25 Years Ago Today, I Was Graduated from College. Here’s What I Learned

My alma mater is Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia (1988-1992.) I studied Political Science with a minor in Philosophy/Religion. Marymount is a very small Catholic affiliated private university. I went there because it wasn’t in Pittsburgh and they offered me a full academic scholarship. That’s about all of the thought I put into it while […]

Guest Post: You Can Help LGBT Students in Pittsburgh Public Schools Right Now

Pittsburgh Public School transgender

Guest post by Rayden Sorock As you probably know, there have been numerous attacks on LGBT students’ rights recently, many of which revolve around the much-disputed “bathroom issue.” Here are several things you can do RIGHT NOW that will make a real difference in the lives of LGBT and gender-expansive youth in local public schools. […]

High School Class Refreshers I’d Like To Take At 45

Adult Education

Nearly every day,  I think “that’s science.” I wasn’t a science major or even a great science student. But as I use concepts like levers, gravity, chemical reactions, and so forth in my everyday life, I actually flash in my head to that “that’s science” commentary. Physics matters. It is something I use nearly every […]

First Daze of School

Pittsburgh Elementary School

It’s back-to-school time: do you love the start of school or dread it? Living, as I do, in a family with no school-aged children, no children at all and no one attending school, my feelings at best are mired in nostalgia and too many hours on Facebook. Ahem. My original thought was to make a […]

Gary Has Lived in Northwest and Southwest PA As An Openly Gay Man #AMPLIFY

Gary Western Pennsylvania

Read the entire AMPLIFY LGBTQ Q&A archive. AMPLIFY LGBTQ is a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each […]

GLSEN Pittsburgh Withdraws from Pittsburgh Pridefest

I’m just publishing the statements by the groups as I receive them ~ Sue   GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) Pittsburgh stands in solidarity with Roots Pride Pittsburgh and the many people and organizations who are opposed to the actions of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, who booked Iggy Azalea as the […]

How To Be Smarter, Not Just Sound Smarter

I’ve always been a smarty pants, especially when it comes to vocabulary. My parents had me reading at an early age and I absorbed words from well-written books like a sponge. I’ve often been accused of affecting airs because I use a lot of “big words” in my day-to-day communication. One time, a supervisor added […]

Dreams of Hope Youth Video Supports #TakeTheHighRoad

Dreams of Hope #TakeTheHighRoad

Flannel is not the enemy. The youth in Pittsburgh based queer performing arts group Dreams of Hope took our #TakeTheHighRoad message of support to McGuffey High LGBTQA students a few steps further – producing this lovely video with their own unique messages. What can I add? You might still want to post your own photo […]

Book Drive at Perry Traditional Academy Because #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Perry Traditional Academy

  Perry Traditional Academy is the only high school on the North Side of Pittsburgh. The library staff and community supporters have set up a book drive through Amazon to bolster the school library. As I live on the North Side, it caught my attention so I interviewed Sheila, one of the librarians. I encourage […]

#TakeTheHighRoad – Support LGBTQA Students at McGuffey

Students at McGuffey High School in Claysville, Washington County, Pennsylvania experienced backlash to their ‘Day of Silence’ – a group of classmates organized their own “Anti-Gay” day creating an atmosphere of fear and discomfort for LGBTQA students and allies. One tactic of the students was to wear flannel shirts and ink the phrase “anti-gay” as […]