Autistic Asian-American Teen Trans Woman Kathryn Newhouse Murdered by Her Father in Georgia

On Saturday March 19, 2022, a 19-year-old Asian-American autistic trans woman living with mental illness issues was murdered by her father in their family home. Her father then died by suicide using the same gun. Her name was Kathryn (Katie) Newhouse. A native of Illinois, Kathryn was most recently living with her family in Canton, Georgia. […]

Black Trans Woman Tatiana Labelle Murdered in Chicago

Tatiana Labelle

On Friday, March 18, 2022, the body of Tatiana “Tee Tee” Labelle was discovered after she had been listed as missing for five days in her Chicago hometown. Police are describing her death as a murder investigation after an autopsy on Saturday. Tatiana Labelle, 33, was last seen on the 700 block of East 84th […]

Is St. Gertrude Really the Patron Saint of Cats? And Who Are the Cat Folx?

St. Gertrude

We have a little St. Gertrude plastic figurine holding a cat sitting above our sink. Friends gave it to us. It is cute, but I had never heard about a patron saint of cats until then. If you are on social media today (St. Patrick’s Day), you’ll see lots of references to St. Gertrude because […]

Q&A With Jerry Dickinson, Candidate for U.S. Congress PA-12

Yes, I am committed to a fully inclusive Equality Act that includes gender identity. I would not vote for a version that focuses on sexual orientation and not gender identity as this would exclude a large population of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our trans and non-binary siblings need powerful, equitable representation and protection This is the […]

Guest Post: Ukrainian Kokum Scarf and Indigenous People

Kokum Grandmother Scarrf

First published on Facebook by Lenora “Lee” DingusNod-doh-wa-ge-no (Seneca) Artist of Echoes of the Four Directions This Is a kokum scarf or grandmother scarf. Kokum means grandmother in Cree. Today It’s a piece of cloth used in powwows by jingle dancers “as a method of prayer while dancing with pow-wow dresses, It was all so […]

UPDATED: Trans Latina Paloma Velasquez Murdered in Houston

On Saturday, February 22, a young Latinx trans woman was found murdered in her home. Her boyfriend returned from work and discovered her body. Reports indicate she had been there alone for hours with no neighbors hearing gunshots.  There was no sign of forced entry. What happened to her? With baited breath, we waited for […]

Q&A With NaTisha Washington, Candidate for PA House District 24

Unfortunately Pittsburgh/Allegheny County does a bad job of celebrating and acknowledging our talented resident until they’re famous or nationally recognized. I’ve fortunately had the opportunity to meet or know about many people around the city doing amazing work but they were not locally supported like they should. Last year I highlighted black environmentalists, but this […]

LGBTQIA+ Commission 2022 Black History Month Statement

21-year-old Latina Trans Woman Murdered in Lubbock, Texas

Cypress Ramos, a 21-year-old Latina trans woman, was found dead on February 13, 2022 in her hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Cypress died from blunt force trauma. Her suspect was quickly identified as 32 year-old Allan Montemayor and has been arrested and faces a murder charge. Her body was found inside a storage locker in a […]

Martina Caldera, 38, was Killed on December 6, 2021

Martina Caldera was 38-years-old. Martina Caldera, a Latina transgender woman, was found fatally shot in Houston, Texas on December 6, 2021. Caldera’s death is at least the 56th violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2021. Her death is at least the 6th 2021 homicide to come to light in 2022. Investigators […]