Thursday, the City of Pittsburgh held an LBTQIA+ Town Hall at True T Studios in Uptown. Mayor Ed Gainey opened the event and introduced Adrianna Branin, the City’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Manager. The Town Hall was an opportunity for Branin and City of Pittsburgh residents to meet the new LGBTQIA+ Commissioners. Over 70 were in attendance.
Mayor Gainey said, “Regardless of what is going on in D.C., the City of Pittsburgh is committed to protecting its LGBTQIA+ community.” While the mayor’s message was about hope and unity, he briefly mentioned the recent uproar about Mario’s South Side Saloon, where the manager of the bar, Scott Siverts, runs an Alt-Right podcast. On the pod, Siverts allegedly calls Martin Luther King, Jr. a degenerate, mocks victims of the Holocaust, and sells violent and incendiary merchandise. Aside from the incident at Mario’s, Gainey spoke mostly about collaboration, and how the Commission is a conduit into the community.
Photos by Michael Buzzelli.
Branin said, “The Gainey Administration is committed to ensuring that the LGBTQIA+ community is fully committed and represented in every aspect of City of Government operations and services. We want to foster an environment of equality, respect, and opportunity for all.”
She said, “The purpose of establishing community agreements is to create a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment where participants feel free and comfortable sharing their experiences and ideas, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued.”
Then, Branin introduced the LGBTQIA+ Commissioners:
- Julian McClain (co-chair)
- Cathryn Calhoun (co-chair)
- Alexander Gray (outreach coordinator)
- Donal Donovan
- Leonard Orbovich
- Richard Parsakian
- Barb Warwick
- Kevin Carroll
- Chauntey Porter
- Sarah Russo
- Reverend Deryck Tines
Not all the Commissioners were present at the Town Hall, but the members who attended the event, included Julain McClain, Alexander Gray, Donal Donovan, Leonard Orbovich, Richard Parsakian, Kevin Carroll, and Reverend Deryck Tines. Other speakers included Rachel Shepherd, Executive Director of the City of Pittsburgh’s Commission on Human Relations, and Commander Eric Baker, Ed.D., City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, who acts as a liaison for the LGBTQIA+ community.
McClain, Development Officer at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, program manager at True T Studios, and recent Bright Young People honoree of the Allies for Health + Wellbeing’s upcoming gala, hosted the event in the True T Studios space.
Photos by Michael Buzzelli.
The Commissioner’s message was of unity. Parsakian spoke about the strength of the arts and culture in Pittsburgh, and Orbovich, an educator at Carrick High School, spoke on the importance of protecting LGBTQIA+ kids in schools. Reverend Tines gave a compelling speech about unity. Tines said, “I want all of us to come together. I want all of us to be commissioners. If we all do the work, we will have a city where we are all safe, if we work together.”
Branin presented a slide deck about the work the City’s LGBTQIA+ Commission is doing. While speaking about quality affordable housing, she mentioned the Mosaic apartments and the $4 million in state funding that was allocated to the building for affordable LGBTQIA+ senior housing. Branin talked about Inclusionary Zoning, a rental registry, and supporting the county’s effort to identify five hundred transitional housing units to help people in shelters receive stable long-term housing and efforts to free up space in the shelters for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Branin elaborated on the Commission’s focus areas, which included designating all single-stall restrooms in City Facilities as Unisex restrooms. She talked about resources, internal policies, and the City of Pittsburgh statements, which can influence change.
Branin announced that there are two open seats on the Commission and the City is currently seeking applicants at www.engage.pittsburghpa.gov.
The City of Pittsburgh will release a video of the meeting on their YouTube channel soon. This article will be updated when available.
