One of them called Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto a "Big Mistake," others criticize U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton), and one equates Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan. Typically far-right drivel.
Another is a pro-Trump poster that praises the president for having “a pair” and then shows an image of two brass balls. According to The Free Dictionary, “brass balls” is a vulgar idiom meant to describe someone with unwavering courage and toughness, but also can be used to describe someone with an excessive ego and self-assurance. Gonna venture a guess that the owner of the homemade billboard implied the former definition, even though President Donald Trump is much more known for the latter.
More disturbing is another poster near the Trump billboard that encourages people to breed. “Thank God everyday, for those of us that still breed.” Sue Kerr of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents rightly points out the white-supremacist undertones in this makeshift billboard, as the Great Replacement conspiracy theory pushed by white supremacists believes that the government is trying to replace white people with Black and Brown people, who currently have higher birth rates than white people in America.
Kerr says she felt compelled to report on these signs because while juvenile criticism of Peduto and Casey is fair game, the other messages are "interwoven with those seemingly benign critiques" that are essential to understand. She believes the underlying themes of the other posters are not accidental.
"We are numb to the insidious nature of white supremacy to the point that we drive past it every day and just eventually don't see it," says Kerr.
There are other offensive signs on this property too, including one blaming President Barack Obama for racism and another espousing nonsense about term limits.
The best, and pettiest, billboard however is one that reads, “To the Jackass that knocked my signs down, you’re a coward,” complete with an image of a middle finger.
Godspeed, random jackass.
Have you spotted an offensive political billboard or yard sign in Western Pennsylvania?
"I've heard from many people describing similiar signs in their own communities," Sue Kerr tells City Paper.Pittsburgh City Paper and Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents want to hear from you. If you spot an offensive political billboard or yard sign in Western Pennsylvania, email us a photo, the address and location, and your contact info to be considered for publication in a future column. (*This does not include traditional campaign signs or bumper stickers.)
