On Wednesday, City Paper had an interesting article by Alex Zimmerman, highlighting the recent decision by the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh to cease monthly publication of Equal, a glossy paper magazine.I believe, Equal grew out of the very successful Pride guide that Delta has always published as a part of Pride as well as a felt need to provide the Pittsburgh area community with news and information. In my opinion, it was a bold and risky decision to start producing a print publication at a time when so many magazines were shutting down, but my impression was that Equal seemed to be an extension of something Delta already did successfully, so it was possibly a reason risk to take.

Every non-profit organization has to find ways to raise the funds they need to do the programming they want to do, and for many non-profits, that means creating a balance between getting grants, donations, building an endowment that provides investment income, and having some means to earn actual income. Even the smallest organization may sell T-shirts to raise some bucks. This three-pronged approach to revenue is essential and no organization can survive in the long haul, if they don’t get this sorted out for themselves. Generally the role of figuring this out and making it work falls on the Board of Directors. They vision, plan, and create policy or a roadmap that the paid as well as unpaid staff then operationalize.

One quote in the article really stuck out at me. The article is quoting Jonathan Fobear, Equal’s art director:

“When Gary approached me that he wanted to start Equal, he told me that he wanted a monthly magazine to tout all the things Delta Foundation was doing and be a Pittsburgh gay-community guide.”

If there is any LGBT organization in Pittsburgh that ought to be beloved and well known, it ought to be the Delta Foundation. Pride, their biggest endeavor is the largest and best known event inside as well as outside the Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer community. Delta has an enormous following on Facebook with 46,265 likes! How ironic it is that this organization believed they had to embark on an extremely costly venture of magazine publication to have a way to tout what it does.

Zimmerman’s article cites an unnamed board member about concerns with not paying the bills, which also seems ironic. Few if any LGBTQ related non-profits are in a position to raise more money than the Delta Foundation given how successful they have been at building Pride. I think everyone, no matter if the closing of Equal seems troubling or not, ought to be thinking about what all of this could mean. Delta is almost like one of those banks which had to be bailed out as “too big to fail.” Pride is too important to too many people, that the health and well being of Delta as an organization is essential. Without Delta, and without Pride, not only would the LGBTQ community suffer but Pittsburgh and Western PA as well.

I personally believe many associated with Delta Foundation have the very best of intentions, but the organization is stuck in an old and outdated mindset and model of being. Even Fobear’s quote alludes to it, and he talks about a “gay community guide.” The very idea of a “gay community” is outdated and exclusive. Pittsburgh has a thriving youth scene where many self identify as “queer.” And these days, to talk about anything less than a LGBTQ community is simply out of step with the times in which we live. But Delta in general, and Gary Van Horn in particular are well known for scoffing at what is considered the growing rainbow alphabet. If the organization stopped looking at the world as if “gay community” is a real and inclusive entity, it would be a big step in the right direction. In Delta’s defense, I want to note that the organization is more inclusive than it might seem at times. For example, Delta has been a strong supporter for the developing Trans Pride.

The other quote that struck me was one by Joe King, Equal’s former managing Editor:

“When he started hearing that businesses were not receiving their usual stacks of the magazine…”

To be honest, I didn’t even know the magazine was available except by paid subscription! I had no idea that any organizations had copies or that it was available anywhere except to receive it in the mail. In my opinion, this is also related to an outdated way of thinking and seeing LGBTQ Pittsburgh. The Delta Foundation grew out of a collection of gay bar owners, and to this day, I believe the Pittsburgh gay bar scene is what Delta understands as the “community.”

There is one statement in Zimmerman’s article that I don’t completely agree with, even though he is correct. Zimmerman writes:

And now, for the first time in decades, Pittsburgh is without a regularly released publication specifically geared toward an LGBT audience.

Both this blog, thomascwaters.com, and Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents by Sue Kerr must be described as regularly published  and geared towards the LGBTQ community, even if neither has a print component. Additionally, the GLCC has its web site and calendar, and many other organizations have means to communicate with many within the larger LGBTQ community.

I wrote the other day, questioning the possible need for a LGBTQ related journalistic effort more similar to the Philadelphia Gay News, The Washington Blade, or other LGBTQ newspapers. And even if we can cite a dozen blogs in Pittsburgh, these resources are all decentralized which has its own share of shortcomings. But Equal, was never intended to be journalism, but rather a marketing piece for a sole non-profit organization.

I am a real fan of the way Gary and others have pushed to grow Pittsburgh Pride into a huge destination event for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, and Queer folks from all over. Not everyone in the Pittsburgh LGBTQ community feels that way. Let’s hope that Delta is able to maintain and produce a quality Pride this year. But I also believe anyone who cares about the local LGBTQ community ought to care about this change at Delta. What does it mean when an organization this size and this importance acts in the ways described in this story? How many may be impacted in the long haul?