For Pastor Louis Martinage, finding Metropolitan Community Church Pittsburgh in the early 1990s was life-changing. At the time, being openly gay and openly Christian felt impossible to reconcile. “The gay people in my life hated the church,” he recalls. “The ...

Step, step, tap, back step. Shimmy in a circle, left hand waving over your head, shake your tail feathers, repeat to the beat. Once there was a time when you could do any dance in your sleep, but it’s been ...

Updated May 13, 2026, at 10:42 AM. Update: A group of seven Allegheny County Council members publicly announced Wednesday that they will support removing Pat Catena as council president at the May 26 meeting. In a joint statement, council members ...

Political fallout surrounding Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena continued escalating Monday after TransYOUniting publicly rejected a $500 donation sent by Catena following widespread condemnation of his anti-trans campaign mailer targeting Democratic primary opponent Brittany Bloam. In a statement released ...

The Steel City Softball League (SCSL) officially kicked off its landmark 45th season Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Dan Isaacs Field in West Mifflin. While the league planned to utilize two fields for opening day, Mother Nature had other ...

If you are a Democrat who participates in the scapegoating and dehumanizing of transgender people, you are a disgrace, you should be ashamed of yourself, you should take all of the seats and shut all of the fucks up.  Leave ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts Okay. Be honest. How many queer events have you already said “yes” to between now and June? Because suddenly there are three fundraisers, 12 drag shows, a sapphic picnic, somebody’s rooftop ...

What happens when a journalist trades breaking news for packed dance floors and late-night DJ sets? In the latest episode of the QBurgh Podcast, host Jeff Freedman sits down with Royce Jones, known throughout Pittsburgh nightlife as DJ ROJO, for ...

Political fallout continues to grow around Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena after a campaign mailer widely condemned as anti-trans sparked outrage from LGBTQ leaders, elected officials, Democratic organizations, and local residents. In the past 48 hours, community members have ...

At a special collaboration dance night between Pittsburgh’s 412Step and Toronto’s Spurs, QBurgh correspondent Kay Winder stepped onto the dance floor to learn why queer line dancing is having such a major moment. What many people once associated with middle ...

Updated on May 7, 2026, at 5:17 pm to include statements from the Steel City Stonewall Democrats and the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. Allegheny County Council President Pat Catena is apparently so desperate to cling to political relevance that he’s ...

This year, a fantastic foursome of community leaders will serve as grand marshals for the Pittsburgh Pride March & Parade. The lineup includes Sarah Rosso, Maria Montaño, Reverend Deryck Tines, and Dr. Ken Ho. On Sunday, June 7, at noon, ...

This story was originally reported by Kate Sosin of The 19th. The Trump administration’s push to exclude transgender Americans is moving to the nation’s homeless shelters. On April 28, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) introduced a proposed rule that requires federally ...

The Pine-Richland School Board has approved major revisions to its controversial library policy, scaling back rules that critics said opened the door to politically motivated book challenges and disproportionately targeted LGBTQ+ stories and books by authors of color. In a ...

Pittsburgh Pride is officially gearing up for a massive 2026 celebration with the announcement of its first headlining musical acts and a growing lineup of events planned across Pride weekend. Pop provocateur Chrissy Chlapecka, genre-defying artist Cain Culto, and powerhouse ...

Fuck Ron DeSantis.  I mean, not literally. But yeah, fuck that guy. While signing anti-DEI legislation that would let “individuals sue local governments that implement DEI programs,” Florida Gov. DeSantis said, “I would think with DEI ⁠the disfavored groups, number ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts May the Fourth be with you You can feel it, right? The shift. It’s not Pride Month yet… but queer Pittsburgh is absolutely waking up. The organizers are organizing. The performers ...

Book Fest is back. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh celebrates the city’s rich literary community and love of reading in an annual event at the main branch. Poets, authors, book enthusiasts, and more gather at Book Fest to pay tribute ...

For nearly three decades, Jessica Kirson has built a stand-up career the long way: performing night after night, city after city, trusting that if she stayed honest, vulnerable — maybe even just a bit raw — and kept getting better, ...

From drag brunches and sapphic poetry readings to trans-centered skill shares, queer game nights, dance parties, mutual aid fundraisers, and Pride celebrations already popping off before June even begins, there’s something happening in May for every flavor of LGBTQ+ life ...

The Pittsburgh Public School board voted Wednesday to approve a policy requiring educators to notify parents in advance when classroom instruction could conflict with “sincerely held religious and/or moral beliefs,” a move critics say could pressure teachers to self-censor discussions ...

The Pennsylvania House voted Tuesday to advance legislation that would finally place explicit LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections into state law, marking another major chapter in a fight that queer Pennsylvanians and their allies have carried for decades. House Bill 2103, often ...

On Sunday, April 26, multiple generations of Pittsburgh’s lesbian community gathered at the Soft Spot, the newly opened sapphic café, to celebrate Lesbian Day of Visibility. Throughout the day, music from local DJs flowed out from the open door as ...

Across the country, Pride celebrations have increasingly expanded beyond major cities into suburbs, neighborhoods, and small towns. In the Pittsburgh region, suburbs including Dormont, Mt. Lebanon, and Millvale, along with Pittsburgh neighborhoods like Lawrenceville, have launched their own local Pride ...

