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<\/p>\n‘June is like my Christmas’: 4 The Record celebrates Pride Month in Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
4 The Record host Carlos Flores celebrates Pride Month by speaking with Jeff Freedman and Jim Sheppard, co-creators of QBurgh<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWELCOME TO. FOR THE RECORD, I\u2019M CARLOS FLORES. AND TODAY, A CELEBRATION OF PRIDE IN PITTSBURGH. AS PRIDE MONTH CONTINUES. LAST WEEK\u2019S PITTSBURGH PRIDE EVENT DRAWING THOUSANDS TO THE CITY. TODAY I SPEAK WITH THE FOLKS BEHIND UBER, A NEW SOURCE FOR OUR REGION\u2019S LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. LET\u2019S BEGIN BY BRINGING IN ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS, JEFF FRIEDMAN. NOW, I DO WANT TO START OUT WITH COOLBAUGH AND ITS ORIGIN. TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CREATION BEHIND Y\u2019ALL\u2019S ORGANIZATION, I GUESS, AND THE MISSION BEHIND IT. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO WE STARTED NEWBERG, JIM SHEPARD AND I, THE YOU HAD SEEN EARLIER WITH JIM SHEPARD AS A CO-CREATOR. WE WERE ON A BOARD TOGETHER AND WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LACK OF A RESOURCE FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY HERE IN PITTSBURGH. SO WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING WITH HAVING NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO EVEN DO A SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL OR HOW TO DO A SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE. AND WE JUST CAME UP WITH WE SAID, LET\u2019S JUST DO IT. SO WE KIND OF THREW OUR FEET INTO IT, THREW OUR WHOLE BODY INTO IT, AND STARTED OUT WITH IT WITH A NAME LIKE WHAT WAS A GREAT NAME THAT WOULD REPRESENT PITTSBURGH? WHAT WOULD BE A. SO THERE WERE A LOT OF NAMES GOING BACK AND FORTH. SO WE SETTLED ON THE ON THE Q BERG, THE LETTER Q FOR QUEER, OBVIOUSLY, AND BERG H, WHICH PEOPLE FORGET THE H ALL THE TIME. SO IT\u2019S YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, IT\u2019S A LOT OF FUN. AND WE DECIDED. SO WE JUST JUMPED INTO IT. SO IT WAS INTERESTING WITH HAVING NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS AND JIM\u2019S A SMART ONE. I\u2019M THE PRETTY ONE. SO HE\u2019S THE ONE THAT MADE ALL THE MAGIC HAPPEN. HE\u2019S THE ONE THAT DOES ALL THE WEBSITE. WE GOT THE DOMAIN, WE GOT THE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, WE\u2019RE ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER THREADS. WE\u2019RE ON, YOU KNOW, LOOK US UP. RIGHT? SO AGAIN, I\u2019M A LITTLE BIT OLDER. THAT WHOLE SOCIAL MEDIA THING IS KIND OF LIKE BEYOND MY EXPERTISE. SO HE MAKES THE MAGIC HAPPEN. AND WE LAUNCHED AND WE ACTUALLY LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 11TH, WHICH IS NATIONAL 2000 OR 2020 DURING A PANDEMIC. LIKE WHAT DID WE HAVE BETTER TO DO DURING A PANDEMIC THAN TO LAUNCH A WEBSITE? RIGHT? SO WE WENT, WE LAUNCHED THE WEBSITE ON NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY. AND SINCE THEN, IT\u2019S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. SO WHAT IT\u2019LL BE SIX YEARS IN OCTOBER. AND GETTING TO THAT POINT, SIX YEARS, SIX YEARS DECIDED TO TAKE ON THIS HUGE FEAT. YEAH. STARTING A NEWS PUBLICATION AND JUST BEING ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH EVERYTHING THAT\u2019S HAPPENING, GOING CORRECT. IT\u2019S A HUGE TASK. AND TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW DO YOU VIEW THE GROWTH YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY ACHIEVE, AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR YOU? RIGHT. WELL, I THINK THAT ONE OF MY PROUDEST MOMENTS OF, OF COOLBAUGH.COM IS WHEN WE FIRST CRASHED, BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT, A LOT OF VISITORS. IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE PRIDE DAY. AND WE, WE