Linda Perry has spent most of her career behind the curtain — and she’s built an empire there. She wrote “Beautiful” and handed it to Christina Aguilera. She has worked with Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Adele — one ...

Updated August 13, 2026 at 2:44 pm. As Wendy Pashman entered 420 Pressley St. in the Deutschtown Historic District, she was struck by the large, heavy double front doors and welcoming vestibule, the high ceilings throughout, and the woodwork underneath ...

The Trump administration is backing away from its attempt to obtain private medical records connected to young transgender patients who received gender-affirming care through UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to voluntarily dismiss its ...

When I was in elementary school, my twin sister and I played in a youth soccer league. We were the only girls on an otherwise all-boys team. Now, I don’t know how or why this happened. I do not know ...

Updated August 11, 2026 at 2:52 pm. An estimated 200 LGBTQ+ people and allies took to the Youghiogheny River Sunday for Pittsburgh’s 4th Annual Big Gay River Float, continuing the growth of the free community event while introducing new ways ...

The Steel City Softball League (SCSL), Pittsburgh’s queer softball league, recently concluded its 45th season with its playoffs held at Dan Isaac fields in West Mifflin.    This year, the league was divided into three divisions to ensure safety, fairness, ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify Sometimes joy arrives with fireworks, a packed dance floor, or hundreds of people marching down the street. And sometimes it’s much quieter. It’s sitting around a fire with people who understand you. It’s painting one tiny ...

Earlier this year, innovative media platform Hollywood Unlocked shared a video of its CEO, Jason Lee, grocery shopping with megastar Rihanna at the Bristol Farms in West Hollywood. The outing went viral with its joyful and heartfelt moments of the ...

This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler of The 19th.  The red van hands out food, water, clothes, first aid and free HIV tests. Locals recognize it across the Twin Cities: the van, nicknamed “Thrivey,” visits St. Paul on Mondays, drives ...

As students prepare to return to classrooms this month, a new Westmoreland County LGBTQ+ advocacy organization is inviting the community to show up in support of transgender and nonbinary youth. Queer Westmoreland will host its first “Every Student Matters Rally” ...

Updated on August 6, 2026 at 4:16 pm. Walking from the grassy parking lot to Ray of Sunshine Campground, I see wildflowers and monarch butterflies dancing on the sunny field. Then, up rises the scent of sweet grass and sassafras. ...

For Theo Kutsko (he/they), also known as the drag artist Theocracy, their introduction to theater and drag was the same: they watched a production of the rock musical Rent and later played Toby in a local production of Sweeney Todd. ...

Updated August 7, 2026 at 1:52 pm. Residents of Presbyterian SeniorCare Network’s Oakmont campus unveiled a new collaborative art installation, “Bridges and Belonging,” at Mosaic Apartments in Oakland on Monday afternoon. The large mosaic was created by approximately 60 older ...

When you’re a parent, there are a lot of potential nightmares. When they’re babies, you worry that they will suddenly stop breathing. When they’re school-age, you worry about school shootings. When they’re teenagers, you worry about car crashes.  Honestly, it ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify August always feels a little different. Summer isn’t over, but you can feel it beginning to shift. There are still long evenings ahead, neighborhood events to discover, and plenty of reasons to gather with friends. It’s ...

A promise made at enlistment — that the nation will care for those who serve — has become increasingly uncertain for the nation’s LGBTQ+ veterans. On Saturday, members of Common Defense, a veteran-led movement dedicated to upholding their oath long after ...

Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads: They’ve all been on big screens in the past few years, to enthusiastic audience response. And here comes George Michael, with “Faith,” in IMAX. The legendary, late, gay pop icon is ...

There’s a new queer, alcohol-free late-night hangout space in the South Hills! On July 18, Nightshade Lounge officially opened its doors to the public. Nightshade Lounge is a non-profit community center located at 3019 West Liberty Avenue in Dormont, with ...

This story was originally reported by Brooke Migdon of The 19th. Transgender actress and social media star Dylan Mulvaney found herself back in the spotlight over the weekend, after President Donald Trump mentioned her several times during Friday night’s rescheduled White House ...

Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community is mourning the loss of Geraldine “Geri” Lupin, one of the original founders and owners of Blue Moon Bar, who died on Tuesday, July 26, 2026. She was a beloved community member whose generosity, humor, and unwavering ...

Updated on July 29, 2026 at 1:47 PM. For this Faces & Places, we aren’t centering on one event, but rather a beautiful Sunday spent with Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community. The afternoon started at 5801 Video Lounge, where friends gathered on ...

For 31 years, Pittsburgh Black Pride has created space for Black LGBTQ+ people to gather, celebrate, organize, and simply be themselves. It has become a living legacy of resilience, belonging, and community. Kalliyan asked attendees and organizers what Pittsburgh Black ...

I have always voted for Democrats. This means that for much of my voting life, I’ve been voting for people who did not support my right to marry or adopt a child or to be protected from discrimination.  Granted, I ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify Some Mondays feel a little heavier than others. This week, our hearts are with LGBTQ+ people everywhere who are carrying grief, uncertainty, or fear. Moments like these remind us that while we’ve made incredible progress, the ...

