PITTSBURGH LESBIAN CORRESPONDENTS By Sue Kerr
pghlesbian.com
Pittsburgh's LGBTQ Blog … out'n proud in the Burghosphere
6-1-12 Reprinted from The Bilerico Project www.bilerico.com. In addition to her local blogging, Sue Kerr joined the Bilerico Team in 2012 to heighten awareness of the interconnection between local and national events. - SRK
I must admit I was disappointed that the local media ignored the Pittsburgh Pirates "It Gets Better" video. Given that the Pirates ownership is very conservative and that the commitment of the team to partner with the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh and the local chapter of GLSEN is very strong. I thought it was a winner of a human interest story.
Nope. It got a mention in the sports "notes" section and some references on Outsports. And that's petty much it.
It would appear that no one really cares.
So I was heartened to find a link in my inbox to a YouTube video, called "Han's Response to It Gets Better"
Wow. They went to the game, they watched the video with open minds and they shared their feedback - "It Gets Better' might be overpromising when the truth is that people get better in their ability to cope with a world that considers us second class citizens, be it on the school bus or in the board room.
They didn't diss the project and they certainly showed up when so many adults in Pittsburgh's LGBTQ community didn't.
I've been mulling working with four or five local small LGBT organizations on social media capacity building and I was hoping to use youth messaging as a theme. Now I think that I need to meet with Han's and the others in the video to have that dialogue. While I believe that the organizations must raise their social media savvy, perhaps the messaging should be more independently driven by the young people.
It is sort of exciting because a funder expressed interest and the groups are interested. The bar is so low in terms of our LGBT Pittsburgh social media presence, that we have a lot of latitude to do some cool stuff and really focus on capacity. That's great.
But Han's makes an excellent point. (Let me clarify that Han's name is spelled as if it is Han with a possessive "s" but in the audio, it appears that her name is Hans - I am guessing she identifies as she based on various cues but I am very open to being corrected - I mean no offense.)
Going back to the issue of media coverage - I'm barely finding news or political blogs that post the actual video - I have to do that in their comments. They write about the intent to make this video and then... nothing. And these are allies! Pirates fans who post completely unintelligible tweets about someone diving for something and betraying his mother because of his RBA and so forth. They can't post a video as a simple acknowledgement that this is a good thing? What's up with that allies?
Some of the biggest social media fans in town who are both Bucco fans and youth advocates wrote nothing. Nothing. They express condolences when a 15 year old commits suicide about being bullied, but they don't take two minutes to post a link to this positive response? Really?
All I can say is that it isn't going to get better if you let these moments go. I read the comments of your followers. I know you hang with folks who promote the "Trannies & Grannies" event and I know you laughed when shock jocks posted horrific adult bullying pics of Katie Anne McCloskey. I read, I pay attention and I know that you aren't delivering.
If a conservative owned baseball franchise can make one of the only videos that uses the words "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender" in the context of bullying - can't you step up? Because your silence on "Trannies & Grannies" speaks volumes on where your real values lie.
This isn't a fundraiser. Its not a "cause" I'm asking you to champion. It is news. And it is the lives of LGBTQ kids right here in Pittsburgh.
We can do better.
### Pittsburgh Lesbian Blog, Blogger Honored for Contributions to the Community 6-1-12
PITTSBURGH– Local blogger Sue Kerr, editor and founder of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, the longest running LGBT blog in Southwestern Pennsylvania is honored to be named the 2012 recipient of the “Stacey Walker Memorial Award” by Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter.
The award was established to honor the spirit of columnist and Greensburgbased drag king performer Stacey Walker. Stacy passed away in February 2009.
“Stacy always was helping people and she stood for the best things of our community,” explained John DeBartola, President. “Each year we choose a recipient who shows the very best to the community and advocates for them and that [is] Sue. [She is] always trying to help raise awareness and change the community for the best so we felt [she] deserved the award.”
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents was also named “Favorite GLBT Media Publication” after two rounds of voting by members and readers of the newsletter. The vote was open to individuals throughoutPennsylvania,West VirginiaandOhio. This is the first year a blog has been honored for media work. Kerr was previously named “Lesbian of the Year” in 2010.
“This is a very humbling honor – to receive both the support of the community for our blogging efforts and to be recognized as an advocate in the spirit of Stacey Walker,“ says Kerr.
A complete list of 2012 honorees can be found here.
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents was founded in 2005 as the first lesbian led blog focusing on Pittsburghand the region. The blog is recognized regionally for its contributions to the political dialogue as well as advocacy on a range of issues that are not highlighted by mainstream media. Kerr is a contributor to the national blogging team at The Bilerico Project and has been published on Pam’s House Blend, BlogHer, and DailyKos. She is also a frequently sought out commentator on LGBTQ news in thePittsburgh region. Kerr mostly recently participated in the successful effort to recruit the Pittsburgh Pirates to make a video for the “It Gets Better” project.
The mission of the Keystone Alliance/Gaylife Newsletter as a population of different people and perspectives, is to aspire to promote the growth of all people in their lives. GLBT members of the community and their allies join together to create an organization where people exchange ideas, listen to one another with consideration and respect, and are committed to fostering civility. As members of the GLBT community and others, the organization strives to achieve the following individual commitments: 1. To strengthen the community; 2. To foster an environment for personal growth, to be helpful to others and respect their rights. We will discourage intolerance, hatred, and injustice, and promote constructive resolution of conflict; 3. To contribute to the future of the betterment of the community: ourselves, the community, the nation, and the world. We believe in freedom of the mind and spirit and promote the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to reach their potential.