KIND OF CRASHED, WHICH WAS GREAT. WE THOUGHT. SO JIM WAS UP ALL NIGHT RIGHT BEFORE PRIDE MADE IT HAPPEN. AND WE WERE BACK UP AND RUNNING. AGAIN, HOPEFULLY. BUT WE\u2019VE SEEN THE INCREDIBLE GROWTH THAT WE\u2019VE HAD THROUGH THROUGH EVERYTHING. WE HAVE A GREAT MESSAGE. WE HAVE WE HAVE AN EMPOWERING MESSAGE FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR PEOPLE. WE HAVE A GREAT AUDIENCE OUT THERE THAT\u2019S PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR RIGHTS, OUR CIVIL RIGHTS, WHERE WE\u2019RE GOING WITH THIS FUTURE. SO WE HAVE AN ENGAGED AUDIENCE AS WELL. AND OUR POWER COMES FROM. X WE\u2019VE GROWN EXPONENTIALLY EACH YEAR. IT\u2019S INCREDIBLE. WE NOW HAVE AN OFFICE DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS WAY FUN. WE, WE DO OUR PODCAST, WE HAVE A PODCAST STUDIO THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO. WE HAVE REPORTERS, WE HAVE INCREDIBLE REPORTERS OUT THERE AS WE GROW AND WE REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, OUR FACE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE ANYTIME YOU LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY, WE HOPE THAT YOU SEE YOUR FACE AS PART OF THAT MESSAGING THAT WE\u2019RE GIVING OUT. SO WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STAFF, EVERYBODY AT AT AT KOHBERGER IS, IS, IS PART OF THE COMMUNITY. YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S A STORIES BY US FOR US. AND I THINK THAT\u2019S WHERE OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM BECAUSE WHEN WE TELL A STORY, WE\u2019RE TELLING IT FROM OUR HEART. AND THAT\u2019S REACHES AN AUDIENCE. AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL THAT NEXT STEP COULD BE MOVING FORWARD? WELL, AS WE AS OUR IT\u2019S INTERESTING BECAUSE EVEN WITH LIKE PRIDE DAYS, WE LOOK AT THE GROWTH. IF THE GROWTH IS WITH OUR ALLIED COMMUNITY, IF THE GROWTH IS WITH IS IS WITH THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN TO SEEK MORE INFORMATION THAT ARE INTERESTED OR, OR MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING WHERE IT AFFECTS THEIR LIVES, THAT THEY\u2019RE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION. THAT\u2019S WHERE OUR NEXT STEP IS IN HELPING PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES, THAT ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THAT THAT PEOPLE MAY HAVE. SO YEAH. AND WHO KNOWS WHAT\u2019S GOING TO HAPPEN. WE DON\u2019T EVEN KNOW THE DIRECTION SOMEONE COMES UP WITH A GREAT IDEA AND WE\u2019RE THERE, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS IT REACHES THE AND WE\u2019RE LUCKY. WE\u2019RE LUCKY TO HAVE GREAT PEOPLE BEHIND US. AND PASSIONATE PEOPLE. AND I THINK THAT\u2019S WHAT THAT\u2019S, THAT\u2019S THE, THE, THAT\u2019S THE WONDER OF NEWBURGH IS THAT WE\u2019RE ALL PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT ABOUT WHAT WE DO. AND ZOOMING OUT IN TERMS OF UBER IS ONE OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE OWNED BY THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, OR JUST SUPPORT THE LGBT, LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. EXCUSE ME. TALK TO ME ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS AVAILABLE HERE AND JUST READY TO HELP. AND WHAT DOES THAT REALLY DO FOR FOLKS LIVING HERE ACROSS PITTSBURGH? RIGHT. WELL, VISIBILITY MATTERS. VISIBILITY MATTERS, RIGHT? TO BE VISIBLE, TO BE LGBTQ. