By Tribune-Review

Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 5:34 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The creator of the Miss Pittsburgh beauty pageant claims in a civil lawsuit that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender events run by another business infringe on her trademark.

Michele Alexander says the 2012 Miss Pittsburgh Pride and Miss Pittsburgh Trash contests unfairly competed with the traditional pageant. Alexander said the infringement was “willful and intentional” and is seeking more than $500,000 in damages.

Alexander said she won a 2005 lawsuit that gave her ownership of the Miss Pittsburgh trademark, and alleges that There Ultra Lounge, which ran the other contests, knew that.

The lawsuit also names the Delta Foundation, which represents the area LGBT community, although Delta officials say they don't run the pageants and don't know why they were named in the suit.

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