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From seminary to softball to drag! Leia Way LeStat's journey of self-discovery is everything. #LGBTQ #Pittsburgh #QueerAsFolk #DragQueen #SelfDiscovery
From seminary to softball to drag! Leia Way LeStat's journey of self-discovery is everything.
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From seminary to softball to drag! Leia Way LeStat's journey of self-discovery is everything.

QBurgh 41 minutes ago

“Tattooing is embedded with queer identity.” #LGBTQCreators #QueerJoy #QueerArt
“Tattooing is embedded with queer identity.”
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“Tattooing is embedded with queer identity.”

QBurgh December 22, 2025 10:45 am

Today's episode is sponsored by Brianna's Mobile Workshop, Pittsburgh's Premier Queer Contractors! https://dot.cards/briannasmobileworkshop In this episode of Pride Matters, we sit down with Pittsburgh drag royalty, Leia Way LeStat, whose journey from seminary to crowned queen is as fabulous as it is inspiring. From her early days in the Steel City Softball League to holding major pageant titles like Miss Gay Pennsylvania United States at Large 2025, Leia Way opens up about the drag scene, chosen family, mentorship, and why Pittsburgh is home. Topics include: How a charity drag event sparked a dazzling career The importance of drag parents and building queer family Pageant culture in Pittsburgh and beyond The evolution of daytime drag and brunch beauty Advice for new performers entering drag today Plus: shout-outs to Leia’s drag children, her favorite titles, and where you can catch her performing this holiday season.
Steel City Sparkle with Leia Way LeStat
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Steel City Sparkle with Leia Way LeStat

QBurgh December 20, 2025 12:29 pm

In this QBurgh Artist Spotlight, we sit down with Pittsburgh-based tattoo artist and multidisciplinary creator Jess Scutella (they/them) to talk about the art of tattooing as radical queer expression. From the punk rock and queer scenes of Erie, PA, to their home at Kyklops Tattoo in Pittsburgh, Jess shares how tattooing became not only a creative outlet but a lifeline. Specializing in Japanese-style full-body tattooing, Jess reflects on identity, chosen family, queer joy, and the intimate act of translating someone’s truth into living art. They also talk about coming out in Pittsburgh, witnessing the queer community through photography, and what having pride really means.
“Tattooing is embedded with queer identity,” Jess Scutella on Queer Identity, Art, and Becoming
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“Tattooing is embedded with queer identity,” Jess Scutella on Queer Identity, Art, and Becoming

QBurgh December 19, 2025 9:09 am

What kept Stuart Fisk going during the HIV crisis? The sheer bravery of the people around him: patients, activists, and healthcare providers stepping up even when the risks were unknown. Their courage changed everything. #HealthcareHeroes #WorldAIDSDay
The sheer bravery of the patients, activists, and healthcare providers during the HIV crisis
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The sheer bravery of the patients, activists, and healthcare providers during the HIV crisis

QBurgh December 16, 2025 4:38 pm

When the AIDS crisis hit, volunteers stepped up to provide critical support, driving people to appointments and offering companionship in a time of isolation and fear. #CommunitySupport #WorldAIDSDay
Volunteers stepped up to provide critical support
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Volunteers stepped up to provide critical support

QBurgh December 14, 2025 4:38 pm

Refocus on what’s really important in life.
Refocus on what’s really important in life.
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Refocus on what’s really important in life.

QBurgh December 13, 2025 4:38 pm

From Legends & Legacies: Alan Jones shares how, during the AIDS crisis, Brewers Hotel rented rooms for $45/week. But the real story? The intense camaraderie. Bar patrons carried clients down flights of stairs in office chairs so they could make doctor's appointments. Proof there are good people in the world. #CommunityLove #WorldAIDSDay
Brewers Hotel paterons would help patients during AIDS crisis
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Brewers Hotel paterons would help patients during AIDS crisis

QBurgh December 12, 2025 12:38 pm

Nebby Nick laced up his skates and suited up in full gear to take a spin with Pittsburgh LGBTQ Hockey, a queer-led recreational team that's redefining what it means to be on the ice. What might feel like a traditionally macho, intimidating space transforms in the hands of this community, where experience doesn’t matter, and everyone is treated like part of the team. Pittsburgh LGBTQ Hockey is open to players of all identities, backgrounds, and skill levels, with no gatekeeping, just a lot of fun. Monthly clinics, loaner gear, and a supportive squad that values inclusion. https://www.pittsburghlgbtq.hockey/
Nebby Nick Hits the Ice with Pittsburgh LGBTQ Hockey!
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Nebby Nick Hits the Ice with Pittsburgh LGBTQ Hockey!

