Locals share their coming out stories for National Coming Out Day.
The first National Coming Out Day was in 1988, celebrating the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Advocates Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary first proposed the idea of National Coming Out Day. It was their belief that illustrating to most people that they already knew and respected someone in the LGBTQ+ community helped push the human rights movement forward.
The experience of coming out is personal and unique to each individual. We asked a handful people to share their experiences of coming out — the good and the bad — and why this day is important. Here are their stories.
‘It wasn’t my choice, but I’m glad it happened’
Claudia
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My coming out story happened when I was a teenager. I was scared to come out because I didn’t know how my parents would take it. We can kind of say my coming out wasn’t really planned, it hurt and it wasn’t my choice but I’m glad it happened. I’m 24 years old and ever since the day I came out, I made it my duty to be fully out and proud about it. I am very blessed to have never dealt with any rejection from my loved ones due to the fact that I’m a lesbian, and even though it was hard for my parents to accept, my mom has always defended me and my family has always loved me the way that I am. Coming from a religious household made me have the whole “Catholic guilt” mentality and I tried “praying the gay away” thing, which I find pretty funny, considering the fact that I’m a lesbian atheist that practices witchcraft now. My friends are all gay so everyone was very supportive (yet not surprised, the closet was made out of glass) and I’ve been very blessed! I started college and I became the president of the Gay-Straight Alliance, I started working with my community to build a better future for LGBTQ+ individuals and I’ve met many wonderful people throughout the years. I hope to inspire many young members of the LGBTQ+ community to live life loud and proud, and if you can’t do that just now, know that there is a community out there that will love and accept you for who you are, even in moments where you can only be yourself behind closed doors. Happy coming out day from your local they/them lesbian!
For the second time in less than 24 hours, firefighters were called to the same home in Pittsburgh’s Esplen neighborhood.
The latest fire was reported around 2:25 a.m. Tuesday at a home on Oregon Street.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters had been called to that same home on Monday morning in a fire that residents said may have started in the attic and destroyed at least one room.
There was no initial word on what sparked the flames in either incident, though fire investigators were looking into the cause.
A former Allegheny County Jail employee won a lawsuit over his firing, claiming he was retaliated against for reporting racist comments made about his family and coworkers.
This verdict comes roughly eight years after Captain Jeffery Kengerski was fired from his 13-year career as a corrections officer at the county jail.
As soon as Lt. Gov. John Fetterman accepted a debate invitation for Oct. 25, Mehmet Oz said their matchup would fall too late in the cycle — two weeks before Election Day — given people could start voting by mail as early as late September. He criticized Fetterman for declining to debate sooner.
The televised debate in Harrisburg will be the one prime-time bout in a tight race for one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country. It’s a former TV doctor against a stroke survivor with lingering speech challenges who has never been the most nimble debater.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Soldiers are leaving the Army National Guard at a faster rate than they are enlisting, fueling concerns that in the coming years units around the country may not meet military requirements for overseas and other deployments.
Sunday was a classic David vs. Goliath matchup in Buffalo. But unlike the biblical story, Goliath prevailed on Sunday, as the Bills posted a 38-3 victory over the Steelers, who entered the game as a 14-point underdog. The Bills are now 4-1 and remain in first place in the AFC East. The Steelers, who saw rookie Kenny Pickett make his first career start on Sunday, are now 1-4 after dropping their fourth straight contest.
Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in the first half as the Bills roared out to a 31-3 halftime lead. He threw two touchdown passes to Gabe Davis that included a 98-yard touchdown on the third play from scrimmage. The score tied the record for the longest touchdown in franchise history.
Allen, who threw for 348 yards in the first half, also lobbed touchdowns to Stefon Diggs and rookie Khalil Shakir, as the Bills’ offense churned out 401 yards in the first half and finished with 554 yards. Conversely, the Steelers’ offense went dormant after scoring on their first drive. Pickett, who did not receive much help from his running game, threw for 327 yards and an interception on 34 of 51 passing.
Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration intends to upend a longstanding requirement for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, eliminating the need for applicants to have college credits before they apply and making the police academy count for some of the credits.
The move comes as the number of sworn officers has continued to dwindle since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bureau is fully staffed at 900 sworn officers. As of Friday, the bureau had 841, and officials have previously noted that more than 200 are eligible for retirement.
