of numerous LGBT groups, including the National Latino/a Gay & Lesbian Organization and AT&T’s employee group, LEAGUE. Rob Eichberg, founder of The Experience, a personal growth workshop, and Jean O’Leary, then head of the National Gay Rights Advocates, came up with the idea of a day that celebrated coming out and thus, NCOD was born.

ASK RESPECTFUL QUESTIONS TO SHOW YOU ARE INTERESTED.

So if you know anyone that is in need of a helping hand coming to terms with themselves or someone around them, be sure to check out these free resources and get ready to celebrate being yourself on National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2013.

Every year, the HRC comes up with a theme for this special day. They have yet to announce the theme for 2013’s celebration but last year it was simply “Come Out. Vote.” I’m sure we can expect big things for the twenty-fifth anniversary, especially with all the recent victories in the struggle for equality.

Do you know someone who is struggling to come out to family? Or perhaps at work? The HRC’s website is full of great ideas to help people come out as lesbian, gay, transgender and even as a straight ally. They even have tips for planning a National Coming Out Day event of your own! Some of these resources include Coming Out Issues for Asian Pacific Americans, For Latinas and Latinos, For African Americans, Living Openly in Your Place of Worship, and Coming Out to Your Doctor. As their Resource Guide to Coming Out says “Whether it’s for the first time ever, or for the first time today, coming out may be the most important thing you do all day. Talk about it.”

While it is certainly one of the most important things one can do, it is also very important to understand that there is no right or wrong way to come out but it should be left in the control of the individual in question to do so in their own way and in their own time. In the HRC’s guide to “Coming Out

What has the coming out process been like for you?

How did you know it was the right time to come out?

What can I do to support you?

BE HONEST.

Be as open and honest as you would like your loved one to be with you.

If you feel awkward, say so.

Tell your acquaintance if he or she does or says something that makes you uncomfortable.

Ask the ‘dumb questions.’

BE REASSURING

Explain to your friend that this does not change how you feel about them.

Tell them that it might take a little while for you to digest what they have told you but you still care for them and respect them as much as you ever have or more.

SEND GENTLE SIGNALS

Invite your friend or family member to bring their partner to a social event.

Casually mention a news item dealing with LGBT issues in a positive manner.

Join an LGBT-themed group on Facebook.

Read an LGBT publication.

PITTSBURGH NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY ACTIVITIES* Friday, October 11

“OUT FOR EQUALITY”

Door art installation project presented by the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh 10:30 AM to 8 PM Market Square Throughout October

“COME OUT TO THE GLCC”

210 Grant Street Downtown For further details, visit glccpgh.org *as of press time

LAUGH A LITTLE

Humor can help as long as you’re being respectful.

Be sure they know you’re laughing with them, not at them.

The guide also asks that straight supporters understand that while some LGBT folks may use certain terms with one another in a way they feel is funny or affectionate, it does not

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FEATURE

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THE FESTIVAL OF FIRSTS BRINGS TO PITTSBURGH WORLD CLASS MUSIC, VISUAL & PERFORMANCE ART, AND ONE VERY LARGE DUCK.

By Michael Buzzelli Illustration by Jonathan Fobear When a 40-foot-tall rubber duck takes a dip in the Allegheny River, it will be a first among firsts, in a festival of firsts. On September 27, “The Rubber Duck” is going to swim in our rivers during Pittsburgh’s International Festival of Firsts, a city-wide event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The big bird floating down the river is just the beginning. The duck launch coincides with the Cultural Trust’s Gallery Crawl; kicking off a Fall full of theater, dance, music, performance and visual arts all over the various Cultural District venues. The events will take place in the Byham, the New Hazlett and Bricolage, but “Measure Back” an interactive theater piece about war and its repercussions, will be performed on the unexpected fifth floor of the Baum Building.

Each Festival of Firsts brings international artists to Pittsburgh for a U.S. based premiere of their work. This year’s festival will feature artists and companies from the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and more.

President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Kevin McMahon said, “Pittsburgh has a confluence of international activities taking place during the fall of 2013. The city has been re-imagined and remade and is now hosting major international events to provide for an intriguing cultural climate.”

McMahon added, “The return of the Cultural Trust’s festival could not have taken place during a more fitting year, and we are glad to be part of the economic, cultural and quality-of-life transformation that is part of the region’s 30-year investment in the arts.”

And it all begins with a bang, or, rather, a quack.

The mighty duck, which is 40 feet tall, 35 feet long and 30 feet wide, will launch at the West End Bridge. It will get to the Point, and pass under the Fort Duquesne Bridge.

This isn’t the first Festival of Firsts, but the third one held in the Golden Triangle, but it might be the biggest.

