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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