LGBTQIA+ Commission votes to form working group with Gender Equity Commission

The Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission on March 17 approved a working group to coordinate with the city’s Gender Equity Commission on shared agenda items, commissioners said.

The proposal calls for city employees who serve on both commissions plus two or three community commissioners from each commission to collaborate between regular meetings so work can proceed outside the full commission’s schedule. Topics mentioned during the discussion included reproductive-rights access, TransHealthcare coordination, diaper and menstrual-product distribution and related community supports.

A commissioner moved to create the working group and another seconded. The commission conducted a voice vote; members responded "aye" and the chair announced the measure approved by voice vote during the remote meeting.

Commissioners said the working group will draft parameters for what the group will work on between full meetings and will report back to both commissions. Staff members and the chair pledged to follow up by circulating example charters and by scheduling the first working-group meeting.

The vote came as commissioners emphasized the need for actionable work between monthly meetings rather than deferring items until full agenda time. Several commissioners said the inter-commission group would allow smaller teams to push items forward—such as collecting and directing donated diapers, sanitary products and other direct services—while the full commissions maintain oversight and public reporting.

The commission recorded the motion on the meeting minutes and agreed to reconvene the working group planning session in the coming weeks.