Culture Archive
Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Parade Does Not Discriminate Based on Sexual Orientation
In response to my inquiries, the Irish Society for Education & Charity issued the following statement: Be assured that the Parade Committee does not discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability, and has never denied anyone entry in the parade based on this criteria. Criteria for selection include, but is not limited
Category: Activism
Do Pgh Memes Inherently Have To Be Racist, Transphobic and Vicious?
This is why we can’t have nice things in Pittsburgh. Content Notes: lots of hate. And few allies calling it out. I pretty much think of any new “rah rah Pittsburgh” effort as a reflection on the #NextPgh concept. And this is not always good. There’s a new Facebook Page called “Pittsburgh Meme” that is
Category: Activism
I Dropped Out of Grad School To Become a Missionary
What’s the most crazy, outrageously impulsive thing you’ve ever done? I was not an impulsive kid. I was unhappy and anxious, but I did what was expected of me for the most part. I also learned early on to carefully watch for opportunities – an extension of a survival instinct. I rarely did the unexpected
Category: Activism
I’m Officially a Social Media Maven
It has been a long climb from the valley of the shadows of the person most likely to post their cereal choices on Facebook, but I made it! A ha! I may have carpal tunnel syndrome from 8+ years of blogging, composing 30K tweets and hanging out with my 2600 best friends on Facebook, but
Category: Activism
What Sort of Music – Just Sing a Song
Have you ever played in a band? Tell us all about that experience of making music with friends. If you’ve never been in a band, imagine you’re forming a band with some good friends. What instrument do you play in the band and why? What sort of music will you play? Fun question. I was
Category: Culture
Eric Himan Tells Arizona He’s “Not Going Anywhere Tonight”
I couldn’t take it. I had to write this song and put it out there.” I urge everyone to take it seriously. Bills like this could easily find its way across our country. Let’s stop it now and continue our fight for our freedom to live as ordinary citizens with equal rights under the law.
Category: Activism
I turned 12 and then 13 and then 16 and now I’m 43
You’re 12 years old. It’s your birthday. Write for ten minutes on that memory. GO. I hate these questions because most of the time – I don’t remember. Like many survivors of neglect and trauma, I don’t remember. Or I do remember, but much in the way I recall the storyline from a book or
Category: Culture
If I Grew Up In Allentown. With a Fast Car.
Today’s blogging prompt asked me to explain the socioeconomic class structure in the neighborhood where I grew up. That would be West Mifflin, PA. I have six attempts in my drafts folder. All devolved from thoughtful class analysis of a working class suburb into various rants. Clearly, I have some unresolved issues with my hometown.
Category: Culture
