When UPMC and Highmark Work Together: Saving the Life of a Newborn Baby

I was so saddened to learn that a neighbor of mine from the Northside was killed in a terrible car accident Wednesday evening. Her name was Jodie Guthrie and while I did not know her, I am a regular customer at the Rite-Aid where she was killed. She lived near my neighborhood. Jodie was pregnant, […]

What Does It Mean to Amplify?

How To Be An Ally

The word amplify has been rolling around my brain for months now. I’ve been following two distinct, but interconnected threads on social media about the need for allies to amplify the voices of people of color and transgender people – in lieu of speaking for them. And let me be very clear here – these […]

The Risks of Moving Beyond the Blog

This past weekend, I was part of a panel discussion about the #ArtisticVisionPgh project. The audience was small, but asked terrific questions. I think it went well. Video will be available in a few months. This panel also marked my unofficial entry into the world of blogger artist in residence. To be honest, that’s a […]

WESA 90.5 Explores LGBTQ Poverty

WESA

This past week, WESA aired two segments addressing an often overlooked issue in the LGBTQ community – poverty. Deanna Garcia put together a solid segment focusing squarely on poverty, using data from The Williams Institute as well as interviews with local leaders. She interviewed a local lesbian who is disabled and living on Social Security. […]

North Side Food Pantry Hopes to Gives One Can of Tuna to All Families in Dec, 1000 cans needed

Donate Tuna to Food Pantry

So I intentionally distorted the image to show what happens when you stretch a can of tuna to feed multiple people. Today, I received this message from North Side Common Ministries In December, our goal is to give each of the 1,000 families that will visit the Northside Food Pantry one can of tuna. One. […]

Video For Our Podcamp Pittsburgh Panel on Art, Advocacy and Blogging

Podcamp Pittsburgh

See you Sunday at my Podcamp Pittsburgh panel at 2 PM. NEW NEW ART VISION VIMEO with slides/ pics from Brian Cottington on Vimeo.

PA To Host 19 Events Honoring the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR)

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Thursday, November 20 will be the 16th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR.) According to the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition: At least 19 organized vigils will be held in communities throughout the commonwealth for TDoR on November 20th, 2014. This is large increase from just a few events held in Pittsburgh and Southeastern Pennsylvania before […]

Artistic Q&A: The Blogging Craftmanship of David DeAngelo

David DeAngelo

As part my NaBloPoMo examination of art and blogging, I asked a few folks to consider some of the same questions I’m pondering. Today, we’ll talk with David DeAngelo from the blog 2 Political Junkies.   I met David in early 2006 soon after I began blogging. Our blogging lives brought us to many of […]

A Blogger, An Artist and an Advocate Walk Into a Bar

Podcamp Pittsburgh

This weekend, I’ll be doing something rather cool (again) – presenting at Podcamp Pittsburgh 9 along with my friends and collaborators, Nina Sauer of Most Wanted Fine Art  and Erin Gill Ninehouser of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN).    The theme of this year’s Podcamp is “Ignite” PodCamp Pittsburgh is a social, new media […]

Post-Gazette Erases Trans Community & Worse in Article About Homeless Youth

GLAAD media guide

Score another one for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s inaccurate and unfair coverage of the LGBTQ community. This time, reporter Mary Neiderberger is at bat. She recently wrote a piece about homeless youth in Allegheny County using somewhat accurate and fair language about the impact of sexual orientation and gender identity on the number of youth on […]