Q&A With Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D. on Transgender Youth

After the brutal murder of 14-year-old trans girl Pauly Likens in Mercer County this summer, I was struggling mightily with how to move forward with my work. The story of how this interview came to be is convoluted, but I put on my blogger hat and asked Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health for […]

Burned my finger on a Pop-Tart

NaBloPoMo

I can’t decide if it’s a sign of the times or simply dumb luck. Burned the index finger of my dominant hand on the icing of a Pop-Tart fresh out of the toaster. Ran cold water. Google “wtf do I do now.” And here I sit with my finger swathed in petroleum jelly and generic […]

Here’s why I go to therapy 3x each week

Pre-pandemic, I began seeing my counselor twice a week for therapy. We were starting to work on trauma and one session wasn’t enough. This was 2019. Her boss resisted. My insurance did not, so after self-advocacy, I became a woman who went to therapy twice a week. Like psychoanalysis without the cocaine or sex. I […]

She’s had 408 days to apologize and right her wrong

She’s had 408 days to apologize and right her wrong

This past week, I blogged about Nazis, a pet food pantry, and a loving tribute to a feral cat named Tommy. I wrote about the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strike, posted a round up of Toys for Tots programs in 26 counties and shared some thoughts about my birthday. I also took two cats to the vet […]

A New Page in My Passionate Affair with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Last week, I attended a town hall meeting organized by the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh. It was invigorating, but I had to work through some stuff to step out of my skin and into my role as a supporter. As I headed out the door to the meeting, imposter syndrome wrapped me in familiar tendrils. […]

Is Our Bond Strong Enough to Navigate Abandonment?

Every time I call my friend Nikki, I ask “Are you still coming on Saturday?” referencing the (back)yardsale. She softly responds “Yes, I am. It’s okay to ask and I will say yes each time you ask because I understand what you are really asking me.” Please don’t abandon me. That’s what I’m asking. I […]

How to we measure the labor of the unpaid workforce?

Eat'nPark

I miss breakfast. My wife and I had a tradition on Monday holidays to go out to breakfast. Sometimes it was Eat n’ Park, sometimes Waffles Inc. It was our joint appreciation of the rest we had earned thanks to the labor advocates around the nation. And it was a small, but simple tradition that […]

365 Days Feels Like One Day at a Time

Today, August 27, 2024, marks one year since I was wrongly detained for an involuntary commitment (302), held against my will for four or five hours, then discharged to find the lock to my home had been changed. Each of these claims is a fact. The date, the invalid 302 paperwork, the time spent at […]

I Don’t Know How My Mother Did It

I don’t know how my mother did it. Her entire life, she relied on other people for rides. When she was younger. she was an avid public transit user, zipping from Bethel Park around the region on trolley and bus. Once she had kids and moved to West Mifflin, things got trickier. The bus was […]

Disability Pride Month: The Stories I Can’t Explain

Here’s how disability pride works. I’ve been home now for over four months. That’s a significant accomplishment, one many people doubted I could manage. I think a lot of people expected me to just roll over and give up, to build something new instead of returning to claim my life of 20 years. But this […]