27. January 2010 by admin.

I am passionate. 

Very passionate about the things I love and care about about.  I love Ed passionately.  I love Out newspaper passionately.  Not the same, but different types of passion.  Ed and I have been together for 21 years.  It is hard to remember my life without him and the kids, not that I sit around and think about it much.  We have created new memories together.  For example February 2, 2001 we flew off to Montgomery Center, Vermont and were united in Civil Union.  We have been many places and have many memories on cruises, in other countries, amusement parks and gay resort towns. 

But, the best memories I have are when he stood strongly by my side when my mother died, when he said “lets go for it, you have my support” when I wanted to buy Out Publishing Co. Inc., when we decided we wanted more children and met them for the first time and the beautiful moment we shared at the very emotional homecoming at the airport.  My point is that we do not have to be somewhere special for the perfect memory.  It is what we are sharing and how we share it that is most important.

The paragraph above shows you my number one passion, but I also have a passion and love for Pittsburgh’s Out newspaper.  When the newspaper first became available for purchase over 16 years ago, it was not my passion, it was someone Else’s.  We were concerned that the newspaper would get into the hands of someone with motives other than giving you-our readers a quality newspaper that educations but also entertains.  A decision at that time that didn’t seem very sound managed to blossom into a great investment and one of the best decisions we ever made.  It wasn’t easy early on, but along the way the investment in the regional LGBT community and newspaper paid off.  It has been rule number one from day one that this newspaper never be used for personal attacks and have the highest level of integrity possible. 

Today, the February issue is still hot off the press and I must admit, I am damn proud of it and my staff.  I believe there is something for every person, every group inside.  It is our goal to reach everyone including gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgendered people and that includes leather-men, drag queens, young, old, rich and poor, arts community and all the diverse people and groups that make this community so special.  After all, we are all equal and part of something bigger. 

Having said that, Pittsburgh’s Out will always be much bigger than me and so much more than one of, if not the oldest LGBT regional publication in the United States.  Can you see now?  These are the reasons why we do what we do and why this newspaper will continue to grow and success with trust, honesty and integrity.

The next time you pick up a copy, remember this.  Support the advertisers inside.  Each and every beautiful page of newsprint is designed with you in mind.  Those advertisers and the newspaper have been your supporter and contributors to our community for over 38 years.  How cool is that?   Be loyal to your hometown newspaper-a part of your community, your friend.  And never forget your Best Friend Forever…

Keep Reading…

Tony

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14. January 2010 by admin.

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog.

Now that we have 2009 out of the way, it time to recharge and start planning for the new year.  Can you believe it is 2010?  Remember the 2000 scare?  Seems like only yesterday we were panicking about the 2000 computer turnover scare.  Now, 2012 seems to be the end of the world which means I have two years to make my point on this blog.  I have so much to do and a ton of space to fill until then.

Since last year, my Talk It Out show has become Talk It Out Everyday.  We now are featured Monday through Friday from 12 noon until 1pm.  And, if that’s not enough, a extended after-show continues from 1pm-?.  I admit the show is a lot of fun and informative, not only to our audience but to me too.  OTV Update: Now offering 10 shows, 8 of which are produced locally.  We just added The Real Zephyrevery Wednesday at 6pm.  Let me know what you think about the new-look website and the new programming?  www.outonline.com

My birthday and Christmas was tough.  I really missed my mother.  This was the first birthday and Christmas that I did not spend with her.  Many of you know what I am saying.  Thank God that Ed was there for me.  I must admit, I am still dealing with the loss, but each day gets easier.

The January issue was released without a hitch which afforded me some time off to recharge.  Nothing was accomplished around my house.  Uncomplicated and no real schedule, I got my shit together and started to plan again for the future of the newspaper and www.outonline.com.  It’s a blessing to be able to focus and set realistic goals again.  I am back on track 110% and loving it.  The newspaper had a pretty decent 4th quarter and 2010 has brought record numbers to the website.

2012 may not be the end of all things.  However, I would settle with the end of Prop 8, man and woman only marriage, discrimination of any kind or any group of people, hate, taxes, lies, snow and wind chills, Quinn and Rose, Sarah Palin, unemployment, poverty, death, my pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Monroeville wanting to leave the ELCA because of it’s new pro-gay policies, certain politicians, parkway east traffic, recession, Pat Robinson’s stupid and hateful comments, junk e-mail, all diseases, suffering, commercials that promised credit card debt relief, limit of 2, the belief that Ronald Reagan was a great president, the belief that George Bush kept us safe, mortgages, G20 trials, the Spin Factor, organizations asking me for money, closeted people that hold our community back and finally not doing updates on this blog.

The end of the world? I don’t think so, but hopefully the end of the world as we know it.

Keep Reading…

Tony

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1. January 2010 by admin.

Happy New Year from the staff of Out, OTV and Gay Life Tv. 

Thank you for another successful year.  We are here for you in 2010! 

Best wishes for a great year! 

Tony

www.outonline.com and OTV
Pittsburgh’s Out newspaper since 1973!

