Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Today was rough. We had another conciliation hearing in the divorce/tort proceedings. There’s no common ground, I guess. So we go back to the Family Court judge. But our judge is leaving Family Court so we will be assigned a new judge who may be an experienced judge just new to us or an actual newly elected judge.

But that’s not what this post is about. I am absolutely terrified that I will be homeless because the math of my Social Security Disability Insurance and a likely settlement will not cover the most basic housing costs in Pittsburgh. Tonight, I am in the home where I have lived for two decades. A nice home, historic. I want to be here. I do not want to take ownership of the house, I just want to live here. So I am not homeless.

So today after that hearing I spent a few hours working on the Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry – we have a massive distribution to prep for Sunday. We loaded up Gertie tonight so we can make the individual bags with labels on Sunday. Then we dug out the ‘winter weather’ donations like heated water bowls, contacting all the folks that asked for them.

I came home and worked on my Trans Day of Remembrance post, touching base with other researchers on very last minute changes, mulling over posting a story that isn’t quite complete yet, sharing social media from representative voices.

I spoke with my childhood friend Amy for awhile. She’s a good listener. And hilarious. I needed those laughs tonight.

And then I wrote an update for my legal and living expenses GoFundMe that I will post after TDoR. I always need donations because I’ve got three lawsuits, two lawyers, and not enough money for any of it. I also have everything to lose.

But this time, I’m asking for help covering cleaning and organizing supports for the attic and the basement. I’m working with two different companies – one is owned by a nonbinary disabled person and the other by a Black trans woman. There’s a whole backstory I’ll share later in the update.

But right now I want to remind myself and you that I deserve safe, comfortable, and organized spaces. Sitting on my bed every night for hours at a time since March 2024 has done a number on my back and knees. I am supposed to have and deserve a ‘living room’ space in the attic for my health and welfare. I want the basement to be orderly – there is a ton of stuff in both spaces that could be serving other people in the community. And that frees up storage space for other things to temporarily abide here before going out to help other people.

It might be a month or six months or who knows, but I deserve to sit in my attic living room with my cats and watch tv while looking at the view of the West End Bridge. Even just for awhile. I deserve to focus on my present life, not panicking about the inevitability of homelessness. And when I do leave, not by choice, but hopefully with dignity, I’ll carry these spaces and the items to wherever is next. Unless I’m homeless, then I won’t be carrying any items.

Note – I would never want my spouse to be homeless either. No matter what happened or happens next, she and I both deserve to be housed and o,ur basic needs met.

More on that later.

So I’m going to ask you to donate to help me accomplish this next step, to ‘manifest’ a space for me and to support companies owned by a nonbinary disabled person and a Black trans woman along the way.

When everything went down in August 2023, I swore to myself I would not let any of this change who I am and what I believe. All of the stuff above.

If you value these things, I will need your help continue doing the work.

• GoFundMe bit.ly/HelpLGBTQBlogger
• Venmo @Pghlesbian
• Paypal.me/Pghlesbian
• Cash App $Pghlesbian
• Zelle sitnscoop@gmail.com

We sustain each other.