QBurgh December 11, 2025 2:15 pm

From Legends & Legacies: Dr. Marty Seltman reflects on how life takes you where you need to be, often thanks to friends and unexpected paths. #PublicHealth #WorldAIDSDay
Life takes you where you need to be
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Life takes you where you need to be

QBurgh December 9, 2025 4:38 pm

For over 30 years, Alan Jones was the heart of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and Allies for Health + Wellbeing. Beginning as a volunteer in 1990 and retiring in 2022 as the longest-serving staff member, Alan coordinated care, offered testing and education, and held space for hundreds of clients living and dying with HIV.
Legends & Legacies: Alan Jones
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Legends & Legacies: Alan Jones

QBurgh December 9, 2025 10:00 am

At just 16, Clarisse Jordan contracted HIV. At 19, a doctor told her she’d be dead by 24. Instead, she chose to live out loud, and for the past 35+ years, she’s done exactly that. Clarisse shares her journey from surviving in silence to becoming a powerful HIV advocate. Through heartbreak, rejection, and stigma, she found purpose and turned it into fierce, fearless community work.
Legends & Legacies: Clarisse Jordan
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Legends & Legacies: Clarisse Jordan

QBurgh December 8, 2025 9:45 am

From Legends & Legacies: Clarisse shares her journey to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force from a light bulb moment to her mantra, "If HIV is going to get me, it's gonna have to find me." #Inspiration #Love #Legacy #WorldAIDSDay
"If HIV is going to get me, it's gonna have to find me."
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"If HIV is going to get me, it's gonna have to find me."

QBurgh December 7, 2025 4:38 pm

In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when fear, stigma, and misinformation were everywhere, Dr. Larry Leahy made a life-changing choice: to treat patients living with HIV with dignity, care, and compassion. At a time when even medical professionals refused treatment out of fear, Dr. Ley trusted science and led with humanity.
Legends & Legacies: Dr Larry Leahy
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Legends & Legacies: Dr Larry Leahy

QBurgh December 7, 2025 9:30 am

From Legends & Legacies: Richard Parsakian recalls the Kerry Stoner Award fabrication 13 years ago to honor his personality in a beautiful way. Inspired by his joy, a glass wand was chosen to represent the power to do good and the fragility of life. #KerryStonerAward #LGBTQHistory #WorldAIDSDay
Glinda the Witch's Wand: Honoring a Friend's Joyful Spirit
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Glinda the Witch's Wand: Honoring a Friend's Joyful Spirit

QBurgh December 6, 2025 4:38 pm

Tammy Frech and DJ Stemmler share their personal stories of activism, chosen family, and joy during the early years of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF), now known as Allies for Health and Well-being. From hotline volunteers to buddy programs, these grassroots efforts formed the backbone of Pittsburgh’s response to the AIDS epidemic. In this video, we hear about the laughter in the lunchroom, a stick-turned-elevator-button hack, and how a generation of volunteers became each other’s home when the world turned its back.
Legends & Legacies: Tammy Frech and DJ Stemmler
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Legends & Legacies: Tammy Frech and DJ Stemmler

QBurgh December 6, 2025 9:15 am

Richard Parsakian reflects on his decades of service, queer community organizing, and the creation of the Kerry Stoner Award, a handcrafted glass wand that symbolizes the power to do good and the fragility of life. Through humor, heartbreak, and fierce remembrance, this conversation honors queer elders, the artists we’ve lost, and the generations who carry the torch forward.
Legends & Legacies: Richard Parsakian
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Legends & Legacies: Richard Parsakian

QBurgh December 5, 2025 10:33 am

Presented in partnership with Allies for Health + Wellbeing: Streaming live from the Kelly Strayhorn Theater on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 6:00pm. Attend in person at: https://qburgh.com/legendsandlegacies In 2025, Allies for Health + Wellbeing, formerly the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, marks its 40th anniversary. “Legends and Legacies,” coinciding with World AIDS Day, is the culmination of a year of celebration and remembrance. This unique event will feature live and recorded conversations with people who have shaped and been shaped by PATF and Allies. "Legends and Legacies” shines a light on the varied experiences of the AIDS epidemic in Pittsburgh and honors not only those we have lost, but those who are living with HIV and those who have worked with and supported people with HIV.
Legends and Legacies: Celebrating the Stories of PATF and Allies
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Legends and Legacies: Celebrating the Stories of PATF and Allies

QBurgh December 3, 2025 7:38 am

Kathi Boyle served as executive director of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force from 2004 to her retirement in 2011. As executive director, she expanded PATF’s outreach efforts and secured new and sustainable funding for the organization by joining the 340B pharmacy program, which is still a vital source of revenue for Allies today. Though she was unable to participate in this event in person, she shared her reflections on her time at PATF and the work she did for people living with and at risk of HIV. I had the pleasure of reading her remarks for this video, which also highlights some memorable moments from her tenure at PATF. Legends & Legacies was an oral history event on December 2, 2025, held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force / Allies for Health + Wellbeing for World AIDS Day.
Legends & Legacies: Kathi Boyle
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Legends & Legacies: Kathi Boyle