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23. December 2009 by admin.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Whatever holiday you are celebrating this season, please do so safely.  Wishing you only the best in 2010! 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our newspaper, website www.outonline.com and OTV!

Keep Reading…  and remember to love one another.

Tony

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15. December 2009 by admin.

Christmas is approaching and I am no further than I was five months ago with my shopping. 

Life threw a sucker punch at me and I trying to stand up.  Dealing with the death of your mother is tough.  I am the type that deals with a situation head on and then I move on.  This is something that cannot be approached with that type of aggression and swift action.  One day, we all become members of this club. 

I have lost grandparents, but never parents. 

In all of this, I have been able to stay focused and a few issue of the newspaper out.  The January is going to press and will be distributed on Thursday.

The website has been updated once again and Talk It Out is everyday at noon, Monday through Friday.  Please check it out and give me your opinion and suggestions?  www.outonline.com

Special note.  Thank you Ed for everything you do.  I love you.  Thank you to my incredible staff at Out and to all of you that have sent cards, e-mails or called during my loss.

More today… I am ready to get back on this horse I call a blog.

Keep on reading…

Tony

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17. November 2009 by admin.

Sorry for missing several updates. 

A few days before Halloween, my mother got ill, was hospitalized and then died on Nov. 5.  A day I will never forget. 

Since then, I have been learning to cope.  I was very close with my mom.  This experience is so new to me.  I did not want to be a member of this club!

I could not do this without the help and support of my fantastic husband and many family members and friends. 

The December issue of Out is about ready to go to press.

Thank you all for your kind words, flowers, gifts and concerns.

I will be back recharged in a few days…

Keep Reading…

Tony

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24. October 2009 by admin.

Hi Friends,

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  Party up!  Before you know it, it will be Monday morning.  A sobering thought.

On Friday, my staff and I stayed late doing pre-press work on Out, while David Stanton prepared for the Pittsburgh View which went live at 7pm at the office.  Finally I was able to head home to change for my son’s band performance at halftime.  Traffic was horrible, and there was threats of rain.  I met Ed at home to head to the game.  Of course it rained and once again our team was blown out, however the band shined even in the rain during a chilly autumn night in this suburban town.  A true winner.

Turn it Blue was the request by the University of Pittsburgh for Saturday’s Pitt vs South Florida game.  Pitt fans answered and so did the team by blowing out SF 41-14. 

I really needed this weekend to hang out, watch some games and get some things done around the house.  Here it is the end of October and our pool is not closed for the season.  Great weekend to mellow out.  I have been very concerned for my sister and her husband.  She has been sick for a while and we are waiting for results.  I am here for you Sis! 

We headed to Sam’s and Office Depot in Monroeville with a stop at a local restaurant afterwards.

Sunday I expect a great game, some house cleaning and grocery shopping.  The morning will start with church, then haircuts, lunch and the Steelers.  We are member of the Good Lutheran Church in Monroeville.  Lutheran’s tend to be quite open minded and caring people, some of the reasons we were attracted to and joined this church.  Believe it or not, some churches don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for non-traditional families.  This church did and has a history of welcoming gays, but lately we have been battling some backdoor politics within the church.  More on this later…

Next week the new Out will be out on the streets.  This is truly an exciting time for me.  I get a lot of joy seeing people picking up the newspaper and reading it.  What’s more, the popularity of the newspaper is incredible and continues to grow even when other newspaper and magazine’s circulation declines.  Out’s circulation and readership continues to grow.  Thank you Pittsburgh for that.  We do it all for you, not the money. 

You motivate us to do better and we do better because of you!

B.G.I.T.O.N.!

Keep Reading…

Tony

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22. October 2009 by admin.

Every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror, I don’t see a gay man. 

I see a man who is getting older, and one not concerned with labels. 

Barely noticed are the wrinkles, additional hair loss and a few extra pounds.  Yeah, right! I am gay after all.   The focus is on the real issues that are important to me.   You know, things like our master bath needs to be cleaned or how refreshing the sun can be coming through the skylights in the morning.  I am joking.  My husband, kids, family, friends and Out are very important to me. 

The mark I leave on the world, not the mark the world leaves on me is very important.

Simply said, I am more than gay.  I love the Steelers, PITT football and the Penguins.  Cage fighting…one word…HOT!   Does this mean I need to turn in my gay card? No, it simply means that I am not imprisoned by the stereotypes society places on us.  One must remain unique and be true to thyself. 

As we grow older, start families and become more accepted by society, we tend to focus less on labels and more on living.  To assume I am not proud of who I am would be a mistake.  Most days, I am delighted with the choses I have made and the ones made for me.   If I was not gay, I would have never met Ed and our three boys.  I also would have never worked for and eventually purchase a leading LGBT newspaper and shared the beautiful relationships that have developed at Out.   My family would be much smaller and not include the love and wisdom that comes with joining families.