Paul Organisak, Vice President, Programming, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust said, “We had our first Festival of Firsts in 2004 and our second in 2008.”

to garner worldwide attention. “The Rubber Duck” is an international superstar. While it seems like the enormous inflatable has traversed the globe, it’s not the same duck that swam in Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, and Australia. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, an artist known for plunking down whimsical concepts in urban environments, created the floating inflatable sculpture. Each duck is fabricated locally to the artist’s specifications.

His fake fowl will be making his American debut right here in Pittsburgh. Organisak got a chance to visit Hofman in his studio in the Netherlands.

The Cultural Trust VP said, “I got to enter the duck. You enter from…um…the duck’s rear.”

Just like a real duck, it looks like it is floating on the water, but it’s paddling furiously underneath. Under the inflatable is a pontoon boat with a generator. The generator keeps the duck inflated, much like those inflatable yard displays of Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse and Jack Skellington. A tug boat will pull the massive rubber toy around the river, and another boat will stay on his tail, guiding the big bird from behind.

Spectators can watch from the Sixth Street Bridge, which will be shut down for a party celebrating the beginning of the Festival of Firsts on September 27. DJ Scottro (Scott Ehrenberger) will spin from 5:30 till 10 p.m. on the bridge.

There will be food and fun. Organisak said, “It will be like our Night Market at the Gallery Crawl, but it will be on the bridge.”

The Programming VP and his peeps have been organizing the event for some time. “For the duck to swim around in the waters of Pittsburgh, the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, City, County, Point State Park and other organizations all had to be involved. Our waterways are highly trafficked zones.”

You can take a gander at the duck for three weeks after the launch date, and then our featherless friend flies off to parts unknown.

Organisak laughed, “How can you not smile seeing a 40foot duck floating around the river?”

It’s a randomly held event, but this year’s festival is likely

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photo via Facebook

Adding to the immensity of this year’s Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts is the opening night appearance of Studio Florentijn Hofman’s The Rubber Duck of The Netherlands. The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers; it doesn’t discriminate and doesn’t have a political connotation. The friendly, floating, four-story-high Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them.

The duck has been on display in Amsterdam, Belgium, Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paulo and Hong Kong and arrives in the US for the first time for the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts.

Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts Schedule Studio Florentijn Hofman

THE RUBBER DUCK

Friday, September 27 – TBD Allegheny Riverfront http://tiny.cc/rubberduck

Marie Chouinard (Quebec)

September 28, 8pm. Byham Theater Kiss & Cry (Belgium)

October 2, 3, 4, 8pm, New Hazlett Theater It’s Dark Outside (Australia)

October 9, 10, 12, 9pm, Pierce Studio-Trust Arts Ed. Center The Pigeoning (USA)

October 9, 10, 12, 7pm, Bricolage Zimmermann& de Perrot (Switzerland)

October 18, 19, 2pm, Byham Theater Measure Back (USA)

October 22-26, 8pm, Baum Bldg., 5th Floor The God That Comes (Nova Scotia)

October 24-26, 10pm, Cabaret at Theater Square Compagnie Marie Chouinard

*GYMNOPEDIES and HENRI MICHAUX: MOUVEMENTS

Saturday, September 28 at 8:00 p.m.

Byham Theater | 101 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Marie Chouinard creates dance conceived from primeval dreams — earthy and strong, yet shaped by irrepressible secrets and unseen dimensions in time. The performance includes the U.S. premiere of GYMNOPÉDIES, set to glorious solo piano works by Erik Satie, and HENRI MICHAUX: MOUVEMENTS, inspired by a

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book of poetry and drawings by Belgian artist Henri Michaux. *Contains nudity.

NanoDanses , Michèle Anne De Mey & Jaco Van Dormael

KISS & CRY

October 2, 3 & 4 at 8:00 p.m.

New Hazlett Theater | 6 Allegheny Square East (Northside), Pittsburgh, PA 15212

A woman nearing the end of her life recounts her greatest loves in this sweeping, romantic work. Hands visually portray characters with a beautifully engaging sensual presence, moving around a set of miniatures with absolute precision. A unique blend of film, dance, text and theatre, Kiss & Cryis an unforgettable experience.

Robin Frohardt, HARP (HERE Artist Residency Program)

THE PIGEONING

October 9, 10 & 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Bricolage | 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Meet Frank, an obsessive compulsive consumed with routines. Enter a flock of pigeons and experience The Pigeoning, a darkly comedic work that combines bunraku puppetry, music and video to examine mankind’s obsession with cleanliness, safety and control. Brimming with originality and humor, The Pigeoning is an entertaining exploration of the human condition.

