Listen on Spotify
Welcome back, bestie. You came back for more queer chaos and tender joy? We love that for you. Let’s make your inbox the softest, queerest place on the internet again this week, because Mondays deserve glitter too.
You made it through last week. You survived group chats, awkward vibes, weird weather, maybe even the emotional hangover of the first full week of the year. That alone is a slay.
So here’s your little reminder: You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep showing up queer and gorgeous. You are the main character, even in sweatpants. The week ahead doesn’t know who it’s messing with. Let’s slay again.
SLAY OF THE WEEK: Allies for Health + Wellbeing
This week’s Slay of the Week goes to Allies for Health + Wellbeing, who today reopen their doors for in-person care in a brand new space at 211 Tower in East Liberty with more privacy, more room, and more love.
After years of serving Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community with affirming care, including HIV/STI testing, PrEP and PEP access, primary care, and support services, Allies is stepping into 2026 with a bold new upgrade:
- 25% more space
- Expanded pharmacy
- More patient rooms
- Confidential meeting spaces
- Reserved parking (we gasped)
Allies has always been about health equity, dignity, and community and this new space means they can serve even more people with the care they deserve.
SHARE YOUR JOY
Did something gay and glorious happen this week?
✨ You wore your first binder out in public
✨ You finally asked them out (and they said yes)
✨ You slayed at karaoke
✨ You felt cute at Giant Eagle
✨ You just felt seen
We wanna hear it! Send us your queer joy, big or small, and we might feature it in next week’s issue. Because your joy? That’s newsworthy too.
This week’s sponsor:
Queer Recommendation
Read This: Town & Country by Brian Schaefer
What happens when a small-town election collides with family secrets, class divides, gay drama, and real estate tension? You get this deeply felt, sharply written debut novel, part soap opera, part slow burn, all heart.
Set in the fictional upstate town of Griffin, Town & Country follows a messy congressional race between a working-class pub owner and a rich queer transplant. As their families (and exes, and frenemies, and gay second-home-owning besties) get pulled into the drama, what unfolds is a sensitive, funny, political, and wildly human portrait of what it means to build community and what happens when it starts to crack.
Put it in your tote bag and take yourself on a gay little coffee shop date.
THE QUEER AGENDA: Events This Week
Mon, Jan 12 @ P Town
High Ki
Drag. DJs. Shenanigans. This week features Olivia Dei Cicchi DAY CHEE KEE from the Wicked national tour, so don’t miss your shot to scream-sing “Defying Gravity” into your drink.
More info →
Tue, Jan 13 @ Stay Gold Books
Stay Gay Book Club
New year, new reads, same iconic queer book club. Bring your opinions, your underlines, and your best flannel.
More info →
Wed, Jan 14 @ 6:30 PM – Belvedere’s
412 Step LGBTQ+ Line Dancing
Boots. Scootin’. Boogie. And queers. No experience needed, just vibes.
More info →
More events this week →
OKAY SLAYERS, THAT’S THE VIBE CHECK
You made it through another week. And you looked hot doing it.
Whether you solved a boundary issue, kissed your crush, deep-cleaned your trauma corner, or simply kept going, we see you. Slay Weekly is here to remind you that joy is not optional. It’s fuel.
So let this newsletter be your little Monday ritual: Breathe in. Breathe out. Unclench. Reapply lip balm. Forward this to your work crush
Here’s what we need from you:
- Submit your queer joy, we wanna hear it
- Tell your group chat about us
- Tag @QBurgh on Instagram with the meme that slayed your week
We’ll be back next Monday with more affirmations, more glitter, and more good gay news. Go hydrate. Go outside. Go be a little weird and wonderful. Talk soon
