What Happened to Jessi Hart, a 42-year-old Trans Woman Killed in Oregon?

Jessi Hart Oregon trans woman

Jessi Hart, a 42-year-old white trans woman, was killed in Banks, Oregon in early October. Her body was discovered on October 17, 2021. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, her body was found in the woods outside Banks, a small town about 25 miles west of Portland, Oregon. Detectives suspect foul play in her […]

26-Year-Old Trans Woman Jo Acker Killed in Boise, Idaho

Jo Acker of Boise

A 26-year-old white trans woman, Jo Acker, was one victim of a mass shooting in Boise, Idaho. Jo worked at the mall as a security guard and reports indicate she bravely confronted the shooter while escorting customers out of the building. Jo is the 42nd victim of the campaign of terror and violence targeting the […]

City of Pittsburgh Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs honors LGBTQ History Month

The City of Pittsburgh Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs honors LGBTQ History Month thisOctober. We know that groundbreaking moments, big and small, have shaped the evolution ofour community since long before colonizers arrived on these waters and lands. The history ofour community is deeply intertwined with the histories of Indigenous, Black, and BrownLGBTQ peoples and we […]

Congratulations Admiral Levine. And thank you for your service

From the NYT and BBC Dr Rachel Levine, the US assistant secretary for health, has been sworn in as the first transgender four-star officer in the country’s history. The 63-year-old is now an admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Dr Levine, appointed by President Joe Biden, is already the highest-ranking openly transgender […]

20-year-old Latina Trans Woman Murdered in August in Seattle

Trans Latina Woman

Her name was Zoella Rose Martinez, she also went by Zo Zo or Zoey. She was 20-years-old. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, she was a Latina trans woman who had her whole life before her. And while her death was not reported at the time, her family confirmed her identity recently to a local […]

Black Trans Man Mel Groves Shot to Death in Mississippi, Total Official Homicide Toll Reaches 40

Mel Groves Black Trans Man

Campaign of terror against Trans, Gender Nonconforming, and Nonbinary Americans reaches 40, precariously close to the documented record of 44 violent death in 2020. Image via Facebook Just days after the shooting death of a 26-year-old Black trans woman in Southern Florida comes word of another shooting death of a Black trans person, Mel Groves, […]

Royal Poetical Starz, 26-Year-Old Black Trans Woman, Shot to Death Near Miami

A 26-year-old Black trans woman was murdered inside her vehicle in the Miami Gardens community in Florida. Her name was Royal Poetical Starz and while news of her murder spread among her friends and family, media failed to pick up her story. From South Florida Gay News A prime reason they didn’t know: Miami Gardens police […]

Guest Post for International Lesbian Day: A Boomer’s Bar Life in Pittsburgh

I first met Sue B. a few years ago on social media. She and my wife had mutual friends so we began corresponding and dining out together back when we did those thing. I begged and pleaded with her to put her recollections of queer women’s history into writing. There’s very little first person documentarian […]

21-Year-Old Black Trans Woman Kiér Lapri Kartier Found Dead of Gunshot Wounds near Dallas

Kier Laprice

Her name was Kiér Laprí Kartier also known as Kier Laprice Soloman. She was 21 years old and lived in Dallas. On Thursday, September 30, she became the most recent Black trans women to lose her life in the campaign of terror targeting the trans community. She was found near Dallas dead in a car […]

UPDATED: Placing 2nd in the Best of Pittsburgh Local Blog Category

The results are in in (print) and this blog was voted 2nd place by the readers voting in the City Paper Best of Pittsburgh poll for 2021. That’s not shabby. I was debating posting about it because I wanted to give the City Paper a shout-out for being an important media source especially on queer […]