Perth Theatre Company

IT’S DARK OUTSIDE

October 9, 10 & 12 at 9:00 p.m.

Peirce Studio | Trust Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Inspired by experiences and research into Alzheimer’s and Sundowner’s Syndrome, Tim Watts’ newest production in collaboration with Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs, is a heartfelt, fearless, and inventive adventure. Puppetry, mask, animation, live performance and an original music score by the award-winning composer Rachael Dease, are expertly intertwined to create a grand epic Western about redemption and dementia.

Zimmermann & de Perrot

HANS WAS HEIRI

Friday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m.

Byham Theater | 101 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

The inventive Swiss directors duo Zimmermann

PITTSBURGH

AUTUMN 2013

CULTURAL HE THRILL TRUST IS bACK!

Disney’s THE LION KING September 3-29 | Benedum Center

SPANK! The Fify Shades Parody September 19-21 | Byham Theater

The Rubber Duck Project Launching September 27

Compagnie Marie Choiuinard Saturday, September 28 | Byham Theater

Zimmermann & de Perrot October 18 & 19 | Byham Theater

Measure Back October 22-26 | Baum Building

Nanodanses | Kiss & Cry October 2-4 | New Hazlett Theater

Celtic Thunder Sunday, October 6 | Benedum Center

RICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

TEMbER 3 – 29, 2013 bENEDUM CENTER

dway Season Ticket Holders Seats are secured for next season!

son will be announced in early spring, but renewing season ticket holders seats are secured.

ups 15+ Tickets On Sale Now!

The Pigeoning It’s Dark Outside 471-6930 October 9-12 ||937 TrustArts.org Liberty October 9-12 | Trust Arts Education Center

The God That Comes We Will Rock You October 24-26 | Cabaret at Theater Square October 29-November 3 | Benedum Center

ACCeSS Serv iBle AvAilAiCeS Ble

ross America-Pittsburgh is a presentation of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

© Disney

The real csi where TruTh is ofTen sTranger Than ficTion and The dead do Tell Tales You and a guest are invited to a multimedia stage presentation that examines history’s most fascinating crimes and unexplained deaths.

Experts in their fields will take the audience behind the headlines and inside some of the most intriguing national and international crime scenes and murder investigations of the century.

Be there as world–renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. MD. JD. leads the discussion on the JFK assassination, leading criminologist Dr. Henry Lee studies the OJ Simpson case and attorney Mark Geragos examines the deaths of Laci Peterson and Michael Jackson.

A round-table discussion of many more high-profile cases and a Q&A session will wrap up a night of murder and mystery, only at Paris Las Vegas. You can’t miss it!

Sweet Honey In The Rock® Saturday, November 9 | Byham Theater

Offer valid at any one participating Total Rewards casino listed on specified event dates only. Limit 2 tickets. You must be a registered hotel guest booked under offer code mentioned to participate in this offer. Reservations must be made at least 72 hours prior to event start date. Invitation is non-transferable and must be redeemed in person. Any attempt to sell, auction or otherwise transfer shall nullify this offer. No exchange, substitutions or trade-outs. Subject to availability and limited to one offer per qualified invitation. May not be combined with or redeemed within 48 hours of any other offer, event or promotion. Subject to hotel cancellation policies. Management reserves all rights and may modify, change or cancel this offer without notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Caesars Entertainment shall not be liable to any patron for any error in the information contained in the printed material herein related to the offer or the event. Trademarks used herein are owned by Caesars License Company, LLC and its affiliated companies.

Selling England By The Pound Wednesday, November 13 | Byham Theater

Potted Potter November 20-24 | Byham Theater Know When To Stop Before You Start. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.522.4700.

2011, Caesars License Company, LLC. Caesars Entertainment welcomes those 21 years of age and older to our casinos.

The Three Sleuths Elf The Musical Straight No Chaser Wednesday, November 20 | Benedum Center November 26-December 1 | Benedum Center Wednesday, December 11 | Benedum Center

Box Office at Theater Square • TrustArts.org 412-456-6666 • Groups 10+ Tickets 412-471-6930

& de Perrot have crafted an original and mischievous marriage of theater, circus and dance. Poets as well as magicians, their choreography, music and set design overflows with cunning depth and humor. In Hans was Heiri, the stage design revolves on a horizontal axis, forcing the performers into the most unlikely positions.

Christopher McElroen and T. Ryder Smith

MEASURE BACK

October 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Baum Building, Fifth Floor | 818 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

What does it mean to say we are at war? Can we, as “non-combatants”, change the course of war? The visceral and thought-provoking work Measure Back seeks a path between the citizen-as-spectator and the citizen-as- participant. Set in an immersive theatrical environment to examine scenes of conflict ranging from Homer’s The Iliad to today’s headlines, Measure Back uses audience participation to probe how war is constructed and performed – from conception through consensus to action.

