“We’re filling a niche that there’s demand for and yet there’s no place in Pittsburgh without us creating one.” That’s the ethos behind Pink Pistols Pittsburgh, a new chapter in a national network of LGBTQIA+ gun owners focused on legal, ...

John Waters doesn’t just embrace contradiction — he lives in it. A filmmaker, writer, visual artist and cultural icon, Waters has spent over half a century gleefully blurring the lines between art and filth, good taste and bad, high camp ...

Decades before COVID-19 lockdowns inspired churches to move online, members of Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco delivered cassette recordings of Sunday services to homebound parishioners living with HIV. Now, those recordings have been resurrected. The new podcast When We ...

On October 7, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Chiles v. Salazar, the case filed by Kaley Chiles. Chiles argues that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapies by licensed medical and mental health professionals is unconstitutional ...

The City of Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission has issued a scathing rebuke of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s recent decision to slash funding for HIV care and prevention programs. In a statement released October 22, the Commission condemned the cuts as “a ...

But that doesn’t sit well with, you know, fascists. Fascism works best when people don’t oppose it, especially the people who are not yet directly hurt by fascist policies.  For example, if you aren’t transgender, don’t know anyone who is ...

On the day of Joey Young’s QBurgh photoshoot at Opya Studios in the South Side, Brian David was, literally and figuratively, serving looks, wheeling in a rack of long, black, zipped-up garment bags, filled with elegant dresses in various shades ...

When Chinese medical student Li Shiu Tong met Magnus Hirschfeld in Shanghai during Hirschfeld’s 1931 world tour, their relationship — in which Li accompanied and cared for the famed sexologist across continents and the final years of his life — ...

This November, Pennsylvanians find themselves in yet another historic, unprecedented election. Pennsylvania is just one of seven states to elect every single one of its judges from the magisterial district judges at the local city courthouse all the way up ...

The “Pittsburgh Walk of Fame” was officially unveiled today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Strip District Terminal building, marking the installation of its first ten bronze stars along Smallman Street. The event drew a sizable crowd and featured appearances ...

Russell Tovey has always possessed a low-key magnetism in his work — one that goes beyond his appearance — whether starring in the queer HBO series “Looking” or the dystopian drama “Years and Years.” But in “Plainclothes,” his performance as ...

Joe King started his career as a game show host. When he was 17, King hosted Kennywood Park’s “It’s You Review,” a show that featured volunteers from the audience learning tricks backstage before performing. It was part “Wheel of Fortune,” ...

advertisement For Allies for Health + Wellbeing, 2026 will mark a new year and a new location for the HIV service organization, medical clinic and pharmacy. In December, Allies will be moving from its current location on Penn Avenue in ...

Pittsburgh hosted its inaugural OUTfest on October 11, 2025, National Coming Out Day, at Hazelwood Green. Spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office, the celebration was to spotlight queer joy, resilience, and culture with performances, a Vogue and Runway competition, a gender-affirming ...

The Steel City Softball League held its Annual Amateur Drag Pageant last Saturday, October 11, at the brand-new Distillery Complex on the Southside. There was a great turnout from the League and its supporters. Contestants included Juanita Epilepsia (Growlers), Bernadette ...

After growing up in front of the camera, as a child on “Dirty Sexy Money” and then on to more TV work and films like “The Babysitter,” queer actor Bella Thorne has turned her attention to the other side of ...

O’Noir: The Experience returned Friday with a stunning fusion of fashion, food, and unapologetic creativity. Hosted by the O’Noir Foundation and emceed by the dazzling Alora Chateaux, the evening unfolded as a five-course sensory journey where each dish, dyed in ...

It’s election season, and Pride still matters! In this episode of the QBurgh podcast, host Jeff Freedman is joined by Ian Price, President of the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, to break down the critical races shaping Allegheny County and beyond. ...

On Saturday at 5801 Video Lounge’s annual Nightmare on Hellsworth event, the iconic Lawrence Chaney rose from the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK drag crypt and landed in Pittsburgh with a killer combo of camp, comedy, and charisma, stealing hearts and ...

No one is hornier for fascism than JD Vance. Kink shaming is wrong, but the vast majority of the people Vance is subjecting to his kink have absolutely not consented. So I can shame him all I want.  I’ve never ...

On Thursday, October 9, the evening lit up with laughter, love, and legacy as the Shepherd Wellness Community hosted its annual Red Ribbon Benefit, a vibrant evening dedicated to supporting individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The evening’s main event was a ...

Although no law can truly prevent unfair treatment, nondiscrimination laws act as a deterrent and offer a path to accountability when problems arise. But many state statutes do not explicitly protect LGBTQ+ people — and without federal nondiscrimination laws pertaining ...

Originally published by our partners at The19th on October 6, 2025. Five years ago, the United Nations concluded that conversion therapy could amount to torture and recommended it be banned. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard a case that could greenlight it ...

Five years ago, we weren’t just facing a global pandemic, we were reckoning with isolation, fear, and a silencing of queer voices. We still are. That’s why QBurgh was born. Out of necessity, out of love, and out of a ...

In June of 1985, gay men inspired by a San Francisco gay choir wanted to bring the same idea to Pittsburgh. Later that winter, the group became known as Renaissance City Choir and performed their first holiday concert. 40 years ...