QBurgh December 2, 2025 10:30 pm

Together for more than 50 years, Nachum Golan and Steve Hough consider themselves the lucky ones. When they began seeing the impact of AIDS on their community, they knew they needed to offer their support in any way they could. They have dedicated themselves to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force and Allies since the organization’s start in 1985, most recently serving as honorary co-chairs of our 40th birthday party this past spring. In our next video, Nachum and Steve talk about the dramatic shift from the carefree vibes of the 1970s to the fear and uncertainty surrounding the “gay plague” in the early 1980s. They also discuss the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force’s powerful and meaningful Buddy Program and what it means to them to leave a legacy. Legends & Legacies was an oral history event on December 2, 2025, held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force / Allies for Health + Wellbeing for World AIDS Day.
Legends & Legacies: Steve Hough and Nachum Golan
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Legends & Legacies: Steve Hough and Nachum Golan

QBurgh December 2, 2025 10:11 pm

When Stuart Fisk moved to Pittsburgh in 1996, he already had extensive experience working with and advocating for people with HIV and AIDS. In fact, he’d been among a small group of people who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge to protest the apathy and stigma surrounding the AIDS crisis. It’s no surprise that he would become an advocate for people with substance use disorder, who often faced the dual stigma associated with addiction and HIV/AIDS. In our next video, Stuart talks about starting the conversation at the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force around syringe exchange and its importance in preventing HIV among people who used injection drugs. Legends & Legacies was an oral history event on December 2, 2025, held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force / Allies for Health + Wellbeing for World AIDS Day.
Legends & Legacies: Stuart Fisk
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Legends & Legacies: Stuart Fisk

QBurgh December 2, 2025 10:09 pm

Dr. Marty Seltman intended on pursuing a career in public health, but he switched gears when he discovered that he enjoyed seeing patients. After hearing a talk by Jim Huggins, he committed to caring for patients in the LGBTQIA+ community who frequently did not have options for inclusive healthcare. When the AIDS epidemic struck, his patients encouraged him to handle their care, so he learned how to treat patients with HIV and AIDS. In addition to his practice, he worked with the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force on Healing Weekends and worked to counter AIDS stigma in the healthcare community. In this video, Dr. Seltman talks about how patients with AIDS were treated in the early days of the epidemic and how a conversation with a friend shaped his career. Legends & Legacies was an oral history event on December 2, 2025, held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force / Allies for Health + Wellbeing for World AIDS Day.
Legends & Legacies: Dr. Marty Seltman
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Legends & Legacies: Dr. Marty Seltman

QBurgh December 2, 2025 10:07 pm

For Kerry Stoner, the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force wasn’t just a job – it was his life. According to Michael Neal, who succeeded Kerry as executive director, “This organization meant everything to him.” From his first interview with Kerry, which lasted for about three hours, Mike knew that Kerry had created something special with the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, and it was something that he wanted to be part of. In our first video this evening, Michael talks about taking on the role after Kerry and the steps he took to ensure that PATF would continue to be there for the people who needed it – as well as PATF’s lasting impact on his own life and career. Legends & Legacies was an oral history event on December 2, 2025, held at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force / Allies for Health + Wellbeing for World AIDS Day.
Legends & Legacies: Michael Neal
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Legends & Legacies: Michael Neal

QBurgh December 2, 2025 10:06 pm

Gen Z is growing up in a different world. Influencers, social media, and a new perspective. It's time to listen and understand. #GenZ #SocialMedia #YouthCulture #Understanding #NewGeneration #DigitalAge #ReelsTrend
Gen Z is growing up in a different world. Influencers, social media, and a new perspective.
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Gen Z is growing up in a different world. Influencers, social media, and a new perspective.

QBurgh November 30, 2025 4:38 pm

Movies are often the first time people meet trans individuals, and that's powerful. Trans people, though a small part of the population, are frequently discussed, often by non-trans voices. Seeing their stories can be truly transformative, fostering empathy and revealing our shared humanity. #TransVisibility #LGBTQRepresentation #TransStories #Empathy #Humanity
Trans Stories on Screen: Empathy & Humanity in Cinema
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Trans Stories on Screen: Empathy & Humanity in Cinema

QBurgh November 29, 2025 4:38 pm

Seeing a trans truck driver who shares your experiences can change everything. You realize we're not so different after all. We need more working-class trans stories to build empathy and understanding on the road. #TransVisibility #TruckingLife #WorkingClass #Empathy #CommonGround
Truckers & Trans People: Finding Common Ground
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Truckers & Trans People: Finding Common Ground

QBurgh November 28, 2025 12:38 pm

Bleak media landscape got you down? Screw the industry! Forget the grants. Find your local gay bar, throw a party with DJs and drag queens, and fund your trans or queer film yourself. We need these films now. Make it happen by any means necessary.
Make Your Film NOW: Overcoming Bleak Media
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Make Your Film NOW: Overcoming Bleak Media

QBurgh November 25, 2025 4:38 pm

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