2b theatre company

*THE GOD THAT COMES

October 24, 25, 26 at 10:00 p.m.

Cabaret at Theater Square | 633 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 1522

Sex, wine and rock and roll! Hawksley Workman’s intoxicating one-man cabaret, pop and glam rock hybrid recreates the story of Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine, following Euripides’ The Bacchae. In a world ruled by an oppressive king, the lesser classes let loose in a hedonistic spiritual revolution fuelled by wine, ritual madness and ecstasy.*Contains strong language.

TICKETS: Tickets for all performances are $25. To purchase,

visit TrustArts.org/First, call 412-456-6666 or visit the Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue (located at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Seventh Street in Downtown Pittsburgh).

Pittsburgh International Festival of First Visual Art Presentations Kurt Hentschlager (USA)

HIVE (AUSTRIA/USA, 2011)

September 27-December 31 Wood Street Galleries | Located above the T-Station at Wood Street and Sixth Avenue Hours: Wednesday & Thursday 11a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hive is a 3D-animated audiovisual installation where gallery visitors confront a swirling mass of amorphous figures, appearing as a genderless collective of matter as opposed to individual beings. Choreographed motion, light and sound form an immersive and dynamic figurative landscape without a beginning or an end. Moment by moment, the computer-generated Hive takes on a life of its own, creating an artificial organism in eternal motion and interplay.

© Mario Del Curto / Strates

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ZIMMERMANN & DE PERROT

COMPAGNIE MARIE CHOUINARD SAT

SEP 28, 2013

8 PM

FRI

OCT 18, 2013

8 PM

SAT

OCT 19, 2013

2 PM

WORLD-CLASS DANCE PREMIERES Never before seen in the United States.

TrustArts.org/dance

412-456-6666

Pittsburgh Dance Council is a division of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

presents

T S U TR

h The Pittsburg

Cultural Trust

2013-2014 season

t e r a b a C

Marilyn Maye October 7, 2013

Maureen McGovern

November 4, 2013

5 Intimate Evenings at the Cabaret at Theater Square

TrustArts.org/CabaretSeries Single Tickets: 412-456-6666

Season Tickets: 412-456-1390 Groups 10+ Tickets: 412-471-6930

Untitled-3 1

ACCESSIBLE

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Carol Woods March 3, 2014

Liz Callaway

Clint Holmes May 12, 2014

April 7, 2014

8/12/13 3:07:23 PM

Kurt Hentschlager and Ulf Langheinrich (USA/Austria)

GRANULAR SYNTHESIS: MODEL 5 AND POL

September 27-October 20 SPACE | 812 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours: Wednesday & Thursday 11a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MODEL 5 (AUSTRIA/USA, 1994)

ALL OUR DUCKS IN A ROW

We have a feeling Duck merchandise will be quacking up all over Pittsburgh very soon in every shape and size.

Rubber Ducky’s are great for a child’s bath time play, but the little yellow fellows have become cultural icons. All over the world the ubiquitous duck races at fairs, charity events and picnics. Once there was only one option, the sunshine yellow floatable toy. Now, there is a huge variety of ducks to choose from. They come in a plethora of colors, shapes sizes and decorations. Bud Ducks, a company from across the pond, puts out policemen ducks, firemen ducks, and Indian chief ducks. They have a Village People collection. There’s even a YouTube video starring the Village People Ducks as they sing on the sidewalks of New York. They don’t really sing they bill-synch (ducks don’t have lips).

Bud Ducks have ducks for every occasion; from Angel Ducks to Devil Ducks. There are ducks with horns, spikes, clown noses, you name it!

The Bud Duck Company has been offering their bath time buddies for over ten years, and are commemorating their anniversary with a line of Diamond Ducks.

If you enjoy a shower more than a bath; and you can’t think of anything to do with a rubber duck, visitwww.myduckonstuff.com. The ducks are Reddit ready, posing for pictures on fire hydrants, park benches, statues, sun dials and more. You can probably even Snap-chat your duck in a precariously perched position on your body.

For an up to date schedule of the duck, follow it on Twitter @PittsburghDuck.

An unprecedented visual, acoustic and physical experience, Model 5 projects multiple portraits of Japanese performance artist Akemi Takeya. At once serene and kinetically beautiful, heightened mechanical rhythms manipulate the image to create a sense of schizophrenia, with the body being pulled apart and dissolving in electronic space.