“It’s a great day for transphobes to eat shit.”  That’s the first thing I saw when I opened Bluesky today. It was posted by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats.  Darnielle was responding to an article by Erin Reed about a ...

The vibe around town was a bit of a “COVID-era ghost town” for anyone not wearing a sports jersey or not within the NFL Draft event footprint at the Point or the North Shore Thursday through Sunday. It was disappointing ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts The Draft Is Over… Now What? Well. We survived. The NFL Draft came. It saw. It absolutely took over Downtown and the North Shore. Downtown was packed. The traffic was… not ...

Even as Republican state senators passed a second attempt to restrict transgender female athlete participation in Pennsylvania schools, leadership acknowledged that it was unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled state House.  “Due to Democrat’s political tricks and parliamentary games in the House, ...

This story was originally reported by Nadra Nittle of The 19th. Sarah DeMaria still remembers how close she came to resigning from her role as a school librarian. It was the summer of 2023, and after a year of vicious personal attacks, ...

A U.S. appeals court ruling last month that upheld West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for adult gender-affirming surgeries could embolden other states seeking to impose similar restrictions. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in March overturned a lower ...

On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Pittsburgh Leather Pride, LLC and the Barons of Steel presented a $1,438.93 donation to Proud Haven, supporting the organization’s work with LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness in the Pittsburgh region. The funds were raised through an ...

Updated on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 11:46 AM. Life is a Cattybaret, old chum! Hosts Catty Wampus and Brayden Butter are serving looks and food at the Cattybaret, a monthly catered cabaret event at the Blue Moon in Lawrenceville. ...

Touching down in Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft? Between the jerseys, the chaos, and the riverfront crowds, there’s a whole other scene waiting for you. Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ bars offer everything from sweaty dance floors to cozy, chosen-family vibes. Consider this ...

I have a song stuck in my head. You know, by Mötley Crüe, big hit in 1989. At the end of the video a rich criminal’s life literally goes up in flames. “He’s the one they call Dr. Jesus, he’s ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify The City Is About to Be… A Lot Okay Pittsburgh. This is your official warning. The NFL Draft is coming. Hundreds of thousands of people. Downtown chaos. Traffic that will test your patience, your GPS, and ...

Late Friday afternoon, when most people were logging off for the weekend, Pennsylvania Senate Republicans quietly introduced Senate Bill 1293. There was no accompanying memo, no new policy argument, and no real warning. What they introduced instead was something much ...

Allies for Health + Wellbeing hosted its annual Bright Young People Dance Party at Velum Fermentation in the South Side on Friday night. With DJs Himboza, Formosa, and HUNY XO spinning, the space filled with movement, connection, and intention, honoring ...

In the summer of 1979, 16-year-old French Canadian singer France Joli stepped onto a stage on Fire Island as a last-minute replacement for Donna Summer. She had no idea what she was walking into. The crowd was filled with thousands ...

Esai Aliquo and her grandfather, Pittsburgh Jazz Legend Don Aliquo, Sr., are making music together on a new EP, “Inherited Groove.” On Friday, May 8, the EP will have a Release Party at 753 E. Warrington Avenue, in Pittsburgh. The ...

At 23, Zaya Perysian has brand deals, 5 million TikTok followers and an active lawsuit against the president of the United States. She is suing the Trump administration over her passport’s gender marker — a fight that grew out of ...

An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal or religious beliefs. While these conscientious objection laws have long existed for issues ...

Recently, Wanda Sykes guested on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and suggested to the beloved host that since his time at CBS would be ending soon, his final episode should involve him “burn(ing) it down.” And if the polite ...

Editor’s note: D’Anne’s article was written before Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Christ. That’s the fast times we live in… Did everyone have a happy Easter? Pretty important day for people who like hard-boiled and/or chocolate eggs. ...

This story was originally reported by Kate Sosin of The 19th. Had the consequences not been ruinous for the men entrapped, the story would read like a comedy.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt — before he served as 32nd president of the United States ...

At New Amsterdam in Lawrenceville on Sunday, things got scorching. Hosted by Evon Dior Michelle, Hot Ones: Queer Edition served up a fiery afternoon of wings, laughs, and unfiltered reactions as contestants Bri Griffith, Zelda Kollins, DJ ROJO, and Cristina ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify We touched spring (and she touched us back) Okay, Pittsburgh… that was real! This weekend? Spring showed up. The sun was out. The air was warm. The streets were full of gays blinking in daylight like ...

So just make up your mind already. The decision is very much in your control – or, at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. It’ll be your future, your path, and seizing it may not just be necessary, but mandatory. It’s your life, and no one can ...

Pride month is nearly upon us. As we get ready for the parades, performances, and joyful socialization that millions of people will engage in during June, I think it is worth writing this piece to remind people of one of ...

In Jonathan Adler’s world, there’s a giant Lucite mushroom glowing somewhere in the corner — a symbol, perhaps, of what he calls his current state: “I’m living in a trippy glam-rock fantasy.” It’s a fitting, though perhaps unlikely image, for ...

Allies for Health + Wellbeing has announced its 2026 class of Bright Young People, recognizing 12 individuals who are making significant contributions to Pittsburgh through their work in the arts, healthcare, advocacy, education, and community engagement. Since launching the initiative ...