For Jodi’s Kids, Having Two Mothers Is Just a Fact of Life #AMPLIFY

Jodi same sex Allegheny County

  Name:  Jodi Hirsh Age: 40 County of Residence:  Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: she/her How do you describe your identity? I’m a white jewish woman in a long-term same sex relationship who is the parent of two kids under 7. I’m very sleepy most of the time. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What […]

Update on the Murder of Candra Keels #SayHerName

Candra Keels

Domestic violence within the LGBTQ community is a taboo topic. Much like family based violence, it is something that we disregard and shoosh off to the side of the conversation around the epidemic of violence sweeping through our community, particularly among QTPOC. In January, a 20 year-old young woman of color named Candra Keels was […]

AMPLIFY! Gina Shares Her Truth With Those Who Deserve To Know

Western Pennsylvania

AMPLIFY LGBTQ is a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each participant to tell us what we’ve missed […]

UPDATED: Allegheny County Will Terminate Domestic Partner Benefits on June 30

Allegheny County Pennsylvania

As we explored last year, Allegheny County plans to eliminate domestic partner benefits for LGBTQ employees effective June 30, 2015. Heterosexual employees were never offered access to these benefits. From the County Communications Director, Amie Downs: [This] is correct and those employees will be reminded/given notice again of the policy. Eliminating domestic partner benefits is […]

Summertime Traditions For Our LGBTQ Family

LGBTQ Families

My family includes two humans – myself and my partner of 11 years, Ledcat. We have some extended family, some family of choice and a slew of furry family members. I participate in the Blogging for LGBTQ Families event because I think it is so important to raise the visibility of all families, especially queer […]

Dear PA Residents – Please Don’t Rush Into Getting Gay Married

I am so simply exhausted right now that I’m sure this post will be much more flippant than I intend. I’ve been on the phone ALL DAY dealing with media calls and trying to help people get services.  And doing laundry.  And medicating cats. The glamorous life. So I just read that Montgomery County, Pennsylvania […]

Same Sex Divorce in Pennsylvania

As we’ve discussed before, it is not possible for a same sex couple legally wed in another state to get a divorced in Pennsylvania. Since divorce usually requires residency, their options are to remain married until the situation changes or to move to another state, establish residency and file for a divorce in that place. […]