Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

No news on the legal front, but some good news!

Picture it, Manchester. December 29, 2005 was a Thursday. I was on a week of vacation from my job. Somehow I found myself opening up this software called ‘Blogware’ and launching my blog, Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents (pghlesbian.com.) My oldest nibling was born the very next day.

I don’t remember exactly why I decided to start blogging, that chain of events is lost to the ages. But I did start and now I find myself approaching 20 years, a significant milestone for a medium that typically lasts two to three. I had no grand vision or plan, nor any sense how long I would keep it up. Fast forward 20 years, I’m now using WordPress, averaging 1k visitors daily, and still without a grand vision or plan.

So how to commemorate this achievement? I’ve struggled with that decision for a few months. A few local media outlets are interested in the story, and a proclamation is being prepared.

Then the universe answered my question with a challenge.

Any blog requires tools and my major tool – my laptop – suddenly died on me two weeks ago. It is 18 months old, just out of warranty, and refuses to do anything in spite of my scouring of Reddit, Quora, and my friends. My final effort will be a trip to Kevin’s Computers in Greenfield to see if he can salvage it, but it is not looking good. Fortunately, my former laptop still works, but not well – the keyboard is wearing out. Lots of typos and time lost correcting them.

My wish for the 20th blogiversary is a new laptop. I simply can’t afford one – everything is in reserve for the legal expenses and daily living expenses.

But my living expenses include blogging expenses. This is what I spend each month to keep the site running:

Webhosting & email $20
Scheduling software $50
Research tools $50
Domain registries $20
PlugIn subscriptions $25
Backup/storage $25
Video tools $35
Misc $50

Income from the blog is miniscule – ads generate $30/month and subscriptions about $50/month. I’ve tried many things – I have the Steel City Snowflakes project created by Bloggers for Society, Patreon, monthly subscription options from PayPal and Google, ads, sponsorships, everything but selling my soul. I’ve had advice from many experts, but nothing has panned out.

There are not many corporate entities that would align with my blog content. And a note about Patreon – I’m loathe to create a tiered system of access to what is now free. Creating ‘special content’ for people willing to pay feels contradictory to my community organizing focus.I try, but it feels weird. Even a bit ‘sus’ as my youngest nibling might say. If he read blogs. Or approved of me appropriating his generational language.

Anyone who tells you that they are raking in the bucks from blogging is either corporate, marketing, or lying to you. This has always been a labor of love and service for me. But it has never been sustainable.

Total: $250/month – monthly revenue of $80 = $170 out of my pocket. That’s more than 10% of my monthly SSDI check.A tithe of sorts?

Blogging is not dead, but it is waning. I’m excited to witness the emergence of new media – email newsletters (‘stacks’) and short form video. I’ve dabbled in both, but only to supplement not replace my blog.

I have no intention of stopping,but I am hoping to persuade a local foundation to fund a blog overhaul in preparation of eventually being archived.The entire 20 years worth of code needs to be updated,a daunting task. (Waves to foundation staff!)

Still,there is this big moment for me and my blog. Failing to acknowledge it would be a disservice to the many fine people who read it, contribute to it, see themselves in the content.

And business is booming. My readership is at an all-time high of 1k unique visitors per day. My social media following is also growing far more than one would expect of a middle-aged cisgender white disabled queer woman from Pittsburgh.

I have over 150,000 followers on FB and nearly 100,000 on Instagram. That’s not national influencer level, but compare to other locals whom you might expect to be at the level. Weird, right?

I don’t chase those numbers, but I do interpret them to indicate that my voice,among others, is necessary today – maybe for a few more years, perhaps another twenty.

While I wish I had found the magic key to unlock a sustainable source of revenue for the blog, that is not the case. I accept that people who find value in this work,in me, will sustain me and my blog. That’s not a transactional relationship, but an example of community support.

Dimming this celebration are the looming lawsuits and the great unknown. Will I have housing is a much bigger question than will I be able to afford $170/month for the blog. Both are hanging there, taunting me a bit and tapping into my insecurities.

I have a small plan for a private acknowledgment that I will share later in the month. No parties or galas. There’s nothing swanky about this blog, that’s fine with me.

I’m not comfortable with this or any ask. I make them because of necessity, after running them by my cadre of supporters. But there’s always a lump in my throat.

One of those supporters pointed out that newsrooms provide tools for their journalists, cover expenses, and still pay them. So my asking the people for whom I blog with this purchase is not out of line. I also learned that the traditional/modern gifts for 20th anniversaries are china and platinum. I don’t believe a platinum laptop would be a solid choice, nor one made of china?

How much do I need? Well, I use Windows (don’t try to convert me to Mac), need a sturdy backlit keyboard and 17” screen for my 55 year old eyes.Lots of storage and memory. Ideally, I’d get a new Chromebook and leave the workhorse at home when I go out. I’m not picky about brands, but I do check Consumer Reports ratings. So between $2000-3000?

Would I accept a gently used laptop? Yes, I have before.

I started out with my reliable desktop. Bought my first laptop years later. When that crashed during a holiday gift project in 2015, a friend gifted me with her barely used laptop. Then you helped me buy a Chromebook. A reader sent me a laptop she had built herself. I bought another laptop, the one I’m using now, and a friend bought me the most recent one. I’m sure I’ve missed a few there. Maybe someday they’ll be in a blogging museum along with my personal papers? Maybe hey are my personal papers.

Blogging is hard on any computer. I’ve published nearly 7,000 posts. No wonder my keyboard sticks. And don’t get me started on cats and computers …maybe a platinum case would be a good idea.

Thank you for reading.

You can donate to my laptop or general needs at.

GoFundMe bit.ly/HelpLGBTQBlogger
Ven mo @ PghLesbian
Pay pal.me/PghLesbian
Cash App $PghLesbiann
Ze lle sitnscoop@gmail.com

You can send me a check, you can send me a gift card, anything helps.