City Council Proclaims Dec 10 2022 to be “Sue Kerr Day” in the City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh City Council Sue Kerr Day

I thought it was a LGBTQ activist emergency. Really. Monday morning, my wife texted me repeatedly, telling me to call City Councilor Bruce Kraus’ office immediately. I was a little dumbfounded by the request. So I called, no answer. I called his cell phone (it is Pittsburgh, having his cell phone is not that unusual), […]

Ben, 29, is Proud to be a Queer Pittsburgher #AMPLIFY

Gay Pittsburgh

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 […]

The Tragic Killing of Jasmine Sierra, 52, TWOC from Bakersfield CA

Jasmine Sierra Trans

A complicated tragic story involving the death of a trans woman of color in Bakersfield, California. From The Advocate: Police found the body of Jasmine Sierra, a transgender woman of color, on January 22 in an apartment on the 1000 block of Monterey Street, according to a report from local TV station KBAK. Police say […]

Black Trans Man Demarkis Stansberry, 30, Killed in Baton Rouge

Demarkis Stansberry

From The Advocate comes the tragic news of the murder of Demarkis Stansberry: Demarkis Stansberry, a 30-year-old black man of transgender experience, was fatally shot Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. Stansberry was shot in the head by 24-year-old Nicholas Matthews, reports local newspaper The Advocate. Matthews reportedly turned himself in to local police the day of […]

RIP Keyshia Blige, Another TWOC Whose Death Went Undiscovered

Keyshia Blige

We are on the road to participate in Erie Pridefest this weekend when I read this news on Facebook via The Guardian – another trans woman of color had been killed earlier this year, but the information didn’t hit the news until now. The reason? Misgendering by the police and the media. Her name was Keyshia […]

Another TWOC Murdered in Kansas City Missouri, #SayHerName Jasmine Collins

Transwoman Murder

Reporters covering the murder of TWOC Tamara Rodriguez in Kansas City have brought to light another death that occurred on June 23 but went unacknowledged because of misgendering. 32-year-old Jasmine Collins was stabbed to death, allegedly over a pair of shoes. From The Advocate: Police in Kansas City, Mo., tellThe Advocate that a 32-year-old trans […]

Mercedes Williamson 17 Year Old Trans Woman Murdered in Alabama

Mercedes Williamson

17. 17 is still a girl, a young woman. This 17 year old was an aspiring cosmetologist with people who cared about her. Yet at 17, Mercedes Williamson joins the ranks of trans women who have been murdered in the United States. According to The Advocate, Mercedes was estranged from her family and living with […]

The Advocate on Why LGBT Visibility in the Workplace Matters

Yesterday the delightful local lunchtime eblast Eat That, Read This referenced an issue near and dear to my heart – LGBTQ visibility among municipal and other governmental workforces. mayor peduto’s administration noted for being diverse. not mentioned in this piece: how many awesome staffers, at all levels, are gay! Adam his the nail on the […]

Erie is the 7th Queerest City in the US According to The Advocate

Queerest Cities

Satire Warning. This is not, I repeat this is not a statistically accurate analysis of queer friendliness. It is, however, an interesting glimpse at some non-traditional locations in the nation. You may have noticed in previous years that some local LGBTQ groups in Pittsburgh were ecstatic about our ranking among the “LGBT Friendliest Cities” in […]

The Rainbow New Year … 2011 LGBTQ in Review

The Rainbow New Year … 2011 LGBTQ in Review

Tons of blog posts in the queersosphere about the highlights of 2011 for the LGBTQ community. Let’s start with a list from Mara Keisling, Executive Direct of The National Center for Transgender Equality. These are 14 Reasons that Made 2011 Great for Trans People.  The list includes at least 19 municipal/state actions that protect trans […]