“I’m more of a uniter than a divider,” Parsakian said. Those disagreements are evident in the City’s two parades - the “People’s Pride” parade appeared after some LGBTQ+ community members felt the larger Pittsburgh Equality March, then sponsored by EQT, had become overly beholden to corporations. But in Pittsburgh, as it has throughout the country, that visibility has also come with more intra-community disagreements. Over the years, Parsakian said, he’s watched visibility for the LGBTQ+ activism increase. Parasakian, who has served on Mayor Bill Peduto’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Council since its inception in early 2017, helped approve the design for the art installation. Richard Parsakian owns Eons Fashion Antique, located on Ellsworth Avenue, and has been involved in LGBTQ+ activism in Pittsburgh for several decades. “When marriage equality was announced, people marched on that street, so it was a natural choice.” “It was first brought to our attention by some of the LGBTQ business owners on the street, such as the owners of Eons Fashion Antique, the bar 5801 and Harris Grill as a particularly important history for the struggle for LGBT rights,” Merenstein said. Strassburger spokesperson Hersh Merenstein said this particular street corner carries important history.
Moleiro, a Venezuelan artist, told the Pittsburgh City Paper the piece represents the colors of the traditional pride flag and the transgender flag, while also including a nod to people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. Shortly before the advent of this year’s Pride, an art installation appeared in Shadyside at the intersection of Ellsworth and Maryland avenues.Ĭity Councilperson Erika Strassburger, who represents the district that contains the installation, worked with local business owners on the installation.Īfter a call was put out to solicit proposed designs, Leonardo Moleiro’s design, a multi-colored, multi-patterned circle, was selected. The movement’s impact on the City has never been more clear than it is now.
The legislation aims to ensure the City’s anti-discrimination code includes all gender identity and gender expression, and will remove gendered language from the code. And on the exact anniversary of the Stonewall riots, two City Councilpeople introduced legislation to protect LGBTQ+ residents of Pittsburgh.
Today, Pittsburgh has two Pride parades each June, where LGBTQ+ Pittsburghers are joined by allies and elected officials on their marches through the City. “But do we really know where it all started from?” “We see as a big festivity,” Anderson said. Anderson said he thinks it’s important that people participating in Pride events each June understand the history of the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. Rob Anderson, the executive director of the Stonewall Alliance, said many of the organization’s members are unaware of its namesake until joining. Various LGBTQ+ organizations in Pittsburgh take their names from the riots, including the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, the largest LGBTQ+ political organization in western Pennsylvania, and the Stonewall Alliance, a non-profit sports league for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
When police raided the Stonewall Inn in the early hours of June 28, 1969, the patrons fought back, sparking a five-day series of protests and leading to the creation of extensive activist circles that would continue the fight for gay liberation.įifty years later, the influence of the spontaneous demonstrations can still be seen in the modern fight for LGBTQ+ liberation, including in Pittsburgh.