As LGBTQ+ organizations continue to face threats and acts of intimidation across the country, Pennsylvania is opening another round of funding to help nonprofits improve the safety and security of their spaces. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) ...

If you hit a house listing in Pittsburgh, it will display at some point the protections for LGBT buyers, but facts show that there are still gaps to bridge between the legal framework and reality on the ground. That’s what ...

I’ve talked to Tori Amos enough times now that I no longer blink when the conversation drifts to witches, demons, fairies or the slow-motion collapse of democracy — often within the same sentence. Her 18th album, “In Times of Dragons,” ...

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 1:19 p.m. Trace Brewing has suspended its drag brunches and bingos for the foreseeable future due to noise complaints that have prompted a response from state police. The brewery, which has consistently held many ...

Pride-themed sporting events have become commonplace in North American men’s professional sports leagues. These events were introduced with a simple message: LGBTQ+ fans belong in sports. Opposition to them is nothing new — pushback against Pride Nights stretches back at ...

“Danger” just happens to be your middle name. Any fray, any tussle, anytime anybody needs help, they count on you to step in and save the day. You’re brave, smart and strategic, kind to old people, children and small animals ...

The New Castle Prism Initiative celebrated its milestone one-year anniversary with a block party and vendor fair at the Third Independent Presbyterian Church in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. Running from noon to 5 p.m., the family-friendly event brought the ...

To what do we owe our unclaimed dead?  Over the past few days I’ve been sitting and thinking about how we honor our queer elders and ancestors who did not live life out in the open. This has obviously been ...

This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler of The 19th. During Pride month last year, almost 70,000 LGBTQ+ young people sought specialized help from 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline.  That was the last time they were able to do ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify Finding Your Place There’s something comforting about realizing you belong somewhere. Sometimes it happens all at once. More often, it sneaks up on you. It’s the familiar face who remembers your name. The coffee shop where ...

U.S. Senator Graham (R-South Carolina) died of a hardened heart (no, seriously) on July 11 at age 71. He’d been in office since 1992, first as a state representative, then as a U.S. House member, and then, beginning in 2003, ...

Queer history is a mix of stories both triumphant and tragic, and it’s vital that we know about all of them, even when they’re painful to revisit. That’s the case with the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans ...

“I’m looking for a book where …” has become a defining phrase of BookTok, TikTok’s massive community of readers and book influencers. The request is rarely for an author or even a title. Instead, romance readers describe spicy details of a favorite ...

Despite the success of shows like “Heated Rivalry” and “Euphoria,” seeing queer people on screen is still rare. Only 9.3% of characters on American TV screens were identified as LGBTQ+ in the 2024-25 season. Around 41% of those characters are not scheduled ...

On Thursday, July 16, 2026, the Pittsburgh Equality Center hosted a town hall at CO-Hatch South Side Works, 2681 Sidney Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. Ray Sidney-Smith, President and Chair of the organization, moderated a panel that consisted of Chris Soult, ...

Pennsylvania Human Relations commissioners are entrusted with safeguarding the civil rights of Pennsylvanians. They help oversee the agency responsible for investigating discrimination complaints, enforcing the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and promoting equal opportunity in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations. ...

This story was originally reported by Candice Norwood of The 19th.  Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing to consider his official nomination to a post he has held since April. ...

If your social feed has ever stopped you mid-scroll because a monstera looked like it’s been better-tended than you have, you’ve probably already found Christopher Griffin — known to their 800,000-strong plant-loving community as Plant Kween. Griffin — @plantkween on ...

I just plugged “Is Riverdance Irish dancing” into a search engine. Turns out the answer is yes. Do you remember the Riverdance craze? In the late ’90s, people could not get enough of this traditional (probably?) style of Irish dancing, often performed in ...

Updated on July 14, 2026 at 5:06 pm. The work of the late Wendi Miller, a transgender woman and prominent figure in Pittsburgh’s queer history, as an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights is being celebrated in her studio, Miller Frame in ...

The New Castle Prism Initiative will celebrate its first anniversary with a community block party and vendor fair on Sunday, July 19, bringing together local vendors, food, entertainment, and fundraising to support the organization’s year-round work serving LGBTQ+ people in ...

The Pennsylvania House voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 45 on July 12, sending legislation that would remove an HIV-specific criminal sentencing enhancement from state law to Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk. The bill eliminates a provision that allows people living ...

Despite weeks of challenges surrounding LGBTQ+ visibility in Monroeville, Pride came to the eastern suburbs on Saturday, July 11, with a message of joy, resilience, and community. After organizers increased security in response to reported online threats and supporters raised ...

advertisement Listen on Spotify The Heart of Summer Summer has a funny way of encouraging us to say “yes.” Yes to trying something new. Yes to staying out a little later. Yes to wandering into a bookstore you’ve never visited ...

Thursday, July 2, was a sweltering hot day at the Allegheny County Courthouse. Despite the heat, the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board met for its monthly meeting in person. The monthly meetings, which are open to the public, evaluate jail ...

For queer audiences who know what it means to feel unseen, Irish actor Kieron Moore’s performance in “Blue Film” offers a rare kind of recognition: a character who isn’t reduced to his wounds, his sexuality or his mistakes, but allowed ...