Q&A with Ember, 9, a nonbinary bisexual student who organized the first ever Pride Parade at their school

Pride Parade Elementary School

One of Ember’s parents posted this flyer on Facebook, explaining that their kid had decided to organize a Pride Parade at their school. After I read the flyer, I knew that it was important to include Ember’s voice in this blog. So I asked their parent and they worked it out amongst themselves. Ember opted […]

Peters Township School Board Director’s Racist, Sexist Social Media Content Illustrates Need for Local Non-Discrimination Ordinance

William Merrell Peters Township

Content Note: racist slurs, sexism, lying white men (vile images below) Efforts are underway in Peters Township to introduce an ordinance establishing a local Human Relations Commission and to include sexual orientation and gender identity among the protected classes. The Township Council decided that there was not evidence of local discrimination and opted to table […]

Q&A with Pam Harbin, Candidate for Pittsburgh Public School Board District 4

We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2019. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of questions about their campaigns. We’ve sent out about a dozen Q&A’s to folks who agreed to participate. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level […]

Q&A with Anna Batista, Candidate for Pittsburgh Public School Board District 4

Anna Batista School Board

We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2019. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of questions about their campaigns. We’ve sent out about a dozen Q&A’s to folks who agreed to participate. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. […]

West Mifflin School Districts Expands Nondiscrimination Protections to Include Gender Identity

West Mifflin High School Class Reunion

I lived in West Mifflin from age two through college. It was a rather brutal environment. I ended up with a decent education. I’ve written about some of those experiences.  One of my high school friends was openly gay. Others were suspected, but it was not an environment where such disclosures were encouraged or well-received. […]

West Middlesex School District in Mercer County Implements Trans Inclusive Student Policies

West Middlesex School District Transgender Policies

Well frankly, I am a straight, white, Christian, cisgender male. It’s people like me that need to step up and show support for the marginalized people. In early December, officials in the West Middlesex School District (Mercer County) announced that existing school policies on inclusion, diversity, and respect would expand to include allowing transgender and […]

Pittsburgh Public School Board Votes Unanimously to Disaffiliate with Pittsburgh Marathon Over Chick-fil-A Sponsorship

Tonight, the entire School Board voted unanimously in favor of a resolution that disavows the sponsorship role of Chick-fil-A in the Pittsburgh Marathon. This means no Pittsburgh public school will officially participate in marathon activities or the Kids of Steel year round programming. No employee can participate in an official capacity. And no one will […]

Vote ‘No’ on the Allegheny County Children’s Fund

Vote No Referendum

In addition to the various critical elections facing us on November 6, there is also a critical referendum item – the ‘Allegheny Children’s Fund’ referendum asking for a voluntary 5% property tax hike to pay for early learning, after-school programs and healthy meals for kids. I hope it goes without saying that I believe that […]

Pittsburgh City Council Unanimously Calls for Pittsburgh Marathon to Remove Chick-fil-A Sponsorship

On Wednesday, October 17, all nine members of Pittsburgh’s City Council signed a request to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon organizers (P3R) requesting that they remove Chick-fil-A as a title sponsor. We, the undersigned, are writing to respectfully request that P3R remove Chick-Fil-A as the title sponsor of the 2019 Pittsburgh Kids Marathon. The […]

Pittsburgh Public School Board Proposes Terminating Official Involvement in Pgh Marathon Because of Chick-fil-A Sponsorship

Wednesday evening, the Pittsburgh Public School Board met for a Special Legislative and Agenda session. One of the topics was a proposed resolution explained by District Solicitor Ira Weiss as follows “The District will not support, officially, the Children’s Marathon so long as those sponsors are involved. The schools will not be authorized to participate officially, […]