Updated Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 7:28 AM.
Manny Singh, owner of SS Holding LLC — V3 Flatbread Pizza’s parent company, posted a statement on V3’s Facebook page late Monday evening:
“I am out of the country and am now aware of the recent events involving an employee at our restaurant. I want to be very clear: V3 does not tolerate discrimination in any form. I was saddened to learn what transpired and the distress this situation has caused within the LGBTQ+ community.”
“To ensure accountability and reinforce our commitment to inclusivity, we have suspended the employee involved while we conduct a thorough internal review.”
“I will personally reach out to those directly impacted to have an open and honest conversation about how we can move forward together. We are one community, and we value and respect every member of our community. Our doors—and our hearts—are open to everyone.”
Updated on Monday, March 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM.
Content warning: homophobia, transphobia, LGBTQ+ stereotypes
For more than a decade Lawrenceville has been known as one of Pittsburgh’s most vibrant neighborhoods for the LGBTQ+ Community. It’s a place where many LGBTQ+ folks have found community, safety, and belonging. The neighborhood is home to The Blue Moon, one of the best LGBTQ+ establishments in the city, and a walk down Butler Street often reveals a sea of Pride flags waving proudly from windows.
But this past weekend, something happened that shook that sense of safety. On March 8, 2025, an LGBTQ couple, Milo and Adam, were harassed while simply walking home with their child. What should have been a routine moment—leaving the park and heading to their car—turned into an ordeal of public humiliation, false accusations, and police intervention.
According to multiple firsthand accounts, the aggressor was Jeff Murrio, an employee of V3 Flatbread Pizza. Without provocation, Murrio chased down Milo and Adam, demanded they identify themselves in relation to their child and forced their child to verbally confirm they were not in danger. But that wasn’t enough for Murrio. Unsatisfied with the child’s insistence that they were safe, he flagged down a police officer, escalating the situation further.
You might be wondering: What prompted this baseless attack?
The short answer: bigotry.
Murrio, as confirmed by a former employee, has a documented history of making racist, homophobic, and transphobic comments. His now-deleted social media accounts reportedly contained posts labeling LGBTQ+ people as “child groomers” and “predators.” His actions on March 8 weren’t based on genuine concern for a child’s welfare; they were fueled by the dangerous, right-wing propaganda that seeks to paint LGBTQ+ people as threats to society.
Posts from one of multiple social media accounts connected to Jeff Murrio.
This incident is horrifying, but unfortunately, it is not surprising. The escalation of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in America has emboldened individuals like Murrio, who feel justified in harassing and endangering queer families. The narrative that LGBTQ+ people are a threat to children—despite being thoroughly debunked by decades of research—continues to spread like wildfire in far-right spaces.
Sarah Rosso, executive director of the Hugh Lane Foundation, weighed in on the myth that LGBTQ+ parents harm children: “More than three decades’ worth of studies show equally good outcomes for children of LGBTQ+ parents as those with non-LGBTQ+ parents.”
Yet, despite all the evidence, queer parents like Milo and Adam are still subjected to public humiliation, suspicion, and state intervention for simply existing.
This is the reality of the Trump era—where Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives are under attack, where “woke” has become a slur, and where emboldened bigots feel empowered to police LGBTQ+ people in public spaces. Dena Stanley, executive director of Trans YOUniting, reacted with dismay. “Damn, we have some work to do,” Stanley said. Trans Youniting is planning a protest in response.
The trauma of being publicly accused of harming your own child is profound. Milo shared the pain of recounting the experience, and it’s understandable that his family may never feel safe walking down Butler Street again. That is a loss not just for them but for all of us. When hate infiltrates our communities, we all lose something—our sense of security, our right to be ourselves, our ability to move freely without fear.
It’s crucial that we, as a community, demand accountability from businesses that employ individuals like Murrio. It’s equally important to push back against the false narratives that fuel these attacks. The idea that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to harm children has been disproven time and time again. The belief that queer parents are unfit is baseless. The idea that LGBTQ+ people are a threat to society is a lie.
“Lawrenceville United is disgusted by the reports of a family being targeted and harassed by an employee of a Lawrenceville business. No one deserves to be harassed on the basis of their identity. We invite all community members to stand up against hate in any form. We know that building a community for all requires each of us to stand up against bigotry and to keep each other safe and we invite the community to join us for upcoming trainings on bystander intervention on 3/20 and a de-escalation training on 3/12,” Lawrenceville United said in a statement to QBurgh.
What happened to Milo and Adam is a wake-up call. Lawrenceville, and Pittsburgh as a whole, must remain vigilant in calling out and confronting bigotry when it happens.
Milo and Adam have asked for privacy as they recover from this traumatic event, but their experience cannot be ignored.
When reached for comment by phone, an employee at V3 dismissed QBurgh’s inquiry. V3 Flatbread Pizza is owned by Vocelli Pizza.