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THAT ARE GAY OWNED THAT WE CAN HELP SPOTLIGHT. WE WANT TO GET THAT, GET THAT IN THERE. SO WE WANT TO WE WANT TO HELP THE COMMUNITY GROW. AND THROUGH THAT GROWTH IS, IS, IS WHERE THE COMMUNITY GROWS, WHERE OUR ACCEPTANCE GROWS AND WONDERFUL FOR, FOR THE, FOR, FOR PITTSBURGH AND BEYOND. AND WHEN YOU VIEW THE DISCUSSION OF PRIDE IN GENERAL, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT HAS REALLY EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS OR EVEN THE LAST DECADE OR EVEN THE LAST YEAR? RIGHT. HOW DO YOU VIEW THAT EVOLUTION HERE IN THE STEEL CITY? OKAY, SO PRIDE, PRIDE IS MY HEART, MY SOUL. IT IS THE MOST THING I\u2019M MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT. I\u2019VE BEEN ON THE PRIDE PITTSBURGH PRIDE COMMITTEE, NOW 21 YEARS. SO STARTED OFF AS AS THE CHAIR WHERE WE SET UP OUR FESTIVAL IN THE RIVERFRONT PARK IN BETWEEN ARKANSAS STADIUM HEINZ FIELD AND THE PNC PARK. RIGHT. THAT LITTLE PARK. SO WE WERE WE WOULD SET UP AND HAVE TO TAKE DOWN. THIS IS 2005 AND 2006. WE WOULD HAVE TO SET UP AND TAKE DOWN THAT MORNING AND TAKE DOWN ONE YEAR, 5:00 IN THE. THERE WAS A BASEBALL GAME. WE HAD TO BE OFF BY 5:00, BUT AT THE TIME WE ONLY HAD PROBABLY ABOUT MAYBE 25, 30 VENDORS. LOOK AT PRIDE. NOW, LOOK AT IT. IN 21 YEARS WHERE WE\u2019RE AT, I. WHAT WE. NOW, JIM AND I DO THE. WE ARE CO-CHAIRS OF THE MARCH SLASH PARADE. WE ALONE HAD 136 CONTINGENTS IN THE PARADE ITSELF. WE HAD THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MARCHERS. RIGHT. SO LOOK AT THAT. YOU\u2019RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT\u2019S LIKE A LITTLE FIZZY INTO SOMETHING LIKE A GIANT ROCKET THAT THAT JUST TOOK OFF. AND IT\u2019S INCREDIBLE. IT\u2019S INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, I LOVE PRIDE, THE FEELING OF PRIDE. THE GROWTH OF PRIDE IS, IS WONDERFUL. LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, YOU, YOU FEEL PRIDE. YOU FEEL IT. AND TO THAT POINT, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I WANTED TO. SO KNOWING THAT THE FIRST PRIDE PARADE IN PITTSBURGH WAS IN 1973. CORRECT ABOUT LONG ONE. IT WAS ABOUT 150 PEOPLE, FROM WHAT I\u2019VE READ, THAT SHOWED UP RIGHT AND PARTICIPATED. CORRECT. LOOKING AT WHAT PRIDE THE PRIDE PARADE WAS THIS YEAR, 300 000 PEOPLE. YEAH. WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE, WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE, PROBABLY NAVIGATING, GETTING EVERYONE SETTLED IN READY TO ROCK. WHEN YOU WERE ABLE TO ZOOM BACK, DID YOU EVER KIND OF SIT AND GO, WOW! COMPARISON? I WON\u2019T TELL YOU WHAT EXPERIENCE INCREDIBLE. YEAH, YOU LOOK BACK AT IT AND BACK THEN IN 1973, THEY WERE IN MARKET SQUARE. THEY KIND OF RALLIED AND THEY WALKED ALL THE WAY TO SCHENLEY PARK, WHICH IS, WHAT, ABOUT THREE MILES OR SO UP AND IT\u2019S UPHILL. RIGHT? SO AND IT WAS A PROTEST BACK THEN. IT WAS MORE OF A PROTEST. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT PITTSBURGH PRIDE AND WHAT WE\u2019VE DONE, WE REMEMBER THAT IT WAS A PROTEST. WE REMEMBER THAT IT WAS SOMETHING TO BE ANGRY ABOUT. I MEAN, PRIDE WAS A RIOT. I\u2019M SORRY. STONEWALL WAS A RIOT, RIGHT? STONEWALL WAS THE THE CATALYST FOR THE GAY MOVEMENT FOR THE GAY REVOLUTION. SO WE REMEMBER THAT AS BEING A RIOT. RIGHT. AND PEOPLE CAME OUT TO THE STREETS WITH PICKET SIGNS AND ANGRY AND MARCHING AND ALL THAT. AND WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT PITTSBURGH IS THAT WE HAVE A PRIDE PARADE. SO WE REMEMBER THAT. WE REMEMBER THAT WE WERE A PROTEST. AND SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO MARCH IN THE PARADE CAN MARCH 1ST. IT\u2019S A MARCH, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE TAKE WHEN WE START THE PARADE, IT STARTS OFF AND IT\u2019S A PROTEST. BUT WE\u2019RE ALSO CELEBRATORY BECAUSE THE FACT IS, IS THAT WE\u2019VE COME A LONG WAY, YOU KNOW, EVEN WE\u2019VE COME A LONG WAY. SO WE REMEMBER THAT OR WE CELEBRATE THAT. SO THERE\u2019S A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP, NOT A GAP, BUT LIKE WE HAVE THE FLAGS THAT COME OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT DO THE PITTSBURGH COLOR GUARD THAT DO SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB, THAT COME OUT WAVING ALL THEIR FLAGS, AND THEN THE CELEBRATORY STUFF COMES. AND THAT\u2019S WHERE WE HAVE THEN ALL OF OUR LGBTQ GROUPS THAT MARCH, AND THEN ALL OF OUR COMPANIES AND CORPORATE