POL (AUSTRIA/USA, 1998)

The German word for “pole,” POL is a live, improvised panoramic performance that relies on high intensity light, video and audio projection, subjecting audiences to an astounding flow of stimuli to create a perceptional situation of disorientation and recollection. By emanating a feeling of what Granular Synthesis describes as “visual radiation,” POL engulfs the audience by erasing all sensual barriers.

Also Taking Place During The Festival Kurt Hentschlager (USA)

ZEE (AUSTRIA/USA, 2008)

September 27-October 27 943 Liberty Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours: Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Note: This exhibition is restricted to 18+, due to intense strobe effects.

Chicago-based Austrian artist Kurt Hentschlager invites visitors to explore an enclosed space filled with a dense, odorless fog that completely obscures the gallery walls, floor and ceiling. A droning soundscape intensifies this full-immersion experience, which shifts dynamically according to changes in the color, frequency and intensity of the light. Exhilarating as well as meditative, the pulsing, stroboscopic audiovisual journey that is ZEE pushes the boundaries of human perception.

ADMISSIONS: All visual arts exhibitions are free and open to the

public.

TICKETS: Tickets for all performances are $25. To purchase,

visit TrustArts.org/First, call 412-456-6666 or visit the Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue (located at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Seventh Street in Downtown Pittsburgh).

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Sixth Prebyterian Church 1688 Murray Ave

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Equ a lMa ga z ine.org

TRUTH BE TOLD

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Something

on my

Mind

Local resident approaches Equal Magazine to share his own personal story on one condition: that we keep his identity hidden.

by Anonymous

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By Anonymous

couldn’t even see myself for who I really was.

“I’m straight. No question I’m straight, happily married, kids the whole deal, living the happily ever after, straight, God fearin, truck drivin, boobie lovin, g droppin’, American Dream!

Well I might be Bi. I mean, I’m mostly straight, but maybe a little bit Bi. Everyone is a little Bi, right? I mean have you seen Matthew McConaughey? Tell me you are not totally gay for him? So I’m like 60/40, leaning toward women. Maybe more like 90/10 toward men.

But I’m straight. I mean if I see a good-looking guy I know he’s good-looking, that doesn’t make me gay. Sure I go to the occasional gay bar maybe once a year, or once a week. But that certainly doesn’t mean I’m gay! Oh and maybe once or fifty times I’ve gotten a hand job from a guy. But I’m not gay. I’m not. I am not gay!”

Here’s the short version of the story. I was born and it was very traumatic and I have blocked out most of it. It was gross. Seriously we are all born in a really gross way. There’s fluid and gunk, and vaginas and just eww! I grew up being called gay a lot. Not because I was gay.

But because “gay” was anyone who didn’t watch football, anyone who liked science fiction, and anyone who wasn’t “normal.” So I spent most of my teenage years declaring “I’M NOT GAY!” Loudly! It would be twenty years before I would hear the phrase “I think he doth protest too much.” I did the whole teenage thing, which is pretty much as advertised on TV. It’s tough, miserable, and like every teenage boy my sexuality began to form right before my very eyes and between my very legs. What

I’m gay.

And with those two words, three if you count contractions as an additional word, I cracked open the door of the closet and took a peek outside, and the strong light of self-discovery hit my eye sockets like the blazing Rehoboth Beach sun (oh yeah, that’s gay.) I quickly realized for the first time that the closet was a much darker and scarier place for a gay man to be than the world outside, and I took my first step out.

I’ve lived my life in the closet…I just didn’t know it. I thought it was just a very cramped small apartment filled with a lot of shoes. I probably should have known it was a closet.

No lights, no phone, no luxuries, it was either a closet or Gilligan’s Island, and I am pretty sure Gilligan’s Island was a metaphor for closeted gay lifestyles.

By the way, that’s part of what happens when you first realize after 20 years that you are gay.

You start seeing gay everywhere. It’s like a hungry cartoon dog that keeps seeing everyone as a talking side of beef. See what I mean?

Everything I say sounds gay?

I lived my life the way I thought I was supposed to, building a closet to live in and shutting the door tight. The “straight me” built that closet with manly instinctual carpentry skills, but the “gay me” picked out the shelf paper.

That door was shut so tight that no light got in. I

I JUST WANTED TO RELAX. I DIDN’T WANT TO BE COMPETING FOR SOME GIRL ALL NIGHT. I ENJOYED THAT GAY MEN FOUND ME ATTRACTIVE IN WAYS THAT MOST WOMEN DIDN’T. the hell was I supposed to do with this thing? I felt like Major Kong in “Dr. Strangelove” riding a missile between his legs flying at full speed to the end of the world! Yahooo! (That, by the way, is exactly the kind of geeky reference that got me labeled gay in the first place in high school!)

