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It was a litle less than a year ago that the O’Donnell-Collar family first entered a courtroom to resist the racist, transphobic harassment by their next door neighbor. After repeated police calls and detailing many, many interactions, they had finally convinced the District Attorney’s office to issue a summary citation of one count of harassment. […]
While not unexpected, news of yet another legal hurdle for the O’Donnell-Collar family arrived with notification that their neighbor has appealed her conviction of harassment. On July 26, 2022, District Magisterial Judge Duncan-Williams determined that 50-year-old Darian Balcom was guilty of one count of statutory harassment after two years of behavior targeting her next door […]
This morning, a magistrate judge ruled that local woman Darian Balcom was guilty of harassment after erecting a 9-foot billboard in her backyard. The sign read ‘Transing is Abuse and Homophobia’ and Balcom direct the sign in to the window of a 15-year-old Black trans teen living next door with her multiracial, queer family. , […]
There are few basic things we should agree on if you are someone I consider a friend and confidant. First, no means no. People have the right to set boundaries around their bodies, their time, their energy, their families, the sex lives, their hearts, and whatever else they want. They do not owe anyone an […]
I I know it is hard, it is hard to live in a society that does not fit you, but there are people like you. It’s hard every day knowing that your identity is up for debate. It is not fair. But the only way to change this is to prove them wrong. They want […]
We have to be more mindful when walking home by ourselves, we have to have extra protection and make sure to be with someone in case something happens, we had to block my bedroom window because the neighbor was staring into my room, we had to put a plan in place so if there was a problem […]
Content Note: racism, transphobia, homophobia, harassment of children, police, legal case, fear I did a little research and started to get a sense of how these transphobic bigots operate, the playbook they use. These people are truly despicable. To answer your question, no, I don’t think people connect the dots. And that’s not a condemnation, […]
We’ve blogged earlier in the year about the decision of Lakeview School District in Mercer County to expand their nondiscrimination policies to explicitly address needs of transgender students. This was a rule change to better comply with existing policy, not a new policy altogether. When the School Board met in May, one student – Daniel […]
Two arrests this week of public employees on sexual misconduct charges brings home the reality of #MeToo to the Pittsburgh region. First came word that Jim Sheppard, an analyst in the office of County Controller Chelsa Wagner, was arrested on charges of harassment, stalking, and related crimes in regard to his ex-boyfriend. Sheppard had previously […]
Name: Ben Stoviak Age: 29 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: He/They How do you describe your identity? Queer, gay, male-bodied; I like to think of myself as a lover above these things, though, and like to remind people that I’m many more things than this—I’m a teacher, professional, creative, son, brother, adventurer, and friend. Please describe your coming out […]
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