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Gay Life Pittsburgh #22 January 1979

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Summary

This issue of “Gay Life” from January 1979 [1] includes a variety of content:Key News & Features:

San Francisco Shootings: An in-depth report on the assassinations of openly gay City Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone on November 27, 1978, by disgruntled City Supervisor Dan White. The article highlights Milk’s legacy, his call for gay people to “come out,” and the community’s response to the tragedy [1, pages 9, 11-12].
Gay Rights & Politics: Discussion of the Democratic Party’s stance on gay rights, with a motion to include gays in their human rights resolution defeated 11-9. It also mentions Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Richard Thornburgh’s promise to continue the Pennsylvania Council for Sexual Minorities [1, page 25-26].
“Football is a Homosexual Ceremony”: A controversial analysis by Professor Alan Dundes, an anthropologist from the University of California, Berkeley, who asserts that football has “unequivocal sexual symbolism” and homoerotic overtones [1, page 15, 18].
Pittsburgh White Pages: The new Pittsburgh White Pages for 1979 features an “enlightened” introduction, including a special heading for “Gay Services” that lists Persad Center and Tel-Med service tape on “Homosexuality” [1, page 12].
Eli Siegel: The founder of Aesthetic Realism, a philosophy that claimed to convert gays to heterosexuality, died. His students attributed his death to a “broken heart” [1, page 25].

Local Pittsburgh & “Gay Life Country” (PA, OH, WV) Information:

Businesses & Venues: Advertisements and listings for numerous gay-friendly bars, clubs, baths, and other establishments, including Crossover Lounge (reopening Dec 22), Mother Russia, The Follies, Loose Balloon, Home Circle Club, Venture Inn, Paradise Cove, El Greco, Holiday Bar, Norreh Social Club, Tender Trap/Trapease, 2001 Discotheque, Arena Baths, Club Baths, and Schume’s Liberty Baths [1, pages 2-3, 5, 7-8, 10, 12-14, 16-18, 20-22, 24, 26-27, 30-32].
Events & Parties: Details on New Year’s Eve celebrations at various venues, Russian Christmas and New Year’s Eve at Mother Russia, the first annual Miss Paradise Cove Pageant, and other regular weekly events at bars and clubs [1, pages 2-3, 5, 7-8, 10, 12-13, 15-18, 20-21, 30-32].
Organizations & Services: Information on Metropolitan Community Church/Pittsburgh, Dignity/Pittsburgh (for gay Catholics), Persad Center (counseling and education), Rapid Action for Gay Equality, Gay Alcoholics Anonymous, and Gay Lifeline in Morgantown, WV [1, pages 3, 25-26, 29, 31].
Gay Life Magazine: Information on subscriptions, classified ads, and contact details for the publishers Jim Austin and Brian Michaels [1, page 11, 29, 31].

Trivia & Entertainment:

First Annual Trivia Issue: This issue features a “Who Am I?” section matching local personalities to descriptions, a “Gays and History” quiz, and a “Find-a-Word” puzzle. Answers are provided on page 28 [1, pages 6, 19, 28].
Movie & Song Trivia: Additional trivia sections on “King Size Movies” and “Songs of Judy Garland,” where readers match films to stars and songs, respectively [1, page 19].
Amtrak Special: An offer for a $44 round-trip train ticket from Pittsburgh to New York City on the Broadway Limited [1, page 19].

The issue also includes classified ads (“Bazaar”), an editorial reflecting on the progress made in Pittsburgh’s gay community in 1978, and a “Bits and Pieces” gossip column [1, pages 9, 15, 18, 23-25, 27, 29].

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