Dispute between rival gangs lead to fatal shooting of lawmaker and his father in southern state of Guerrero
The Guerrero state security council said gunmen burst into the town hall in the village of San Miguel Totolapan on Wednesday and opened fire on a meeting the mayor was holding with other officials.
Among those shot dead were the mayor, Conrado Mendoza, his father and former mayor, Juan Mendoza, and other local officials, according to a statement from state authorities.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette employees belonging to unions representing production, distribution and advertising workers went on strike as the day began Thursday in response to what they view as unfair labor practices by company management.
The unions include the Communications Workers of America Locals 14842 and 14827, Teamsters Local 205/211 and Pressmen’s Union Local 24M/9N.
Workers in those unions say they have been working without a collective bargaining agreement since March 2017, have not received a pay raise in the past 16 years and maintain that management has refused to bargain in good faith and made unilateral changes to their health care plan.
Firefighters were battling the fire along Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township on Thursday night.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Mike Valente spoke to one resident who lives on the third floor. He said he smelled smoke and quickly ran down to alert his mother, who lives on the first floor.
“I can’t believe it’s happening,” Chris Bish said, still in a daze. “I’ve never been in a house fire. It’s pretty surreal.”
Bish said that after he was able to get his mother out, he started banging on other neighbors’ doors.
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Allegheny County Police have announced the arrest of a 15-year-old in connection with a triple-shooting at Kennywood Park on September 24 and are looking for a second shooting suspect.
It was back on Sept. 9 that Dante Jones, 34, was shot and killed outside the Exxon Station on Allegheny River Boulevard.
Court paperwork shows Michael Wade, 36, is now charged with criminal homicide in the case.
An arrest warrant has been obtained for Wade, charging him with criminal homicide.
Wade is described as a black male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 215 pounds. Wade has ties to the Penn Hills area and the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Anyone who sees Wade should call 9-1-1 immediately.
Sources tell Channel 11 that the teacher was released from the hospital over the weekend.
We’re told the teacher had multiple severe injuries after a 15-year-old student attacked the teacher at Oliver Citywide academy.
Pittsburgh Police said Friday that the 15-year-old male student is facing multiple felony charges and is being held in a juvenile facility in the area.
A homeless man from Oregon was ordered to serve up to six years in prison for the burglary of a Greensburg church five days before Christmas in 2020.
Timothy Lansdale, 57, pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges of burglary and for failing to register with the state police as a convicted sex offender.
Lansdale broke into the Otterbein United Methodist Church on College Avenue in the morning hours of Dec. 20, 2020, police said. The sound system was dismantled, microphones were damaged, an internet router was disconnected and electronic equipment used with the organ and keyboard was strewn about, authorities said.
According to court records, police found cigarette butts and ashes around the building. Eight gift cards and a CD player were taken.
Michaela (Melissa Roxburg) and Ben Stone (Josh Dallas), Jared Vasquez (J.R. Ramirez) and more are back in action and chasing down any and all leads to figure out how to beat their expiration date in the trailer for “Manifest” Season 4, which Netflix dropped Saturday. (You can watch it above)
The passengers of Montego Air Flight 828, who went missing five and a half years ago, only to return like no time had passed, have an expiration date of June 2, 2024.
“I had a calling, it was awful,” Ben says to his sister Michaela at the beginning of the trailer. “Everything was swallowed by ash.”
The guests were as runway-ready as the models at the Glitz, Glamour & Gold Fall Fashion Show and Luncheon, hosted by the Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP Women in NAACP.
About 60 guests attended the swanky affair, held Saturday at the Doubletree by Hilton in Monroeville.
In addition to enjoying the meal and runway show, those attending had the opportunity to shop for clothing, accessories and health and beauty products from more than a dozen vendors and to bid on an array of gift baskets.
WIN Chairperson Norma Skillings welcomed guests, and Sister Barbara Ann Smelko of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill offered the invocation.
Models Tina Aiken, Renee Gilliard, Jacqueline McLee, Brenda Mise, Summer Rickets, Thomasina Skillings, Jamie Henderson and Tay Waltenbaugh revealed a taste of what’s new for fall, with looks provided by Maurice Gingham, owner of Mo’ Reese Clothing, and Kevin Miscik, owner of Lapel’s, A Fine Men’s Clothier.
Commentary was courtesy of Lady Neila Johnson of New Creation Family Worship Center in Greensburg.
Fire crews from the area responded to a two alarm fire in the City of McKeesport this morning. The call came in close to 9 a.m. and was on Soles Street. Crews placed the fire under control.
