MS89 // Pittsburgh Queer History Project

LaDonna LaMoore poses with Harrison Apple during our first event, a screening of Miss Pittsburgh 1989 with runner up, LaDonna.

MS89 by the Pittsburgh Queer History Project starts from the provocation that historical invisibility is typically what we fear, but it’s illegibility that will really do us in.  This program succeeded in making Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ community legible from generation to generation.

We gained support and awards from the Steiner Visitor Invitation Grant, the Humanities Scholars Program, and the Opportunity Fund to produce 12 original events and performances under the name “Ms. 89” where the creators and donors of the Pittsburgh Queer History Project archives were compensated to collaborate with artists and provide public education about Pittsburgh’s role as an impactful place on LGBTQ life. Our full series began with the Miss Pittsburgh 1989 Pageant where LaDonna LaMoore spoke about her life in the service industry, her gender transition, relocation to rural Pennsylvania and returning to performing after a 25 year break. We continued to cover topics from HIV/AIDS activism, Vogue/Ballroom, Sex Work Economy, Independent Lesbian Radio Collectives, and Transgender Civil Protections.

Minidoc produced by University of Pittsburgh students on MS89 and PQHP

 Animation by Lauren Hortie and Sonya Reynolds for MS89: Lesbian Punk Pittsburgh with Harriet Stein

Original Mix by Juan LeFontaine of Miscellaneous Records for MS89: Queen of the Megamix with Milan Tre’Zur in Memory of DJ Jimmy Lewis

We have been welcomed with open arms to present on stages across the city, from the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Harris Theater to underground literary circles, rare record clubs, and traveling house parties.

In each iteration we teach one another how to use these collections as tools for closing memory gaps between generations; separated by trauma of epidemics, economic collapse, and police violence.

The previously unseen films, videos, and testimonies have called out to viewers and received an unambiguous response that a shared history is worth every ounce of effort it takes to retell it.

Visit the Pittsburgh Queer History Project website to watch documentation from past events and learn how to become part of our volunteer program!

Read our grant report on MS89 below