Asking Why Four Young Trans People Have Died by Suicide in Lancaster, PA

Ashtonn Clatterbuck

Remembering Ashton Saddened to report the death of another young person. Ashton Myles Clatterbuck recently died in the early hours of February 27, 2024 at the age of twenty-two. The cause was death by suicide. Ashton was from Lancaster County Soon after, family and friends held a vigil for Ashton on February 29, 2024. Mourners […]

Is My 1991 Internship With Rick Santorum No Longer The Most Quirky, Interesting Thing About Me?

Rick Santorum internship

Today, I met an LGBTQ person from Pennsylvania who did not recognize the name Rick Santorum. Huh. This was in the context of an interview with the Philly Gay News about my blogging. It was bound to happen eventually. He left public office in 2006, defeated by current Senator Bob Casey. He has a lackluster […]

How this Delaware County School District is Affirming the Privacy of Transgender Students through New Policies

Penn-Delco School District transgender

We recently learned that Penn-Delco School District leaders are working on a draft of a policy addressing nondiscrimination needs of the students. This includes transgender students. Penn-Delco is a suburban public school school district in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Some transgender students are not openly so at home for reasons such as safety concerns or lack […]

Three Lancaster Transgender Teens Died by Suicide Over Past Year

transgender teen suicide Pennsylvania

Content Note: suicide, gender identity, Lancaster Lancaster LGBTQ communities have experienced deep loss this past year. Three young trans teens died by by suicide over the past year, including two in the past month. Say Their Names River Paige Olmsted, age 17, October 16, 2023 Theadora “Thea” Cassidy, age 18, September 22, 2023 Brayden Snyder, […]

Transgender Students in Aliquippa School District Benefit From Commitment to Title IX Rules

Hopewell Area School District.

Parents at the Hopewell School District in Aliquippa turned out in full force at the School Board meeting this week to discuss school policies Superintendent Jeff Beltz said in the first week of October, a girl at the junior high school told her parents that she thought she saw a boy enter the girl’s bathroom. […]

On This One Year Anniversary of Anti-Trans Messaging from Eight Pittsburgh Radio Stations

Eight radio station ads

A Troubling Anniversary for the Pittsburgh LGBTQ Community One year ago, I received my first tip about the transphobic ads running on local Pittsburgh radio stations. I spent a lot of hours trying to track down the ad, figure out the FCC information, and encouraging people to contact the stations. All in all, eight of […]

Pregnant Trans Man, Camdyn Rider, Killed By Fiancé In Florida

Camdyn Rider, a 21-year-old transgender man was eight months pregnant when his partner fatally shot him outside their central Florida home on Friday, July 21, 2023. They lived in the Inwood area of Winter Haven, Florida. Riley John Groover, 26, of Winter Haven, Florida, allegedly shot and killed himself after shooting his pregnant fiancé “multiple” times in […]

Review: ‘Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?’ Is the Movie I Needed 40 Years Ago

Spoilers. I’ve been pretty excited to see this movie. The book was a staple in my precious library along with the entire Judy Blume collection. So we recently took advantage of a quiet night to rent the movie. I was not disappointed. The movie begins with a confident Margaret circa 1970 enjoying her time at […]

18-year-old Trans Male Teen Murdered in South Carolina

Jacob Williamson

For the past month and a half, Jacob Williamson had finally begun to experience his authentic life – socially transitioning and moving in with supportive friends after his own family failed to accept him. Tragically, his steps into exploring dating relationships led to the worst outcome. Jacob was murdered in South Carolina. Last seen by […]

Q&A With Kejuan, 16, Sharing Her Trans Joy On-Stage With Billy Porter in Pittsburgh

I believe it was an example of trans joy because I could just show the world who I was.  I think trans joy means that any trans person can express themselves freely without being judged for who they are. It also means that they celebrate their pride and the beauty of their bodies.  One of […]