Community Q&A: Chris, 16, Talks About His Identity, His Family, and Enduring Harassment in His Pittsburgh Neighborhood

Chris Eagleton

I I know it is hard, it is hard to live in a society that does not fit you, but there are people like you. It’s hard every day knowing that your identity is up for debate. It is not fair. But the only way to change this is to prove them wrong. They want […]

Black Trans Woman Brazil Johnson Dies from Gun Violence in Milwaukee During Pride Month

Brazil Johnson Devon Gildart

Brazil Johnson, a 28-year-old Black trans woman, is the most recently reported fatal victim in the anti-trans campaign of terror in the United States. Around 6:30 AM, Wednesday June 15, 2022, Milwaukee police reported that Brazil’s body was discovered near Teutonia Avenue and Garfield Avenue. She had been shot multiple times. There are no current […]

My Dad

He was dealt a traumatic hand from Day One. He worked hard, sometimes multiple jobs. He rarely called off. He was in the mills for 50 years. He grew up in a mid-century modern world, raised by grandparents born circa 1885. Everyone had good intentions, but that didn’t really pan out in their poor life […]

The White House Pride Reception

Tonight was the night. President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden hosted the annual Pride Reception at the White House. I was not invited. I can admit and for the sake of keeping an accurate record of the impact of this blog, I had hoped that the work leading to a second GLAAD Media Award would […]

#LGBTQFamiliesDay – Being the Adult I Needed in My Own Childhood

Our LGBTQ family centers on our marriage family – me and Ledcat. It also has a strong tie to our role as aunts to our six niblings (gender neutral term for niece/nephew.) We are involved in the lives of four, but I always remember the other two who don’t live nearby and think of them […]

A Day With Social Anxiety

Mental health Awareness Month Anxiety

Today is Saturday. My wife and I decided to run some errands. We set our schedule the evening before – we wanted to accomplish several things Go to the shoe store for her to get some new sneakers Drop my ballot at the County Executive Office PIck up a curbside order from Target Stop by […]

Q&A with Jonathan Lovitz, Candidate for PA House District 18

I am the most experienced public servant; the most endorsed and best funded candidate, ready to help flip seats across PA after the primary; and the most prepared to tackle bipartisan issues with proven results. We can never forget that our community includes too many unsung heroes who are beacons of hope for women, communities […]

Q&A with Arvind Venkat, Candidate for PA House District 30

Telehealth is a game changer in access to healthcare, especially for mental health services. Legislation has not moved in the General Assembly on this topic due to abortion politics, specifically related to the use of Telehealth to give women access to reproductive healthcare. As the only physician in the General Assembly, I will be a […]

Et tu, Hannah Gadsby? “Phone Free Experiences” and ADA Accommodations #MentalHealthAwareness

Mental health Awareness Month Anxiety

This won’t be the post you expect. Noted lesbian and creator Hannah Gadsby is coming to Pittsburgh this Thursday as part of her Body of Work tour. She’s performing at the noted Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, part of the Carnegie Museums. A lovely venue. My first visit there was in the 1990s when I […]

The Six Things I Hope ‘This Is Us’ Addresses in the Final Six Episodes

First, always, is Miguel. How did and Rebecca find their way back from Facebook to marriage? What’s up with his kids now? Why haven’t we really had conversations between this Latinx man of color and Randall around their experiences of racial injustice? Miguel was a Latinx man in Pittsburgh in the 70s and 80s. Being […]