###
Nope. It got a mention in the sports "notes" section and some references on Outsports. And that's petty much it.
It would appear that no one really cares.
So I was heartened to find a link in my inbox to a YouTube video, called "Han's Response to It Gets Better"
Wow. They went to the game, they watched the video with open minds and they shared their feedback - "It Gets Better' might be overpromising when the truth is that people get better in their ability to cope with a world that considers us second class citizens, be it on the school bus or in the board room.
They didn't diss the project and they certainly showed up when so many adults in Pittsburgh's LGBTQ community didn't.
I've been mulling working with four or five local small LGBT organizations on social media capacity building and I was hoping to use youth messaging as a theme. Now I think that I need to meet with Han's and the others in the video to have that dialogue. While I believe that the organizations must raise their social media savvy, perhaps the messaging should be more independently driven by the young people.
It is sort of exciting because a funder expressed interest and the groups are interested. The bar is so low in terms of our LGBT Pittsburgh social media presence, that we have a lot of latitude to do some cool stuff and really focus on capacity. That's great.
But Han's makes an excellent point. (Let me clarify that Han's name is spelled as if it is Han with a possessive "s" but in the audio, it appears that her name is Hans - I am guessing she identifies as she based on various cues but I am very open to being corrected - I mean no offense.)
Going back to the issue of media coverage - I'm barely finding news or political blogs that post the actual video - I have to do that in their comments. They write about the intent to make this video and then... nothing. And these are allies! Pirates fans who post completely unintelligible tweets about someone diving for something and betraying his mother because of his RBA and so forth. They can't post a video as a simple acknowledgement that this is a good thing? What's up with that allies?
Some of the biggest social media fans in town who are both Bucco fans and youth advocates wrote nothing. Nothing. They express condolences when a 15 year old commits suicide about being bullied, but they don't take two minutes to post a link to this positive response? Really?
All I can say is that it isn't going to get better if you let these moments go. I read the comments of your followers. I know you hang with folks who promote the "Trannies & Grannies" event and I know you laughed when shock jocks posted horrific adult bullying pics of Katie Anne McCloskey. I read, I pay attention and I know that you aren't delivering.
If a conservative owned baseball franchise can make one of the only videos that uses the words "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender" in the context of bullying - can't you step up? Because your silence on "Trannies & Grannies" speaks volumes on where your real values lie.
This isn't a fundraiser. Its not a "cause" I'm asking you to champion. It is news. And it is the lives of LGBTQ kids right here in Pittsburgh.
We can do better.
Pittsburgh Lesbian Blog, Blogger Honored for Contributions to the Community 6-1-12
PITTSBURGH– Local blogger Sue Kerr, editor and founder of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, the longest running LGBT blog in Southwestern Pennsylvania is honored to be named the 2012 recipient of the “Stacey Walker Memorial Award” by Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter.
The award was established to honor the spirit of columnist and Greensburgbased drag king performer Stacey Walker. Stacy passed away in February 2009.
“Stacy always was helping people and she stood for the best things of our community,” explained John DeBartola, President. “Each year we choose a recipient who shows the very best to the community and advocates for them and that [is] Sue. [She is] always trying to help raise awareness and change the community for the best so we felt [she] deserved the award.”
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents was also named “Favorite GLBT Media Publication” after two rounds of voting by members and readers of the newsletter. The vote was open to individuals throughoutPennsylvania,West VirginiaandOhio. This is the first year a blog has been honored for media work. Kerr was previously named “Lesbian of the Year” in 2010.
“This is a very humbling honor – to receive both the support of the community for our blogging efforts and to be recognized as an advocate in the spirit of Stacey Walker,“ says Kerr.
A complete list of 2012 honorees can be found here.
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents was founded in 2005 as the first lesbian led blog focusing on Pittsburghand the region. The blog is recognized regionally for its contributions to the political dialogue as well as advocacy on a range of issues that are not highlighted by mainstream media. Kerr is a contributor to the national blogging team at The Bilerico Project and has been published on Pam’s House Blend, BlogHer, and DailyKos. She is also a frequently sought out commentator on LGBTQ news in thePittsburgh region. Kerr mostly recently participated in the successful effort to recruit the Pittsburgh Pirates to make a video for the “It Gets Better” project.
The mission of the Keystone Alliance/Gaylife Newsletter as a population of different people and perspectives, is to aspire to promote the growth of all people in their lives. GLBT members of the community and their allies join together to create an organization where people exchange ideas, listen to one another with consideration and respect, and are committed to fostering civility. As members of the GLBT community and others, the organization strives to achieve the following individual commitments: 1. To strengthen the community; 2. To foster an environment for personal growth, to be helpful to others and respect their rights. We will discourage intolerance, hatred, and injustice, and promote constructive resolution of conflict; 3. To contribute to the future of the betterment of the community: ourselves, the community, the nation, and the world. We believe in freedom of the mind and spirit and promote the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons to reach their potential.
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