The pandemic was raging in 2020, when Jeff Freedman and Jim Sheppard came up with what they called “a crazy idea.”

They decided to start QBurgh, a publication for Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community — even though neither had any journalism experience. Freedman, 65, is a former accountant; Sheppard, 39, has a background in government, public policy and web and graphic design. They met through their advocacy and Pride activities.

The pandemic was “a devastating hit on our community,” Freedman says. There were no resources for people to connect, no publication specifically covering the LGBTQ+ community. “There was no place to go … Everything was shut down.

“So we launched out of necessity,” Freedman says. “And it was a crazy idea, considering neither one of us had any sort of idea of what we wer

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