A group of technologists, startup founders and others in the local innovation community have joined together to launch a Pittsburgh chapter of Out in Tech, a global networking organization for LGBTQ+ tech workers.
According to Todd Feiler, who is one of about a dozen people on the local chapter's leadership team, a dedicated Pittsburgh channel on the Out in Tech Slack messaging platform was established in July 2020, but it didn't see much active participation from those who joined it for years until this past spring.
Now, and after some encouragement from Feiler and others, the group is hoping to get its application approved by Out in Tech leadership, which will bring with it official chapter designation that would put Pittsburgh among the ranks of more than 30 other cities like London, Madrid and New York.
The group hosted an informal happy hour at 5801 Video Lounge in Shadyside last June and it's eyeing its first major event for this fall.
"That ended up being a win, from zero [people] to 12 [people]," Feiler, who is also the co-founder and CEO of offline social development platform Ringlet, said of the group's first event. "That set the ball in motion and we've been following the more formal process and we're planning our first event in October."
Out in Tech boasts over 50,000 members globally and Feiler, a Pittsburgh native who returned to the city this past March, said he recalled visiting New York chapter events from the organization that drew hundreds of people in attendance. He's optimistic Pittsburgh might be able to do the same someday, too.
"Having seen it in action [in New York], I knew how valuable it would be for Pittsburgh," Feiler said. "Speaking personally, it's one of the most authentically inclusive professional organizations I've been a part of. It's very much member-led spirit. It's non-hierarchical. It's meant to be: If you want to throw an event, go for it."
And having these events for those who identify as LGBTQ+ is vital for community development and support, Feiler said, especially in light of developments nationally that have put this population under threat in numerous states over the past year.
"If you look at what's happening in the political climate in the country, it's a pretty difficult time for the LGBTQ community. There are really aggressive campaigns against transgender people to strip them of their rights," Feiler said. "A lot of us are just trying to get by, truthfully, and we're working our tech jobs, and I think this is a nice opportunity to try to help people. I think through community, a lot of good can come from that."