SPONSORS AND STUFF, OR SPONSORS, SMALL BUSINESSES. SO THEY ALL MARCH IN CELEBRATION OF ALL OF US. AND THAT\u2019S WHERE THE 136 CONTINGENTS CAME IN AT THE END, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE. SO YEAH, DO WE SEE THE GROWTH? DO WE SEE WHERE WE\u2019RE AT BACK FROM THE PAST? DID I EVER THINK THAT ANY OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE? ABSOLUTELY NOT. AND PERSONALLY, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? FOR LIVING A LIFE WHERE YOU NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD BE ACCEPTED AND ALWAYS HAVE TO LIVE IN A SHADOW, TO ALL OF A SUDDEN BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT? I MEAN, LOOK AT THESE ARE PRETTY BRIGHT LIGHTS, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, THIS IS WONDERFUL FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR ME, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE\u2019RE NOT DONE YET. THERE\u2019S A LOT MORE ACCEPTANCE. LIKE, LET\u2019S NOT BE STUPID, RIGHT? WE, WE DO REALIZE THAT THERE\u2019S, THERE\u2019S STILL A STRUGGLE. WE CAN STILL GET FIRED IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR BEING FOR BEING GAY. LET\u2019S NOT STOP. THERE\u2019S THERE\u2019S STILL A ROAD. SO AND THAT ROAD IS STILL THERE. AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE WILL ACHIEVE. IT MAY NOT BE IN MY LIFETIME, BUT TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT I\u2019VE HAD, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GOT MARRIED, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK THAT? RIGHT. BUT YEAH, IT\u2019S BEEN A WONDERFUL I\u2019M SO GLAD I LIVED IN THIS LIFETIME BECAUSE I\u2019VE SEEN THE GROWTH. I\u2019VE SEEN ALL THAT HAPPEN. AND IT MAKES ME MORE AND MORE HAPPY FOR THOSE THAT ARE GROWING UP THAT DIDN\u2019T HAVE THE STRUGGLES THAT I DID WITH COMING TO DEAL WITH MY SEXUALITY AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME ACCEPTING MY SEXUALITY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE AROUND US THAT, THAT THAT WON\u2019T ACCEPT US, THAT DON\u2019T WANT TO BE AROUND US AND STUFF. AND SO SLOWLY THOUGH, WE\u2019RE HOPEFULLY BUILDING THOSE, THOSE BRIDGES TO A TIME WHEN, WHO KNOWS? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PRIDE WILL JUST BE A FESTIVAL. WELL, IT IS, BUT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BUT IT MEANS SO MUCH TO SO MANY PEOPLE STILL AHEAD ON FOR THE RECORD, JUNE IS LIKE MY CHRISTMAS, MY THANKSGIVING, MY HALLOWEEN. IT\u2019S HONESTLY MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR. MORE ON THIS MONTH\u2019S CELEBRATION OF PRIDE IN PITTSBURGH AND THE REFLECTIONS ON WHAT OUR CITY CAN DO TO BECOME MORE WELCOMING TO THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. WELCOME BACK. I WANT TO CONTINUE MY CONVERSATION NOW ABOUT PRIDE IN PITTSBURGH BY BRINGING IN JIM SHEPARD, THE OTHER CO-FOUNDER OF SO I FIRST WANT TO START OUT WITH IT IS PRIDE MONTH. YES, IT IS. IT\u2019S IT\u2019S A VERY EXCITING TIME FOR THE PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, I DO WANT TO START OUT WITH TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESOURCES AND THE AVAILABILITY THAT FOLKS IN PITTSBURGH REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO. CAN YOU KIND OF DIVE INTO WHAT YOU HAVE NOTICED RECENTLY THAT HAS BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY, AND HOW HAS THAT REALLY EVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS? ABSOLUTELY. WE\u2019VE SEEN SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS POP UP IN THE LAST FEW YEARS SUPPORTING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OF PITTSBURGH. THERE\u2019S PROUD HAVEN. THEY\u2019RE AN LGBTQ FOCUSED ON YOUTH HOMELESSNESS. THERE\u2019S HUGH LANE WELLNESS FOUNDATION, WHICH REALLY HELPS WITH RESOURCES ON LIKE FOOD AVAILABILITY AND CONNECTING TO HEALTH. AND THERE\u2019S TRANS UNITING, WHO FOCUSES ON TRANS AND INTERSEX ISSUES FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THERE\u2019S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. AND HERE AT NEWBURGH, WHERE THE LGBTQ NEWSPAPER FOR PITTSBURGH, WE TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT\u2019S IN OUR DIRECTORY. BUT IT\u2019S SO HARD BECAUSE THERE\u2019S SO MANY NEW THINGS POPPING UP LEFT AND RIGHT. