Pittsburgh’s queer community thrives because of people who show up and few show up quite like Brad Dunlap.
In this episode of Pride Matters, we sit down with Dunlap, a self-described “busy person” whose impact stretches across multiple corners of LGBTQ+ life in the city. From the leather and kink scene to bear social events and queer sports leagues, Dunlap is helping build spaces where people can connect, express themselves, and feel at home.
Today’s Episode is sponsored by the 2026 Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Survey!
Take the 2026 Pennsylvania LGBTQIA+ Health Survey. It’s 100% anonymous and helps LGBTQIA+ organizations across PA fight for resources to better support our community! 🏳️🌈 Such as grant writing to apply for funding, building programs catered to our health needs, research, and advocacy.
Originally from a small town in Missouri with a population of just 165, Dunlap knew early on that he needed something more. After spending time in Florida, he eventually landed in Pittsburgh in 2018 and quickly found what he had been searching for: community.
“I needed to be in a city. I needed to be around queer people,” Dunlap says. “And when I got here, I just fell in love with Pittsburgh.”
That love turned into action.
Today, Dunlap wears many hats, literally and figuratively. He currently holds the title of Mr. Pittsburgh Leather Bear 2026, a role that allows him to represent the city within the broader leather community while embracing his own identity as a “confident homosexual and confident kinkster.”
But his work doesn’t stop there.
Dunlap is also deeply involved in Pittsburgh’s bear community, which he describes as one of the most welcoming spaces he’s experienced. Through events like Bear Happy Hour, he’s created low-pressure, social environments where people can show up exactly as they are.
“It’s about giving people a place to find community,” he explains. “Somewhere casual, where you can just exist and meet people.”
That philosophy extends into some of Pittsburgh’s most delightfully chaotic queer events—including the Big Gay Float, an annual summer river trip that draws over 100 attendees, and Pittsburgh Pride Paintball, where participants quite literally bond by shooting each other with paint.
And then there’s bowling.
Dunlap is part of both the Stonewall Sports bowling league and the Steel City Bowling League, and he’s helping revive a dormant tradition: a major LGBTQ+ bowling tournament in Pittsburgh. The newly launched “BARBi” (Burgh Area Rainbow Bowling Invitational) sold out in just four days, signaling a huge appetite for community-centered events.
For Dunlap, none of this work is about recognition or profit; it’s about building something bigger than himself.
“Everything I do is volunteer,” he says. “I do it to create community, not just for others, but for myself too.”
That ethos, radical, joyful, and deeply intentional, runs through every space he touches. Whether it’s a leather competition, a bear hangout, or a bowling lane, Dunlap is helping ensure that Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community continues to grow, connect, and thrive.
And if you’re looking to get involved? There’s probably an event happening this week.
Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more queer news, advocacy, and stories from the Pittsburgh LGBTQ community!