Candlelight Vigil April 4 for Kathryn Newhouse, Trans Teen Murdered by Her Father in Georgia

Kathryn Vigil

Friends and neighbors have responded with outrage to news of the murder of 19-year-old autistic Asian-American trans woman, Kathryn Newhouse, at the hands of her father. The LGBTQ media has barely responded, leaving the media narrative skewed by Kathryn’s brother. That’s rarely good when it comes to violence targeting trans folx. I’ve spent the better […]

We’re on a Meal Train and We Love This Stuff

Casseroles when people are ill

Some lovely friends set up a Meal Train for us – it is a software/website resource that allows organizers to recruit folx to bring food to people in tough times – during a loss, an illness, a new baby, etc. Illness is our category. I’ve been writing a lot about that and the associated challenges. […]

800 Calories a Day

Super Donuts

My doctor suggested I try logging my daily food consumption using a “diet” app so I can track my calorie intake.  That seemed smart. So I slogged through the Android app store to find something decent (ugghh) and have been logging for about three weeks. I am averaging 800 calories a day. I am aerating […]

On Being a Woman

When I was a teenager and young adult, I struggled with the simple concept that I was a woman. I wasn’t questioning my gender identity; I was questioning my validity. Anytime I had to say something like “I’m a woman” in any context, I was self-conscious and awkward and keenly aware that I felt ‘othered.” […]

double, double. toil, and trouble.

My therapist encouraged me to buy some clothing that fits my shrinking body. So a few months ago, I bought two pairs of Old Navy sweatpants and they fit reasonably well. I took a leap and advantage of a sale to buy five more pairs. Same size. Too big. Too big. Slide off when I […]

GI Sue: Part Six in a Chronic Health Crisis

Sue Kerr Cats

G.I. are initials used to describe the soldiers of the United States Army and airmen of the United States Air Forces and general items of their equipment.[1] The term G.I. has been used as an initialism of “Government Issue,” “General Issue,” or “Ground Infantry,” but it originally referred to “galvanized iron,” as used by the logistics services of the United States Armed Forces.[2][3] During World War I, American soldiers sardonically referred to […]

Are You Really Thinking of Me?

I appreciate the many expressions of sympathy about the death of my mother. The situation is complicated by a lot of trauma at the hands of other, now dead, family members and the many family members (all of them) who enabled or denied their predatory violence. In truth, every adult in my family on both […]

If you can’t maintain a conversation, it’s probably time to find a therapist not a Facebook meme

Over the past month or so, I’ve noticed that more and more often communication is delayed? Stilted? Fading? Still, I don’t agree with this meme. Post-apocalyptic movies and most of history teaches us that nothing of this magnitude ‘ends’ – our entire world is irrevocably altered in ways we cannot control or understand. Waiting for […]

How Starbucks Helped Me Endure the Pandemic. Until Now.

I used to smirk at people who sat in line, engines idling, for long periods of time at a local Starbucks. I could park, go in, place my order, use the bathroom, collect my order, and walk out while they sat there just waiting. My wife and I spent a lot of time at Starbucks. […]

Do You Have a Hard Copy of the 2003 ‘Voices for a New Tomorrow’ Needs Assessment?

If you were active in the regional community around 2003 (pre-Delta era) – I’d like to talk with you. In January 2003, Persad Center published a community needs assessment in conjunction with the Gay and Lesbian Community Center (now the Pittsburgh Equality Center) and The Seven Project. The researchers were Dr. Sandra Quinn and Dr. […]