On Sunday, the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ Democratic Club, held their annual member endorsement meeting 2026 at the Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg.
Ian Price, President of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, said the meeting sets the tone for the community. It’s about putting queer people in front of candidates and candidates in front of queer people.
“It’s about interfacing with and educating the candidates because what other forum do the candidates even hear what the other ones are talking about in terms of LGBTQ rights,” Price said.
“It’s important that we have as many of these interfaces as we can so that we all get on the same page,” Price said. “The last year has been crushing, let’s be honest, but to see that over several years our local electeds have been educated in LGBTQ rights, that they’ve internalized the message that we need to defend trans people, that we need to defend our queer communities, that they don’t need to be prompted with that, at least in western Pennsylvania, has been inspiring.”
While Summer Lee was not able to attend in person, her campaign manager, Kacey McGill, spoke on her behalf.
“As a nonbinary queer person, I am really excited to talk about Summer Lee because she’s done so much for our community and continues to do so,” McGill said. “We’ve received the Stonewall Democrats [endorsement] every time because Summer has been so consistent.”
Jessica Benham, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 36th District, was in attendance at the meeting. She was the first openly LGBTQ+ woman and first openly autistic person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
- Advertisement -
“A lot of the time, people think that elected officials want people to vote for them and that’s the only time where we need people’s support,” Benham said. “It’s not just about the endorsement vote. It’s about what we do as a community to build power—which isn’t just about getting folks elected.”
“It’s about what happens after that,” Benham said. “So for me, this is about how we mobilize people to support the issues that matter to our community, which is everything from reproductive justice and bodily autonomy to non-discrimination protections to affordability.”
Benham said that this is especially important in the current political moment, where state-level policy is being made under a federal government that is very hostile to the LGBTQ community and marginalized communities in general.
During the meeting, True T Pittsburgh received the Community Organization of the Year award. True T was founded in 2010 by John Easter and Duane Binion and serves as a community platform for LGBTQ resource sharing, queer arts, activism, and entertainment.
The Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg was full of community members, representatives, and members of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats, like Lauren Williams, President of PAYD, who said that LGBTQ rights are a key issue for young people.
“We are definitely a loud and proud generation,” Williams said. “We have a solid mix of ages in our candidates. Even if they don’t understand us through their own experience, they understand us through their children, through their children’s experiences, and through being here and hearing the community out.”
Jim DePoe, a longtime member of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, said that he has seen firsthand how important this endorsement has become.
“It’s a much-needed endorsement for candidates,” DePoe said. “The people in this room need to get out and vote, and they need to call their representatives and voice their concerns. They will listen to you.
“We need to get the Fairness Act passed,” DePoe said. “ I believe we have a real chance to do that.”
The 2025 Steel City Stonewall Democrats’ endorsements went to:
Pennsylvania Governor & Lt. Governor
Josh Shapiro & Austin Davis
US House – PA-12
Summer Lee
US House – PA-14
Alan Bradstock
US House – PA-17
Chris Deluzio
PA Senate Dist. 38
Lindsey Williams
PA Senate Dist. 42
Wayne Fontana
PA House Dist. 12
Brandon Dukes
PA House Dist. 19
Aerion Abney
PA House Dist. 20
Emily Kinkead
PA House Dist. 21
Lindsay Powell
PA House Dist. 23
Dan Frankel
PA House Dist. 24
La’Tasha D. Mayes
PA House Dist. 25
Brandon Markosek
PA House Dist. 27
Dan Deasey
PA House Dist. 30
Arvind Venkat
PA House Dist. 32
Joe McAndrew
PA House Dist. 33
Mandy Steele
PA House Dist. 34
Abigail Salisbury
PA House Dist. 36
Jessica Benham
PA House Dist. 38
John Inglis
PA House Dist. 39
Kellianna Frketic
PA House Dist. 40
Jon Lloyd
PA House Dist. 42
Jen Mazzocco
PA House Dist. 44
Hadley Haas
PA House Dist. 45
Brittany Bloam
PA House Dist. 48
Rebecca MacTaggart
PA House Dist. 50
Lois Bower Bjornson
PA House Dist. 59
Lisa Gephart