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THE WAY THINGS ARE TODAY, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? SEEING JUST THAT EVOLUTION JUST HAPPEN KIND OF IN REAL TIME? IT\u2019S, IT\u2019S REALLY INCREDIBLE BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER EVEN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE 90S, EARLY 2000, NOT TO AGE MYSELF OR ANYTHING, BUT IT FELT LIKE MAYBE THERE WASN\u2019T A LOT, OR MAYBE I JUST WAS UNAWARE OF IT. SO TO SEE SO MUCH ALL OVER THE PLACE IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, AFFIRMING AND BRINGS LIKE A WARMNESS TO YOUR HEART FOR EVERYBODY. AND FORGIVE ME IF I\u2019M WRONG. YOU ARE ALSO THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, OR AT LEAST THE COMMISSIONER FOR THAT REGARD. I KIND OF WANT TO DIVE INTO THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH IN PARTICULAR. I KNOW THE PITTSBURGH HAS TAKEN STRIDES IN THEIR OWN RIGHT TO BECOME MORE AND MORE INCLUSIVE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. KIND OF TALK TO ME ABOUT KIND OF HOW DO YOU VIEW THE JOB THAT PITTSBURGH HAS DONE IN PARTICULAR TO HELPING FOLKS IN THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY? AND WHERE ARE SOME THERE\u2019S SOME ROOM TO GROW? OH, YEAH. AND THE LAST FEW MAYORS STARTING, I THINK, WITH BILL PEDUTO AND THEN MOVING THROUGH EDITOR GAINEY AND NOW MAYOR O\u2019CONNOR, THEY ALL HAVE A COMMISSION ON LGBTQ AFFAIRS WITHIN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, AND THEY\u2019RE REALLY FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING ISSUES THAT POP UP OVER TIME AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY IS WELCOMING TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. WE\u2019VE SEEN CITY COUNCIL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ADD TRANS AND THOSE ISSUES TO PROTECTIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, SO YOU CAN\u2019T BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FOR HOUSING OR PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. SO EVERYONE\u2019S WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S A KIND OF A DIFFICULT POLITICAL CLIMATE RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST NATIONALLY, BUT STATEWIDE. AND EVERYTHING WE CAN DO HERE LOCALLY TO MAKE UP FOR, WE\u2019LL SAY, THE LACK OF SUPPORT NATIONALLY WAS REALLY HELPFUL. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE HUMAN RIGHTS MUNICIPALITY INDEX GAVE PITTSBURGH A 100 PERFECT SCORE. YES, IN A LOT OF WAYS. AND THAT JUST SHOWS THE ABILITY OF AVAILABILITY AND RESOURCES FOR FOLKS IN THE AREA, KNOWING THAT GETTING AN A IS GREAT. YEAH. WHAT DO YOU FEEL COULD BE THAT POSSIBLE NEXT STEP FOR THE CITY? OOH, A NEXT STEP. THAT\u2019S A GOOD ONE. I NEED A SECOND TO EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT. THAT\u2019S ALL RIGHT. AND EVEN BASE IT OFF YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS WELL. