Vote “No” on the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Tax Referendum

Vote No Referendum

Another year, another ballot referendum trying to circumvent the “no taxation without representation” theory of governance. This time it is the Parks Conservancy which wants funding for parks and doesn’t want the hassle of going through the normal City budgeting process. So 2018. The question would ask voters whether they support raising property taxes starting […]

The @PghCurrent Column Where I Call for Pittsburgh To Abolish the Mayor’s LGBTQIA Advisory Group

Delta Foundation Pittsburgh

My latest for the Pittsburgh Current – City Should Dissolve LGBTQIA Advisory Panel It is time for Pittsburgh to establish an Office of LGBTQ Affairs with a dedicated paid staff. This Office will be a resource for all City Departments and Programs, City Council and the City Commissions, Boards, and Authorities. In addition, a LGBTQ […]

A Brief Guide for Sharing Reports of ICE Raids on Social Media via MRAC

Reporting ICE raids on Social Media

Please be thoughtful when sharing info on possible ICE operations on social media. It is not helpful to induce panic in affected communities by sharing unclear or unverified reports of ICE operations. The suggestions outlined here are a good guide via Minnesota Rights Action Committee

If You See an ICE Raid, Police Stop, or Hate Crime via Casa San José Including Emergency Number

Via Casa San José¡Conozca sus derechos!¡Conozca su poder!Siempre pueden llamar a nuestro número de emergencia de Casa San José en esos momentos: (412) 736-7167.Know your rights.Know your power.You can always call Casa San Jose’s Emergency Number in those moments: (412) 736-7167.

What To Do If ICE Comes To Your Door via Casa San José

What to do if ICE comes to your door

Via Case San José. If you are looking for a way to combat family separation here in Pittsburgh, you can go here https://casasanjose.org/donate/ to donate to Fondo Solidario, which helps get people out on bond so that they can fight their case at home, with the loving support of their families. .

City of Pittsburgh Honors 50th Anniversary of Stonewall Riots

  I was unable to attend this press conference, but I have been talking with Councilperson Strassburger’s team about the proposed legislation – I had no idea these gaps existed. Kudos to them for filling that gap. We’ll have more on that later. Note that Councilperson Strasssburger is wearing a ‘Yinz is a Gender Neutral […]

Q&A with Gisele Barreto Fetterman, Second Lady of Pennsylvania

Gisele Fetterman

“I want Pennsylvania to be a safe, just, and more welcoming place for everyone.  I want everyone to have an opportunity to thrive in our state.” Gisele and I have been social media friends for several years, most typically coming together when there is a need that taps into our mutual social justice skills and […]

What I Think Allegheny County Should Do to Hold Police Accountable BEFORE They Are Hired

Police Accountability

Just my personal $.02 here. One issue that arises repeatedly when we are discussing police officers who kill civilians is the failure to ‘catch’ the cops who move from police department to police department because of discipline issues or misconduct or just because they are not good cops. There are two sides to this problem […]

Q&A with Bobby Wilson, Candidate for City Council District One

Bobby Wilson City Council

  We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2019. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of questions about their campaigns. We’ve sent out about a dozen Q&A’s to folks who agreed to participate. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any […]

Q&A with Bethany Hallam, Candidate for Allegheny County Council District at Large

Bethany Hallam Allegheny County Council

We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2019. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of questions about their campaigns. We’ve sent out about a dozen Q&A’s to folks who agreed to participate. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level […]