I am what I am and have become a survivor and a voice for all people.  I believe in equal rights for all groups including gays, lesbians, African Americans, women, sick, poor, homeless, animals, Latinos, and all minorities in America and around my world.  I even take up straight people causes occasionally.  In all seriousness… ”second class citizen” is not a label that I will accept for myself, my family or for anyone. 

I believe that my responsibility is to inform, to educate and to teach tolerance.  One of my best traits is the desire to root and defend the underdog.  Many of heated discussions have occurred in circles with me representing these people.   I believe one voice can make a difference.

So why do you hate me?  Is it because I am gay?  Or because I own a LGBT newspaper and website that strives to inform and entertain minorities or the thousands of advertisers that depend on it to get their message out?   Perhaps you do not think that Ed and I should be permitted to raise children?  Have you met my kids?  Do you even care about their history when heterosexuals were in charge?  Maybe you don’t like me living in your neighborhood or attending your church?  Everyone knows gayness is contagious and gays attract more gays. I completely understand.  I think straights have taken over the world and I am tired of them ramming heterosexuality down our throats!  They kiss and hold hands in public and now account for 90 percent of the human race.  This must stop!

Hate is hateful.   Lets replace hate with words like love, understanding, tolerance, acceptance and education.

Don’t hate me for who I am, tolerant me for whom I am not.

Keep Reading…

Tony

You can contact me at Out or by e-mail
tony@output.com

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5. October 2009 by admin.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the new shows on OTV http://www.outonline.com. 

We added Sister ShOUT, with Sue Kerr along with co-host Laura Dunhoff as they make history with Pittsburgh’s first “lesbian” video broadcast/podcast. Live every Sunday at 7pm; Tranz-it, with hostess Damanda Dollar and many more.  Check out the website for more information for Talk It Out, with Tony Molnar-Strejcek and David Stanton, Wednesday at 11am; Pittsburgh View, with David, Lisel and guests, Friday at 6pm; the all new Pridecast; Brian T World; The Magazine Show; and Out Music Mix. 

Our line-up includes local personalities, nationally and international up and coming talents.   We got some big surprises coming… keep posted!

Tune in for our Halloween Show with Brian T and guests on October 17 at 7pm and Windows 7 Launch party on October 22 at 7pm with David.  Sponsors needed for the Halloween show.

The October issue of Out is now available everywhere!  Great issue, be sure to pick up your copy of this big, bold, and colorful issue.

Business is booming at some local LGBT bars.  Guess which ones?  HINT: They all advertise in Out.

Have a great week.

Keep Reading…

Tony

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17. September 2009 by admin.

Back to school is suppose to be the end of summer and start of a slower pace for parents.  Not us!  Here is how my week stacks up:  Monday-soccer practice; Tuesday-soccer game (gave away STOMP tickets); Wednesday-band and soccer practice; Thursday-open house at high school; Friday-football game, band; Saturday-12 noon college football game, 6pm Pitt football game; Sunday-wedding.  And, we get to start it all over next week.  

Am I too tired to realize I am tired?  I don’t think so, however if I am, it is my choice.

Would I change a thing?  Nope.  I love my life.  My husband and family are very important to me.  Non-traditional as my family may be, I am extremely proud and very fortunate. 

Last Saturday my cousin got married.  Her reception was a lot of fun.  I love seeing relatives and friends whom we haven’t seen in a while.  As you get older, weddings and funerals are a breeding ground for updates about distant relatives and Ed and I always have lots to talk about.  Ed is everyone’s choice dance partner at receptions and I become everyone’s drinking buddy.  Being together, being a family and being out is never a problem for us.  Putting our relationship, ourselves and our family in the closet is not an option.  If someone has a problem with us, it’s simply their problem, not ours. 

Everyone is not afforded the luxury of being out, and I understand that, but it is so much easier to be out and yourself.  The more of us that are out, the more of a difference we can make for the future gay youth.  There is a perfect opportunity on October 11 to be out and counted in Washington DC.

“We’re marching this October to demand action from the federal government to protect our rights in all 50 states,” said co-organizer Kip Williams. “Real equality can only come from the president, the Congress and the Supreme Court.”

When are you guys adoptioning a little girl?  Or wouldn’t you like to have a little girl around the house?  Those are common questions and ones we have pondered for years.  Remember we are five guys…  As we get older, the urgency of adopting again becomes less attractive.  You need two “yes” and currently we are reduced to 1.5.  That number will continue to drop as I/we age.

I am happy to live in a state where lgbt people can adopt and have both parents names on the birth certificate.  Let me mention that this right is not available in every state.  There are thousand of kids in the foster care system in this country and many are denied good homes because their parent(s) happen to be gay or lesbian.  My experience is that many lgbt parents try harder to be good parent because of the stigma of being a lgbt parent.  http://www.adoptuskids.org/  http://www.outonline.com/pages/local-news.html 

Thanks for reading and being part of my blog.  It is for you that I do this, you that drives us to be an excellent newspaper and you behind the idea of the website and OTV. 

We are all family…part of the lgbt family.  One group, many voices.

Keep Reading…

Tony

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