Day 181 is in the bag

We drove up to Mercer County to visit Ledcat’s mom. She made a Sunday supper that we ate in the driveway on opposite ends of an eight foot table. It was delicious. And very much needed by all of us. I spent an hour repairing her electronics so she could Zoom with grandkids and read […]

Laura, 56, is a Lesbian Who Wants to Shine a Spotlight on LGBTQ History, Issues #AMPLIFY

Lesbian Mercer County

Name: Laura Age: 56 Pronouns: She/her County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Mercer County and Centre County. How do you describe your identity? Lesbian/gay Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? A friend at college suggested that I might be gay when she noticed I wasn’t “scoping out” the […]

Bill, 62, is a Gay Man Being Visible in Mercer County #AMPLIFY

Gay Man Mercer County

   I remember in New Castle the highest paying factory job was impossible for gay men to get because they relied on reference only from people who already worked there and there was an understanding among them that they wouldn’t give a positive reference to a gay man. Name: Bill Age: 62 County of Residence: Mercer County, formerly […]

West Middlesex School District in Mercer County Implements Trans Inclusive Student Policies

West Middlesex School District Transgender Policies

Well frankly, I am a straight, white, Christian, cisgender male. It’s people like me that need to step up and show support for the marginalized people. In early December, officials in the West Middlesex School District (Mercer County) announced that existing school policies on inclusion, diversity, and respect would expand to include allowing transgender and […]

Rene, 48, is a Lesbian from Mercer County who wants to belong #AMPLIFY

  Name: Rene Age: 48 County of Residence: Mercer County, formerly Washington County Pronouns: Her How do you describe your identity? Lesbian Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I was in college and fell in love with a woman while I was engaged to a man. I (we) didn’t know […]

The 20 Most Widely Read PghLesbian Blog Posts of 2018

Pittsburgh 2018 Blog Posts

As we wrap up our 13th year of blogging, it is time to look back at the most frequently read blog posts from 2018. My coverage of violence against LGBTQ people, people of color, and women continue to be among the most often read topics. I’m committed to providing that coverage, but loathe that there […]

How to Request Toys for Tots in Western Pennsylvania in 2018

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (6 years+) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2018. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to doublecheck the details. Some of the Toys for Tots pages are […]

Back to School Q&A with Trans Activist Daniel, 16, of Lakeview School District

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 […]

Mercer County Trans Woman, Claire Wolfever, Sentenced 18-40 Years

Claire Wolfever

Claire Wolfever was 22 years old and working at the Wal-Mart in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Hermitage is a small town in Mercer County, between Erie and Pittsburgh. When she disclosed her gender identity to her coworkers, she claims they harassed and threatened her. She filed a complaint with the company, but felt threatened enough to steal […]

Lakeview School District in Mercer County Implements Trans Inclusive Student Policies

Lakeview School District in Mercer County serves about 1200 students in a district with a population of 8,600 people.  Mercer County is in Northwestern Pennsylvania, about 60 miles to Erie and another 60 miles to Pittsburgh. The district is comprised of Fairview Township, Jackson Center Borough, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Mill Creek Township, New Lebanon […]