Eagle Scout Urges Carly Rae Jepsen to Denounce Ban on LGBTQ Youth

Boy Scouts, LGBT, Carly Rae Jepsen

This is a little odd – the Boy Scouts have hired Carly Rae Jepsen and Train to headline their annual  Scout Jamboree. Both Jepsen and the members of Train have spoken out in favor of LGBTQ equality. Jepsen’s video for “Call Me Maybe” has a gay twist at the end. ??? However, it does present […]

Update: City of Pittsburgh Blocks Lesbian Blog (Again)

Lesbian, blocked website, Pittsburgh,

As you may remember, the City of Pittsburgh began blocking this blog in October 2012 for no apparent reason – the closest I had to an official explanation was “its just crappy web filters, Sue” from a former City employee. That’s called “scoffing” and its not a very constructive response.

GLSEN Pgh Invites You to Brainstorm! Trivia Night

GLSEN Pgh is working with On The Nose Events to redefine their fundraising and it worked! At least – this event caught my eye amidst the barrage of Facebook notifications I receive daily. So much that I asked GLSEN to tell me more about it. Brainstorm! is a trivia night – the type of event […]

Does Alleged Misconduct by Pgh Police Department Impact Local LGBTQ Community?

Yes. I’ll explain. Police relationships with the LGBTQ community have never been “good”, but certainly have been sliding downhill for the past several years. Unfortunately, there’s been an escalating “vicious cycle” of non-responsiveness to LGBTQ hate crimes in the City. Police don’t respond appropriately. People don’t report or follow through with reports. Crimes remain unsolved […]

This Week in LGBTQ – February 24, 2013

The New York Times reported on a study that found that the effects of bullying last into adulthood. Individuals who were bullied are more than 4x likely to have an anxiety disorder as an adult. Bullies who were also victims were 14.5x more likely to have a similar disorder  A Puerto Rican court has ruled […]

When Do We Talk About Poverty in the LGBTQ Community?

It is only fitting that days after Amazon releases an “inclusive” commercial for their new Kindle, I am led to a series exploring the lives of transgender persons living on the brink (or deeply enmeshed in) poverty. The cause? Often related to their gender identity, especially in a fragile economy. “Transgender financial struggle: ‘How We […]

“Being Gay is Not Okay” More LGBTQ Letters To the Tribune-Review Editor

Things are always hopping at the Trib … lots and lots of letters submitted (and published) around LGBTQ topics.  When last we checked, Rudy Gagliardi of Arnold was defending his stance that homosexuals can change their ways. And he’s not even the worst of the bigots! Five people wrote in to challenge Gagliardi’s point of […]

The Week in LGBTQ – February 17, 2013

Laurel from Pam’s House Blend takes a look at the Gallup poll results on the number of LGBTQ persons in each state. She questions if the data reflects actual disparities in the number of LGBTQ residents in the respective states OR the willingness to openly identify as LGBTQ in more repressive environments. Take a look […]

Another Trans Bash #Fail Tied to Melissa McCarthy

Last week, we reported on an issue with CBS using a trans slur in their sitcom “Mike & Molly” which stars actor Melissa McCarthy. The slur “shemale” was used by Mike in the show; McCarthy was not in the scene, but people called on her to speak out given the vicious attack she endured at […]

What’s in a name?

What’s in a name?

As a transgender person, I thought I’d chime in on Sue’s post about CBS-TV’s “Mike and Molly.” Maybe you’re wondering why “shemale” is unacceptable. It’s because “shemale” has almost exclusively become associated with pornographic depictions of transwomen. (Go ahead and Google “shemale” if you want to, but most of your results will not be safe […]