‘Mija: one bitches tale’ debuts at folkLAB this week

Mija: one bitch's tale

This looks like a terrific event debuting this week with folkLAB folkLAB produces series of performance art pieces which hope to create an artistic community network dedicated to fair representation, compensation and access in the performing arts. folkLAB’s current series “in Our Voice” and “miniMythologies” foster the creation of brand new performance work that aims to create a […]

Eli, 41, is a Feminist Trans Man Describing Queer Life in Pittsburgh #AMPLIFY

Feminist Trans Man

I left home at 16 and moved in with my best friends family. My friends became my family.   Name: Eli Age:  41 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: He/him How do you describe your identity? Feminist Trans Man Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? Family was horrible, I […]

Q&A with the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Pittsburgh Chapter About Stigmatization, Support, and Safety

Content Note: sexual violence, erasure, sex shaming, criminal justice Last month, I shared a link on my social media channels to an article that I mistakenly thought was lifting up the voices of Women of Color around sex trafficking. I was called out on the link by several people and realized that I had fallen […]

Two Problems with the HAIM Fundraiser for the Tree of Life Shooting in Pittsburgh

Pop rock band HAIM created a shirt on their playful Haimukkah ditty as a way to show support for the 3 Jewish congregations targeted by a white domestic terrorist in October in Pittsburgh. It is a lovely gesture.   Dreidels, Candels, Latkes oh my! All the things you need to get your Haimukkah celebration going! […]

Video: Hannah Gadsby ‘Rejecting the humanity of a woman is not creepiness. It is misogyny.’

Rejecting the humanity of a woman is not creepiness. It is misogyny.   From the Guardian’s reporting on the Women in Entertainment gala, presented by the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday. Hannah Gadsby had some things to say in her opening speech … you can read the complete transcript at Vulture. “I’m sick of turning my television […]

The extra bff

When I was a child, the other girls in my neighborhood were firmly cemented into best friend pairs – Amy & Julie, Laurie & Darlene, Sherry & Meg, etc. My role was to be a back-up friend. Sometimes, I was included in group activities. Sometimes, I was called upon if the BFF was unavailable. And […]

Celebrating Ten Years of Queer Burlesque with the Velvet Hearts

I was thrilled to see another local Velvet Hearts performance scheduled. We’ve been supporters of them over the years. Queer burlesque is special. I like the variety in the performances as well as the body positive messaging. You should check out this show Friday evening and take a few moments to read what the founder, […]

Isolation: Is Pittsburgh’s Feminist Community Too Insular?

Feminist Isolation

Even amidst the horrible camaraderie of survivors speaking up and out about sexual assault, I’m reminded of how deeply isolated I feel, especially among local women’s groups and feminists. I’m not lonely in the sense that I do have wonderful friends from all stages of my life. But I’m lonely in the sense that I […]

Q&A: Actor Shamika Cotton on the ‘Female Gaze’ of Her African-Carribbean Feminist Spy Character, Marianne Angelle

Shamika Collage Marianne Angelle

“I think the thing that resonates with me the most about Marianne is her willingness to jump in the fight for “freedom, justice, humanity” in spite of the inherent sacrifice that comes with that. Such bravery. A human bravery, which comes with a nagging fear which can only be dealt with by finding allies that can help you along the way.”

My #365FeministSelfie 2018 Edition

#365FeministSelfie

I was browsing the website Shakesville tonight when I came across this post from Melissa McEwan announcing that she’s bringing herself back to the #365FeministSelfie project for 2018. I, too, had participated during 2014 as an act of resistance. My blog post about the project even earned me a subscription to Bitch Magazine (yay!) I […]