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MISSING THAT COULD EVEN MAKE YOUR DAY TO DAY EVEN BETTER? OR PEOPLE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER? WELL, WE SEE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A NEED FOR FOCUSING ON OUR TRANS AND OUR PEOPLE OF COLOR, BROTHERS AND SISTERS. YOU KNOW, ME, I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PRIVILEGE AS A PUSHING, MIDDLE AGED WHITE GUY, BUT WE REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT OUR BLACK AND BROWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS FEEL LIKE THEY\u2019RE GETTING ALL THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A CITY THAT\u2019S WELCOMING TO, TO EVERYBODY. AND I KNOW PITTSBURGH LIKES TO CALL ITSELF THE THE MOST LIVABLE CITY IN AMERICA, SO THAT WE NEED TO STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTUALLY IS. AND I GUESS OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU VIEW THIS MONTH IN PARTICULAR, HOW DO YOU VIEW IT? AND I FEEL LIKE WHAT IS MAYBE THE MESSAGE THAT\u2019S BEING LOST IN THE MIDDLE THAT FOR FOLKS THAT PROBABLY ARE CURIOUS, RIGHT? SO JUNE IS LIKE MY CHRISTMAS, MY THANKSGIVING, MY HALLOWEEN, IT\u2019S HONESTLY MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I GET TO HAVE A FAMILY REUNION WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I HAVEN\u2019T SEEN MAYBE ALL YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, PITTSBURGH PRIDE WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS PAST WEEKEND AND IT WAS GREAT TO CONNECT WITH EVERYBODY. BUT THAT\u2019S SUCH A HUGE EVENT. ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE\u2019VE SEEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS IS SMALLER PRIDE EVENTS POPPING UP ACROSS THE REGION, YOU KNOW, IN THE SUBURBS OR THE TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS. EVERYONE IS STARTING TO HAVE A PRIDE EVENT WHERE YOU CAN GO TO THOSE. IT\u2019S A LITTLE CALMER, A LITTLE LESS LOUD, BUT YOU CAN CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY, SEE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST LIKE YOU, OR MAYBE MEET SOMEONE WHO\u2019S BRAND NEW AND DIFFERENT THAN YOU AND REALLY CELEBRATE THAT DIVERSITY. AND JUST TO KNOW THAT IT\u2019S KIND OF NOT SAY, SPREADING, BUT THEY\u2019RE SEEING SOME OF THAT OPENNESS REALLY KIND OF SPREAD ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. WHAT DOES THAT HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL THAT MAKES THAT MAKES ME FEEL ECSTATIC BECAUSE AGAIN, IN THE 90S, IT DIDN\u2019T SEEM LIKE THERE WAS THAT MUCH VISIBILITY FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY THAT I WAS AWARE OF. BUT SEEING IT SPREAD, I GREW UP IN BROOKLINE. BROOKLYN IS GOING TO HAVE THEIR FIRST PRIDE COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER. SO NOT ONLY IS IT SPREADING REGIONALLY, IT\u2019S SPREADING ACROSS THE CALENDAR. AND SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING ON CUBA IN GENERAL, THE I KNOW YOU ALL REALLY TRY TO TRACK DOWN THE NEWS FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY AND THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO THEM ON A DAY TO DAY. TALK TO ME ABOUT, I GUESS, THE CHALLENGES YOU ALL KIND OF FACE, KIND OF GETTING THIS NEWS OUT THERE AND THE IMPORTANCE BEHIND JUST MAKING SURE IT\u2019S OUT THERE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF LGBTQ MEDIA IS ASTOUNDING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU\u2019RE NOT GOING TO COVER, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST DRAG QUEEN THAT WON A LOCAL PAGEANT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THAT MIGHT NOT MATTER TO A HUGE RANGE OF YOUR AUDIENCE, BUT THAT REALLY MATTERS TO A LOT OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. SO WE FOCUS ON THOSE SMALLER STORIES THAT KIND OF HAVE THAT NICHE AUDIENCE. AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ALWAYS DO WE GET ALL THE FUNDING THAT WE NEED. WE NEED MORE ADVERTISERS AND SPONSORS TO SUPPORT US. LIKE WE MENTIONED EARLIER, RIGHT NOW, NATIONALLY, THERE\u2019S KIND OF A PUSHBACK AGAINST THE COMMUNITY. SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, SOME CORPORATE DOLLARS BACK AWAY A LITTLE BIT. SO THAT\u2019S CHALLENGING. WE DON\u2019T HAVE A LOT OF SYNDICATION SERVICE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAS THE AP AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT WE DON\u2019T REALLY HAVE THAT