Gay Life Pittsburgh #21 December 1978

Summary

This issue of Gay Life, published in December 1978, includes a variety of content relevant to the gay community in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.Community Updates & News:

Political Victories: The issue celebrates recent victories against anti-gay initiatives in California (Proposition 6) and Seattle (Initiative 13), highlighting a shift in the gay rights movement towards “coming out” and grassroots organizing [12].
Persad Community Center: There’s a strong emphasis on fundraising and community involvement for the planned Persad Community Center. The center aims to open in the spring, and a benefit celebration is scheduled for December 13 at the House of Tilden [18, 19, 25].
Gay Academic Union: Midge Costanza, former Assistant for Public Liaison for President Carter, is announced as the recipient of the first Humanitarian Award from the Gay Academic Union [21].
National Coalition of Black Gays: Billy Jones is organizing a National Coalition of Black Gays, with a conference planned for September 1979 in Washington D.C. [21, 22].
Parents and Friends of Gays: This organization has published a free booklet titled “About Our Children,” which provides information about lesbians and gay men [21].
White House Meeting: Presidential assistant Sarah Weddington pledged to continue work on gay issues, including arranging meetings between gay leaders and federal agencies [9].

Events & Entertainment (December 1978):

New Year’s Eve Parties: Numerous establishments are hosting New Year’s Eve parties, including the Holiday Bar, David’s, House of Tilden, Loose Balloon, Norreh Social Club, Tender Trap/Trapease, Venture Inn, Paradise Cove, Home Circle Club, and 2001’s Cherchez La Femme Cabaret [3, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23, 27].
Christmas Parties: Several venues are holding Christmas parties, such as the Venture Inn (with Santa Claus), Richard’s Niteclub (Chris Coleman Revue), Norreh (Gorman Lowe Revue), Paradise Cove (Kevin Blake Bossolono and Dawn Montgomery), Home Circle Club, and 2001’s Cherchez La Femme Cabaret [3, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20].
Live Shows/Performances:
- “Musique” appears live at 2001’s Cherchez La Femme Cabaret on December 9 [3, 13].
- David’s of Steubenville presents its Queen’s Birthday Show on December 10 [3, 22].
- Gorman Lowe presents “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at the Home Circle Club on December 15, 16, and 17 [3, 15].
Mardi Gras Cruise: Dignity is sponsoring a Mardi Gras Cruise on the Gateway Clipper for February 24, with prizes for costumes, door prizes, and a raffle [9].
The Follies: This all-male burlesque features a revue with three to five dancers daily, along with film screenings, beer and hot dog nights, and special newspaper coupons for admission [12, 24, 32]. Porn star Jack Wrangler made a personal appearance there in November [24].
Theatre Express: The play “The Elephant Man” by William Turner is running from December 14 through January 7 at Theatre Express in Oakland [19].

Businesses & Services:

Dining:
- The Crossover Lounge is reopening after a fire, located across the 9th St. Bridge [2, 3].
- Loose Balloon offers dinner by reservation, described as a unique meld of “driving rhythms and flaming cuisine” [9, 10, 12, 24].
- High Society Snacks, a new gay-owned gourmet store, has opened at 3402 Fifth Ave. in Oakland [8, 21, 22].
Jewelry: W. J. Clapper Co., Inc. in the Oliver Building offers a selection of diamonds, watches, and other jewelry, providing special prices to their private trade [7, 25].
Legal Services: Berlin, Boas, Isaacson, Logan, and Sharon offer general practice of law, including experience in gay rights, from the Law and Finance Bldg. [19].
Bars & Clubs: A comprehensive listing of gay bars and clubs is provided for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, including details on offerings, hours, and clientele [31]. Notable mentions include the Holiday Bar (newly refurnished), Arena Baths, Club Baths, and Schume’s Liberty Baths [3, 23, 25, 28, 31].
Organizations: Dignity/Pittsburgh (gay Catholic organization), Gay Alcoholics Anonymous, Metropolitan Community Church/Pittsburgh, Persad Center, Inc., and Rapid Action for Gay Equality are listed with contact information [29, 31].

Featured Columns & Personalities:

“What did you think of the year 1978? What do you want for Christmas? What is your New Year’s Resolution for 1979?”: Various members of the gay community share their answers to these questions, offering humorous and heartfelt responses [1, 6, 8].
Dining-Out Feature: David Ayn, also known as “Mother Russia,” provides his first installment of dining reviews, focusing on the Loose Balloon [9, 12].
“Bits and pieces…” and ” ‘Twas within earshot…”: These sections contain community gossip, observations, and announcements [9, 24, 25].
Publishers’ Note: Jim Austin and Brian Michaels, the publishers, state their intention to maintain current subscription and advertising prices despite rising costs [30].