Because I had no idea what to do with that missile I was riding, I just did whatever it was my health class told me to do. I had sex with a girl. I didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone had promised. But it’s what you are supposed to do.

I grew up. I had some more sex with girls.

Because that’s what you are supposed to do. I got married because that’s what you’re supposed to do. I had sex with a girl a bunch of times. Because that’s what you’re supposed to do. I had two kids. Well, because I actually wanted to have kids. Not all of this was the pressure of society and an overbearing mother.

Whoa what? Wait, what was that? I admit it. I got married because I knew it was what my mother wanted. I know, I know, a gay man seeking his mother’s approval, sounds outrageous!

All this married life, public life, and on the side, sex life, was to prove one point and one point only. I am not gay. I did a pretty good job convincing everyone, and convincing myself of it. So much so, that I spent most of my life blissfully unaware that I was neither blissful nor aware. I was miserable and had no idea why.

There was a never ceasing dull thud to my life.

I had accomplished much, had a good life, and yet, it all felt like I was living someone else’s perfect existence.

There were hints. I enjoyed the touch of other men. Getting a massage felt amazing. The strength, power, comfort and safety of placing yourself in another man’s hands is a thrill. There were other very tiny small subtle hints that should have clued me in that I might be gay.

Like the fact that I was getting BJ’s from a gay friend who accepted my “straight lifestyle.”

Thinking back that should have been a much bigger hint than it was at the time.

I would visit gay bars. I would fool around, but no sex. I just felt more comfortable in a gay bar. I would tell myself that I didn’t like all the competition at the “straight” bars. I just wanted to relax. I didn’t want to be competing for some girl all night. I enjoyed that gay men found me attractive in ways that most women didn’t. I was someone’s type. I would tell myself, “I’m just here because I get free drinks.” I would tell myself a lot of things, and because I am both a great liar and also gullible, I would believe myself. I should have known better than to trust me. Heck I don’t even like to masturbate with myself, I don’t know where I’ve been.

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Equa lMa ga z ine.org

Of course, it wasn’t just me I was lying to. I was lying to everyone. No one knew. How could they? I didn’t even “know” myself.

up. “I AM GAY!

I held together a failed marriage with lies and deceit the way most rednecks hold together a car bumper with duck tape.

Now what. No membership card. No fairy godmother comes down and waves her magic wand and says poof you’re a poo (although,that would be awesome!) The Gay Men’s Chorus doesn’t serenade you with “Rainbow Connection” while Willy Wonka retrofits you with a magical new golden penis. (I don’t know why I thought that might happen. It doesn’t even make sense.) Nothing happened. Other than realizing if I tell anyone else my whole world is going to fall apart. Nothing happened. I was just gay.

Then one day I was out with my female best friend talking about life and other such BS. I had convinced myself I was in love with her. That she was the perfect woman. And then I realized something. I did love her and she was as close to the perfect woman as any woman could be but something was missing. I loved her. But, I loved her as one would love your best friend.

Not as a man loves a best friend and strings her along with lie after lie to ultimately have sex with her. I loved her because I knew she would love me for who I am and mid-conversation about how I felt, I blurted out, “I think I’m gay.”

Her response was. “Okay, that makes sense, how do you know?” In that conversation all the hints and clues of the past 20 years came pouring out like the final sequence of “The Usual Suspects” as I realized “I AM KEYSER SOSE!” Oh wait, sorry got my stories mixed

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So…I’m gay.

My life changed overnight after decades, and… nothing changed at all. I told a few of my closest friends. Some were shocked. Some said “no shit.” And then I went back into the closet.

So here I am, in the closet, sitting on a stack of my high school yearbooks and shoeboxes filled with old sneakers and Holy cards I just never have the heart to throw out. I just went right

back in. The only difference, the big difference, is now I know there’s a light out there just beyond the closet door, in big flashing rainbow neon and a little old psychic midget telling me to “come into the light!”

It’s like there is a gay dolphin knocking at my closet door saying “Come on out, it’s okay.

We love you. It’s safe now. Come join us and be gay. Let’s go frolic and play.” But I’m afraid.

What if it isn’t a happy gay dolphin that has somehow gained the ability to speak and learn the meaning of the word frolic? What if it’s a landshark? So now I sit here rocking back and forth too afraid to go completely out, just poking out my head now and then asking “is it safe?”

I’m not afraid of the dark. I’ve lived in the dark.

I’m afraid of the light. The light, and millipedes.

I hate millipedes. Does that sound gay?

TRAVELIN’ JACK

Oh, hai!

