Black Gay Pittsburgh
In this exploratory series, we ask Pittsburghers to share their stories about being black & gay in the city of black & gold. This is the second installment.
Pittsburgh has been finding its way on “Most Livable City” lists recently, although I don’t know why. Pittsburgh is a great city to live in if you’re NOT black and gay. Here the white and black gay communities are two separate entities; if we are all gay, then shouldn’t we just have ONE community? We have a couple of nice bars, but the crowd is mostly for gay, white men. I often find myself looking around thinking; “Where are all the black women tonight?” Don’t get me wrong, I love women of all races. But sometimes white women in these shiny bars look at me as if I’m going to assault them on their way to the ladies room. Maybe they’re not into dating outside their race and that’s fine, but don’t judge me while I quietly sip my Jack & Diet Coke with my friends. I’m here to socialize, not steal your lunch money.
“ATLANTA IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PITTSBURGH BECOME. I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE A REACH, BUT IT WOULD BE COOL TO HAVE A BLACK, LGBT SPORTS BAR…”
This city has made some notable strides the past 5-10 years. But why are there no places for the black, gay community to go that aren’t illegal and/or shut down every other week because of fights, stabbings, etc.? Atlanta is a good example of what I would like to see Pittsburgh become. I know that might be a reach, but it would be cool to have a black, LGBT sports bar like Atlanta’s extremely popular Bulldogs. Bulldogs is an LGBT sports bar with mostly a male crowd, and while I’m a lesbian, we tend to enjoy activities that involve sports and beer too. Why is it that no one in Pittsburgh has tried to open a bar like this? Seems like such a wasted business opportunity. What is it about Pittsburgh nightlife that makes the black LGBT community want to give up hope of having a good time?
A major contributor to Pittsburgh’s lack of entertainment venues for the black LGBT community is that so many young people leave town after receiving their degrees. They tend to move on to bigger cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Washington D.C. that are known to be full of opportunity for upwardly mobile, educated African-Americans. I can’t get mad at them; I plan on doing the same after I obtain my degree, but I’m conflicted because I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and would love to see my city grow. But I also feel like I am depriving myself of a wealth of professional opportunities and an exciting social life that at this point cannot be found in Pittsburgh. Why waste my youth living a mundane existence in an equally mundane city? I think I need to relocate before my three strikes are up and I’m forced to do a “life sentence” in Pittsburgh.
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