Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

For nearly three years, I’ve been appealing to you to help fund my legal and living expenses. Since events of August 2023, I’ve been totally reliant on my SSDI check of $1500. When I got myself home again after six months of homelessness, we set up a cohabitation arrangement which made it necessary for me to pay a hefty chunk in household expense – but I had housing.

$1500 is not a lot. Veterinary bills and pet care. Items to convert the second bedroom into my bedroom. Medical costs, copays, and medication. Life insurance premiums. Renters insurance. Transportation. And, of course, food.

Then there are the costs to operate this blog. Hosting fees, software subscriptions, apps, domain registrations, as well as a million other things. Plus, the webmaster. I run some ads but they generate at most $40/month and usually not that. I have some subscribers through Patreon and Paypal to the tune of about $75/month.

Then the legal fees. More than $20k between the two lawsuits, one of which is dead in the water thanks to ACE Innamorato.

I could recite this in my sleep because every month for nearly three years I have pleased with you to help me. Like many disabled people, I am poor. For now, I have housing and utilities. But there could come a day when a 18.5 year relationship is stripped down to 2.5 years of marriage and I’ll have almost literally nothing.

I’m a social worker. I know how safety net programs work. I pay close attention to the shifting rules. I can’t even apply until the divorce is finalized. I’ll have no idea what my eligibility will be until then. I do know the length of the waiting list and what’s on the chopping block. It is not good.

Did you know that many landlords will not allow a tenant relying on SSDI to sign a lease without a cosignor? I have people who will do that for me, but it is humiliating. I don’t have a sibling or cousins to help me out family style.

You’ve contributed a lot, but I am losing ground. I use a weekly food pantry, I haven’t driven a car since early January. I stopped going out to eat. I don’t go anywhere really because I’m embarrassed I cannot buy a meal without great thought. I haven’t been anywhere since July 7 except my cat colony. I can’t really save from a fund that doesn’t stretch far enough, but the fear and uncertainty of going from middle class to join 10.6% of Americans living in standard poverty: low income means higher income and extreme poverty sounds as gruesome as it is.

Worth of all is housing. I will not be able to have secure, stable, and affordable housing unless I am granted my fair share of the marital assets. What will I do? Where will I literally go? What about my stuff? My cats?

Nothing can be settled until the lawsuits are both settled, including appeals. So I live with the fear hanging over my head. Trying not to worry about something that is a ways off relatively speaking – we still don’t have a trial date.

I’m working on my trauma processing, managing my anxiety, finding ways to socialize, pelvic floor therapy, medication management, and more.

Someone recently told me that they would prefer to buy something I need than just donate. It felt more personal to them. Another person caught wind of my chatter about needing new hiking boots because of my back. She offered to buy them. A third friend treated me to a simple meal.

I cannot afford my dignity and pride.

So

If you want to help me, here are my accounts

• GoFundMe bit.ly/HelpLGBTQBlogger
• Venmo @Pghlesbian
• Paypal.me/Pghlesbian
• CashApp $Pghlesbian

If you would like to help with a tangible item, this is what I need now. Some are needs that will free up my budget, others are simply wants. I set-up a wishlist if that’s useful.

• A washable rug for my cattic space. I’ve bought them on Amazon for not much.
• HBA stuff – replacement heads for my electric toothbrush, lotions and potions
• Coffee pods
• A slightly larger smoothie maker – 24 ounces.
• Two cookie sheets in good condition – ours are terrible
• Potted mums and marigolds
• Ethically sources juniper and cat nip leaves to help with managing my anxiety
• Heavyweight bedspread for colder weather – hit the thrift store for this.
• Gently used table. My first 8.0 is giving up the ghost and I read library books on that device.
• Very cushy midrise/quarter rise white athletic socks. Mine are wearing thin.
• A bendy reading lamp
• Gift cards for streaming subscriptions. I do not have FIOS in my room so I watch the BBC and listen to the radio. I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount +. I rotate HBO/Apple/BritBox which I often use as content for my blog. I also donate to WQED annually to use the PBS app. And I have an Amazon subscription so I have Prime. I’m being transparent. This is not a need in the least, just a convenience.
• For the cats, I need Fancy Feast pate. For the colonies, I need a few trail cameras, SD cards, SD card readers. For the blog, I need a +1 to go to review events. I have a very recently gifted laptop so I’m otherwise all set unless you want to buy domain names.
• Beverages – lemon lime Gatorade, root beer, juice,

I have plenty of clothing, outerwear, shoes (except the hiking boots), bedding, cups, books, rain gear and so forth.

Probably the best thing would be to invite me on an outing that’s very very cheap. Followed by calling me to chat on the phone. Sometimes I need light chat, sometimes a vent session.

I would love to go to a sunflower festival but time is running out. I haven’t been to a movie in a theater in over a year. Dining out is mostly Eat ‘n Park. I did have some Chinese food in a food court a few week ago. Going for a walk is dicey based on my anxiety level. Sitting on our patio with lemonade seems nice.

Going for a drive to nowhere in particular seems nice. Windows open, radio on. I’d like to get ice cream this summer. Low intensity trivia. The Ukrainian food festival.

One of the biggest challenges is that I need a ride. Gertie is a workhorse, but diesel is pricey.

So there I have bared my life in a plea for help. This is what poverty is like although most people don’t have blogs or the reach that I have. The idea of the “deserving” and “undeserving” poor is very real, quite powerful in fact. I know that because I have a blog and do a lot of project, I’m deserving. But in my mind, that’s not the case.

And that loops us back around to the lawsuits, to depositions, to identifying collaborators, etc. I want there to be accountability. My lawyer says that’s a pipe dream and the best I can hope for is a financial award. Courts are not about justice for people like me.

Finally, I admit this will not be a one time ask. It will be ongoing. If a lot of people pledged a modest monthly amount through Patreon, I would know the blog is secure. But poverty is poverty. Sure I can go to food pantries and thrift stores and find cheap eats. But without the housing … none of that matters.