For the queer ladies of Pittsburgh looking for a space to dance, party, and connect with other queer ladies, look no further. SZR club night takes place every second Saturday from 9 pm to 2 am at The Underground, which is the club inside of Brewer’s Bar.
SZR is a sapphic club night and the first actual consistent Saturday night party thrown by and for lesbians and queer women in the city. “Steel Carabiner at Blue Moon, Crush Hour, and the now defunct Femmes & Thems Night at P-Town predate SZR and deserve a shout-out. But I, and many other queer girlies in the city really wanted an actual dance party and we wanted it over a weekend,” said Huny Young, founder of SZR.
Huny says the LGBTQ+ venues in Pittsburgh don’t really focus on lesbians. “They’ll let us gather there and even give us a night during the week, but they save Friday and Saturday night for the gay boys. I think they assumed we weren’t into going out as much as the men are, but the truth is we just want events that are specifically marketed towards and created for US. Queer people have always found community and connected with each other on the dancefloor, and that includes lesbians.”
The first SZR was in January of this year and Huny says it was a huge success. It’s continued to grow very quickly and has garnered a lot of attention and support, so much so that they also added a daytime version in April.
As for the SZR experience, Huny says it’s wild and sexy. “There are go-go dancers and shot girls. I want it to feel like a dykey Studio 54. SZR day party is every fourth Saturday, 3-8 pm at 5801 and that’s classic day party vibes. I love the night, but there’s nothing like dancing under the sun all day, getting that serotonin boost, and having the option to go on a date later or even go home. The crowd is mostly queer, cis, and trans women and non-binary sapphic femmes, but we also love to see the trans men pull up. Many of them began their queer journey identifying as lesbians, so they are our family. And of course, some gay boys pull up, too. Anyone is welcome at SZR as long as those who are not sapphic don’t take up too much space. It’s also important to note that we are a Black queer femme collective and Black queer and trans women and femmes are centered.”
Huny also wants to disprove the notion that lesbians can’t or won’t fill up a venue on a Saturday night. “SZR has proven we can.”
Huny Young is a DJ, event producer, and award-winning photographer. Bred in New York, NY and currently residing in Pittsburgh, Huny’s work in music and the visual arts is rooted in exalting Black women and the LGBTQ+ community. As the founder of Mostbeautifullest, dubbed “the collective altering Pittsburgh’s nightlife scene for the better,” a co-founder and the Experience Lead of the Queer Fam Fund, as well as consulting on diversity outreach and curating lineups for both national and international festivals and events, her mission to expand visibility and access in nightlife is a through-line in everything she touches. Mostbeautifullest (aka The MoB) is a Black queer femme-led party collective based in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s giving kikis, club culture and cuntiness; QTBIPOC to the front.
Amongst many treasured accolades, Huny was named Person of the Year in Music 2021 by Pittsburgh City Paper; is a 2-time recipient of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant (2016, 2020); a 2020 “Best in Pittsburgh” honoree for co-founding the Pittsburgh Artists Emergency Fund; and was most recently named a 2024 Black LGBTQ+ Change-Maker in the Arts by GLAAD. Her portraiture and installation work has been exhibited in The Mattress Factory Museum, The August Wilson African-American Cultural Center, Space Gallery, McDonough Museum of Art, at Prizm Art Fair (Art Basel Miami), and more.
Huny has done interviews and podcasts and even DJed in Mexico since SZR began and says SZR is what everyone wants to talk about. “People in LA and Philly have also DMed me to ask for SZR to come to their city, too. I think that speaks to the marketing of it, the joy that’s apparent, and the need for more lesbian-specific events even beyond Pittsburgh. It’s a really dope look for this city in general, too. I love it when Pittsburgh nightlife gets attention elsewhere; it’s always been a focus of mine even as a booker/curator. We get overlooked and slept on far too much considering the innovation and talent that is present here and I say that as someone who got my start in DC and NYC nightlife.”
Thank you for your service, Huny!
Mostbeautifullest Pride month events:
- June 1 – Cherry Bomb Day Party: Pride Edition, 4-10pm at Trace Brewing
- June 1 – Real Hot Girl Sh*t: Pride Edition, 10pm-2am at Cobra
- June 7 – SZR, 9pm-2am at The Underground
- June 8 – Mostbeautifullest @ Hot Mass 11pm – late
- June 29 – SZR Day Party at 5801, 3-8pm