“People think of big cities when they think about the LGBTQ community because it’s just more visible there,” said Barry Loveland, co-founder of the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project, explaining that it’s often easier to find and document ...

Happy Birthday, QBurgh! Five years ago, a simple idea was born from a profound need: to create a space where our community could find strength and connection. It was the height of the pandemic, a time when we were at ...

As fans sit down with the seventh series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, it is worth asking what the competition format really offers drag. Since first airing in the US in 2009, Drag Race has grown into a global brand. ...

Maria Pulzetti said many folks will tell her that their first exposure to LGBTQ+ activism was in middle school or high school, through the national youth movement known as Day of Silence. However, these same folks do not realize a ...

Welcome to the most haunted (and heartburn-inducing) queer event of the season, the QBurgh & 5801 Halloween Special! Hosted by the legendary Dixie Sherwood, this Halloween spook-tacular brings you sizzling headlines, haunted dating profiles, a cursed chili recipe, and the ...

In the book Danse Macabre, the bestselling horror author of all time, Stephen King said, “I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find I cannot terrify, I will ...

There are a few, select names that as soon as you hear them, it screams horror; whether it’s Michael, Freddy, Chucky, you are bound for a delightful fright.  But for fans of cult horror, the name Romero is a family ...

For over 15 years, Steel City Fetish Con and Pittsburgh Leather Pride have served as a fierce celebration of fetish, identity, and community. This year’s convention, held this past weekend at Spirit in Lawrenceville and across several venues in the ...

What’s a Jonty, you ask? Good question, one that has no immediate answer beyond it being the title of a new film from director Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”). We also know that A24 is behind it, and that there’s a script ...

For the past six issues, I’ve used this space to rally us. To remind you that our LGBTQ community has been under attack, that we’ve had to stand tall, dig in, and fight. And we have. And we will. But ...

Whether she’s slithering around in a shiny red latex body suit in her sexy single, “Scorpio,” or tossing love letters into a bonfire in “Love Letter,” or crying behind her keyboard at the Hard Rock Café in “Breakthrough,” or singing ...

Two of Western Pennsylvania’s most trusted HIV/AIDS service organizations, Allies for Health + Wellbeing and Shepherd Wellness Community, are grappling with abrupt and deeply damaging funding cuts from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. These cuts include a 25% reduction to ...

In this episode of Pride Matters, Jeff welcomes TJ Murphy, Executive Director of Reel Q to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Pittsburgh’s iconic LGBTQ+ film festival, Reel Q. Explore how ReelQ has evolved into the 6th oldest queer film festival ...

QBurgh is turning five, and we’re throwing a full-on queer celebration in print! The Fall/Winter 2025 issue drops tomorrow just in time for LGBTQ+ History Month, spotlighting Pittsburgh’s fiercest changemakers, artists, and community orgs, while reflecting on five years of ...

Big Freedia’s voice has always been a force — loud, joyful, defiant — but on her new album, “Pressing Onward,” it becomes something even more powerful: a vessel for healing. The Queen of Bounce returns to her gospel origins on ...

The party doesn’t have to stop when the last Pride float rolls away in late summer. From Florida’s winter paradise to New York’s frozen lakes, queer communities are claiming new territory on the calendar, creating Winter Pride celebrations that feel ...

Just as the leaves are starting to fall here in Pittsburgh, readers can swear they can also hear the sound of jingle bells and caroling. Local authors and couple Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick are back to remind us that ...

Welcome to The Quickie, Central Outreach Wellness Center’s monthly rundown of blogs, events, and health tips, served with sass and zero shame. It’s short, sexy, and gets right to the good stuff, and it’s delivered in part by QBurgh. At Central Outreach Wellness ...

As of this writing, Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air. Thank the holy Jesus. America’s constitutional crisis is finally over. Oh say can you see. Let freedom ring. Hallelujah. Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koo-sa. Magnifico (oh oh oh oh). Sorry, I ...

The Steel City Softball League’s (SCSL) Little Pigs proudly represented Pittsburgh at the International Pride Gay Softball World Series, held last week in Houston, Texas. Competing in a field of 57 teams, the Little Pigs placed an impressive 13th in ...

Israeli-born Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie seeks love, peace, and joy, and, in doing so, breaks with the cultural and religious strictures of Orthodox Judaism as he champions LGBTQ+ rights in a conservative society in Sandi Simcha DuBowski’s documentary, “Sabbath Queen.” The ...

advertisement With the recent closure of Rite Aid pharmacies, many people are looking for alternatives to get their prescriptions filled. For patients at Allies for Health + Wellbeing, Allies Pharmacy offers convenience, cost savings and cultural competency. Since Allies Pharmacy ...

Imagine a protest outside the funeral of a popular political leader, with some of the protesters celebrating the death and holding signs that say things like “God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed” and “Don’t Pray for ...

The preservation of history is one of the ways that society learns, develops, and grows. It’s how we know the history of our land, where our ancestors come from, and even acts as a warning regarding dark times. What we ...

The Women’s Law Project and law firm Berger Montague filed a formal complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) on Tuesday against UPMC Children’s Hospital, alleging that the hospital unlawfully denied gender-affirming care to transgender patients under the age ...