Tag: Allegheny County.

AMPLIFYQueer

Bi and Demi, Kristen Wants You to Get Uncomfortable With Your Privilege #AMPLIFY

February 21, 2017 by
Allegheny County LGBTQ

Describe your geographical community. Suburban. East of Pgh. Not especially QUILTBAG friendly, no. I wouldn’t talk about going to Pride around here, in Public. I grew up in Pgh, and lived through the ’70s where my mom would party at Pegasus with my godfather and his partner. I lived through the ’80s where my godfather went to too many funerals. I’ve seen the changes, but it still feels like not enough. I visit Canada regularly and it’s just… normal, there, to see businesses advertising to Same-sex couples. To see those couples represent an average family, because they do, numerically.

Describe your local or regional LGBTQ community. I have a fairly good group of friends and colleagues, but my home area is… Not great and I’ve had some negative experiences with the Pgh community being very white, very cis, very class privileged, very LG dominated and very trans exclusionist. I may be cis, but I’m not going to sit by and ignore that. It’s a little… Lonely. I commute into the city, but coming back in isn’t always easy just to socialize and I’m not in my 20s, clubbing is just not my thing.

AMPLIFYTrans

Caiolin, 56, is Just Another Woman Who Happens To Be Trans #AMPLIFY

February 16, 2017 by
Pittsburgh Transgender Women

Name: Caiolin Age: 56 County of Residence: Allegheny County Preferred Pronouns: She, her How do you describe your identity?  Female, heterosexual, white, Irish German atheist. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I am a trans-woman that transitioned after 30 years of marriage and two children. I had fooled myself for […]

AMPLIFYLesbian

Regina, 33, Finds Comfort in Lesbian Ambiguity #AMPLIFY

February 14, 2017 by
Lesbian South Hills Pittsburgh

I came out to my mom when I was 16. She is a compassionate and reasonably progressive person but I come from a fundamentalist Christian family. I really didn’t know how it would go.

I wrote out what I planned to say and rehearsed my rebuttals. When I finally got up the nerve all of those words drained from my mind and I simply said, “I’m gay. ” My mom responded just as simply with, “I know.”

I won’t say I didn’t run into any challenges as an openly gay high school student or since (coming out is constant) but I have the benefit of an extremely supportive family, church community, and group of friends. That gives me a lot of strength when folks aren’t so kind.

AMPLIFYBisexual

Megan, 22, is a Bisexual Woman Using Her Voice To Grow Her Community #AMPLIFY

February 9, 2017 by
Bisexual Indiana County

Name: Megan Age: 22 County of Residence: Allegheny County, formerly Indiana County Preferred Pronouns: Miss How do you describe your identity? Female, white, bisexual Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I haven’t fully come out to my family yet because I grew up being told that it wasn’t ok to be […]

AMPLIFYLGBTQ

Ally, 20, Describes Her Fluid Sexual Orientation #AMPLIFY

February 7, 2017 by
Lawrence County

Name:  Ally Age: 20 County of Residence: Lawrence County. My parents house is in Lawrence county but I currently live in Allegheny for school with my girlfriend. Preferred Pronouns: She/her How do you describe your identity? That’s a good question. I do identify as a white female, but as for sexual orientation I don’t know. I don’t like to label […]

AMPLIFYQueer

Maddy, 23, is Queer and Gender Nonconforming in Allegheny County #AMPLIFY

February 2, 2017 by
Allegheny nonbinary

Name:  Maddy Age: 23 County of Residence:  Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: She/her and they/their How do you describe your identity? I identify predominantly as a queer woman and as gender non conforming. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I remember coming out as an extremely difficult experience. I really […]

AMPLIFYGay

Jason, 42, aka Miss Thea Trix Spreads a Positive Vibe in the Mon Valley #AMPLIFY

January 31, 2017 by

Name: Jason Zubovic Age: 42 County of Residence: Fayette, formerly Allegheny and Westmoreland counties Preferred Pronouns: Mr. and Miss – him and her How do you describe your identity? I am an openly gay white male entertainer with an amazing partner of three years. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? My […]

AdvocacyFamilyGenealogy

My Family’s Immigration Story

January 30, 2017 by

This was not something I thought about as a child in the 1970’s and 1980’s in suburban West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. I knew my living grandparents and their basic backstories and a little bit about their respective parents. I was raised to believe I was mostly an Irish Catholic/little bit of German kid which turned out […]

AMPLIFYGay

Sean, 29, Wants to Change the LGBT Climate in Western Pennsylvania #AMPLIFY

January 19, 2017 by

Name:  Sean Meloy Age: 29 County of Residence:  Allegheny, formerly Centre County and Washington DC Preferred Pronouns: He / His / Him How do you describe your identity?  Gay male  Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? Well, it was two-fold. Firstly was “coming out” to myself, which was formally […]

AMPLIFYLesbian

Emily, 40, Talks About LGBTQ Visibility, Intersectionality & Resiliency #AMPLIFY

January 17, 2017 by
lesbian pittsburgh

What motivated you to take part in this project? Part of wanting increased visibility for your community is being more visible yourself. When the plea was posted in the LGBTQ Community of Pittsburgh Facebook group I felt it was my responsibility as a member of this community to contribute my voice. Plus, I love talking about myself. 😉