AS A SERVICE. SO WE REALLY HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION, KEEP OUR EAR TO THE GROUND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE\u2019RE COVERING THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY. AND YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE PUSHBACK WE\u2019RE SEEING NATIONALLY IN A LOT OF WAYS, FROM FROM A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DO YOU VIEW AS WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DO IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, WHERE THEY WHERE THEY ARE FEELING SOME OF THIS PUSHBACK, RIGHT? SO WITH PITTSBURGH PRIDE, THERE WAS A LOT OF PULL BACK ON CORPORATE DOLLARS SPONSORING THE EVENT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST FANTASTIC THINGS THAT WE SAW THIS YEAR WAS THE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, HOW CAN WE HELP? WE\u2019LL DONATE $200, WE\u2019LL GIVE $2,000. SO ALL TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER, THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED ITSELF AND PULLED OFF THE BIGGEST PRIDE THAT THE CITY HAS EVER HAD HERE ON FOR THE RECORD, BECAUSE COMING UP, I\u2019VE GOT THIS WEEK\u2019S FINAL WORD. WELCOME BACK TO. FOR THE RECORD, BEFORE WE GO, I WANT TO BRING JEFFREY BACK IN FOR THIS WEEK\u2019S FINAL WORD. AS WE REFLECT ON THIS MONTH\u2019S CELEBRATIONS OF PRIDE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE PRIDE MONTH BEING IN JUNE, OF COURSE, LIKE ANY OTHER CELEBRATORY MONTH HAPPENING ACROSS THE YEAR, IT CAN BE CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. BUT FOR FOLKS AT HOME, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM PRIDE MONTH IN GENERAL, AND HOW CAN THEY KIND OF CARRY IT FORWARD INTO THE REST OF THE YEAR? RIGHT, RIGHT. SO MY DAD ALWAYS HAD THIS SAYING, RIGHT WHEN I CAME OUT AND ALL THAT. HE WAS ASKED ABOUT, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR SON BEING GAY? AND HE SAYS, WELL, I DON\u2019T KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS NEVER HAD TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. IT WASN\u2019T IN MY CIRCLE. AND WE AND WE TALK ABOUT CIRCLES, RIGHT? AND GAY WAS NEVER IN GAY WAS NEVER IN HIS CIRCLE. SO ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SAID, IT CAME INTO MY CIRCLE AND I HAD TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT IT. RIGHT. SO IF THIS ISN\u2019T IN YOUR CIRCLE, THEN COME TO A PRIDE FESTIVAL. THOUSANDS AROUND HERE NOW, WHICH IS GREAT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I\u2019M A GATEWAY GRAD, SO THERE\u2019S EVEN MONROEVILLE HAS A HAS A PRIDE NOW. SO COME TO MONROEVILLE PRIDE. BUT ANYWAYS BUT COME COME TO A PRIDE. COME COME SEE COME EXPERIENCE. IT\u2019S A LOT OF FUN. THERE\u2019S A LOT OF A LOT OF FUN, A LOT OF GREAT ENERGY THERE AND YEAH. AND DO RESEARCH OR JUST KIND OF JUST, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE, LOOK AT NEWBURGH, RIGHT? WE HAVE, WE HAVE A GREAT RESOURCE FOR EVERYONE. SO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS. NOBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY IS AFRAID OF AN HONEST QUESTION, RIGHT? AS LONG AS YOU ASK US A QUESTION ABOUT IT. YES. THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE QUESTIONS. AND WE WANT TO THANK JEFF FREEMAN AND JIM SHEPHERD FOR COMING IN FOR TODAY\u2019S SHOW. AND THAT\u2019S ALL FOR THIS INSTALLMENT OF FOR THE RECORD. THANKS FOR WATCHING. WE\u2019LL SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 11 A.M.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
‘June is like my Christmas’: 4 The Record celebrates Pride Month in Pittsburgh<\/p>\n
4 The Record host Carlos Flores celebrates Pride Month by speaking with Jeff Freedman and Jim Sheppard, co-creators of QBurgh<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 11:00 AM EDT Jun 14, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n