One of California’s lesser known jewels shines with effortless sophistication

By Jack Ballas Photos by Jack Bellas A wise woman once said, “Life isn’t all diamonds and rosé, but it should be.” That woman was Lisa Vanderpump from the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and she was 100% correct. Life can be diamonds and rosé, if you are staying at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai California. I did not bring my diamonds, but there was rosé, sparkling in my case, for days….all five of them by the pool to be exact.

Ojai Valley, northwest of Los Angeles and southeast of Santa Barbara is a small town that is the epitome of the word “casual” and the phrase “farm-to-table.” The culture is laid back, yet sophisticated. The dining and food shopping are fresher than anything you could find. The town is in total 10 miles long by 3 miles wide and is in a perfect cocoon of beautiful mountain views and incredible weather. For those of you who have read my

articles, you already know I enjoy food, but you are probably confused by the “casual” element! Much like Lisa Vanderpump, I need a touch of oppulance & The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (ojairesort.com) was just what I needed.

This property has world-class restaurants, golf, a spa that would leave the most particular person completely satisfied, and did I mention the sparkling rosé served poolside?

This was my second trip to Ojai and is rapidly becoming my summer “must have” destination. A typical day starts with a nice run around property, getting one of the freshest breakfasts on or off property, then heading straight to the pool for a full day of beautiful sights. The hills make you feel like you are in Tuscany, the cocktails make you feel like you are in heaven, and the people get more and more beautiful as the day goes on and the champagne goes down. Though the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa offers some of the best culinary selections the area has to offer, nothing is

better than a night on the town. Agave Maria’s Restaurant and Cantina (agavemarias.com) is a few miles up the road and is a 10 across the board! Food, atmosphere and the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Margarita is sure to cap the night off in the perfect fashion.

The proximity to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is the key to this gem of a town in the most picturesque setting you can image. Whether you are looking for the Farmer’s Market, a fabulous dining experience or a pool and spa day that will leave even the most stressed person feeling totally at ease, Ojai Valley…. specifically Ojai Valley Inn and Spa is sure to impress!

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Equa lMa ga z ine.org

YOUTH

THAT’S SO GAY

By John Britt

HOW GLSEN STRIVES TO MAKE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL SAFE AND SECURE FOR ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.

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E q u a l M a g a z i n e. o rg

“That’s so gay!” A comment heard in many schools that is meant to be derisive and insulting. Many of those who say it consider the phrase innocuous, not meant to harm. But to many LGBT youths and their allies, it is not only hurtful, but also reinforces the feeling of not belonging, of being a person of lesser value. Sadly, some students are also the targets of harsher words that are meant to be hurtful and are the objects of bullying that sometimes includes violence. For those who don’t experience physical abuse, the emotional trauma can be just as harmful.

In 1990, a group of teachers in Massachusetts recognized the problem and decided it was time to act. The organization, now known as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) was born and now includes over forty chapters, including GLSEN Pittsburgh.

According to Ian Syphard, Chair of the Board of Directors – GLSEN Pittsburgh, their mission is to ensure that schools are safe for all, so “students can learn and thrive.”

Ian adds that GLSEN Pittsburgh works to create “a healthful learning environment where (students) can learn and not have to worry. Students should be able to go to school and not be harassed. Every student has the right to thrive”.

Operating as an all volunteer organization, GLSEN members include not only educators, but those with different backgrounds and skills that can help the organization with its mission. One way GLSEN works to achieve its mission is through their Professional Development Training (PD). GLSEN PD helps educators and any school employee learn about the harassment that students face and how they can handle the situation, diffuse it and teach their students tolerance. GLSEN achieves this in three ways. Toolkits are a self guided method of learning through books and other educational material.

Second, GLSEN PD offers webinars that provide tips and tools to create safe and affirming learning environments for

all students. Third, GLSEN PD offers workshops where educators can meet with each other to share experiences and learn through the efforts of a GLSEN facilitator leading the workshop. Educators are also taught the value of being an LGBT ally and are encouraged to introduce LGBT friendly lessons in their curriculum.

Another project of GLSEN Pittsburgh is the Peer Advocates for Safe Schools (PASS) Project. According to Ian, PASS is training high school students to work toward creating safe schools starting with a 10-hour training session provided by GLSEN Pittsburgh. The goal is help the next generation of LGBT advocates gain organizational skills so they can promote inclusiveness among their peers by providing them with the tools to create safe schools for themselves and other students.

Ian says, the “students are taught to be leaders and (are) encouraged to make change in their schools.”

An event that Ian is particularly proud of is the Youth Pride Prom. PASS students help in planning and organizing the annual student-organized Prom which is co-hosted

by GLSEN Pittsburgh and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center (GLCC). It provides a youth organized social event for LGBT students and allies who avoid school proms, fearing harassment or bullying.

GLSEN Pittsburgh also helps local Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) to organize and teaches them the skills to operate their student-run organization.

In keeping with the mission of providing safe environments for LGBT youth and all students, GLSEN Pittsburgh co-sponsored the Safe Schools Summit with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG Pittsburgh) and with Persad Center, a Pittsburgh based counseling center for adults and youths in the LGBT community. The Summit brought together teachers, academic administrators and school counselors. Speakers shared recent research findings about bullying of LGBT

GLSEN PD HELPS EDUCATORS AND ANY SCHOOL EMPLOYEE LEARN ABOUT THE HARASSMENT THAT STUDENTS FACE AND HOW THEY CAN HANDLE THE SITUATION, DIFFUSE IT AND TEACH THEIR STUDENTS TOLERANCE. students and affirmed the goal of creating safe and inclusive school environments. As a result, a two-year study was launched to document LGBT bullying in local schools in an effort to find solutions.

GLSEN Pittsburgh intends to grow as it continues to provide a valuable resource for all area educators and students in the immediate eleven county area, and to continue to work with other LGBT groups to achieve its goals and continue its mission.

To emphasize the importance of GLSEN Pittsburgh in the community, Betty Hill, Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s Persad Center says, “GLSEN is a key voice in the movement to creating safe and respectful schools for all students”.

And as GLSEN Pittsburgh Board Chair Ian Syphard said, “It should be better and it can be better.”

To volunteer, donate, or make inquiries, contact GLSEN Pittsburgh at info@ glsenpgh.org

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Equa lMa ga z ine.org

HOT GIRL READS A BOOK

Lauren

Fife

on She’s Come Undone byWally Lamb

“While not new, this book has always been one of my favorites. It’s a story of a broken girl traveling through adolescence and into adulthood; existing among a harsh and unforgiving world. Parts of the novel, if not all, are experiences and issues of which we can all relate. Upon first reading the book, Delores had transformed from a fictional heroine to an existing being that I both felt compassion and sympathy towards. Most astonishing is the brutal accounts of abuse, rape, divorce, obesity, and attempted suicide all told from a woman’s perspective, but in fact are written by a man. Wally Lamb so convincingly explores and describes in such perfect detail how Delores’s experiences alter and effect her emotionally. I was amazed by the sensitivity and strong accuracy of which he depicts Delores’s emotions and vulnerability. Many of the quotes from the novel have stuck with me, often shedding light in my personal conflicts and resolutions...“I thought about how love was always the thing that did that - smashed into you, left you raw. The deeper you loved, the deeper it hurt.” Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone” is an absolute must read.”

A 29 year-old graduate of Robert Morris University, Lauren earned her BSBA in only three years. A true sport fiend, she’s played sports her entire life and has always enjoyed outdoor activities like hiking and snowboarding. Born in Virginia and raised in Pittsburgh, Lauren has lived in Key West and south Lake Tahoe. Married for two years to her best friend Angie, she has a perfect little man---her dog Reginald. Her life is filled with amazing people and her hopes are to grow old and stay happy with the people she’s lucky enough to call her friends and family.

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DJ Digital Dave presents

Dirty Disco IV 9PM CD Release Party Free CDs all night!

DJ Digital Dave

FRIDAY, 9/6 First Fridays with

Kierra Darshell

11:30PM

Talent Contest with Special Guest Miley Michaels

Miley Michaels

$100 CASH PRIZE!

THURSDAY, 9/19 Back to School

Drag Show

11PM

Hosted by Kierra Darshell

Kierra Darshell

Starring: Bianca Minaj, VyVyan Vyxn, Brooklyn Bottomvitch, Elizabeth Wayne Gaycee, Ellie Vega

september

THURSDAY, 9/5

SATURDAY, 9/21 Stand-Up Comic

Fortune Feimster From “Chelsea Lately”

Fortune Feimster

8PM

Featuring: Ian Harvie, Justin Martindale, and Gab Bonasso For tickets, visit: nbandp.com

1600 Smallman Street (412) 471-1400 cruzebar.com Open Wed-Sat 5PM-2AM

THURSDAY, 9/26 Season 5 Premiere

Glee Viewing Party 9PM Once again, with feeling...

Free confidential HIV testing every Thursday from 9PM to midnight.

Friday the 13

th

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13 - 6PM

ENTERTAINMENT BY

THE HAUS OF HAUNT

CHERI BAUM, MOON BABY, KITTY KLOTTSALOT AND VERUCA LA’PIRAHNA

Order tickets online at pittsburghpride.org/tickets or call 888-71-TICKETS A portion of proceeds to benefit