Q&A with Lisa Middleman, Candidate for Court of Common Pleas

Lisa Middleman

Choose people who have demonstrated, throughout their careers, a dedication to the work that you feel is important and empathy and compassion for those who are impacted by the legal system. Candidates who have demonstrated a willingness to be involved in discussions about ways to improve the legal system, those who have been of service […]

Q&A with Alyssa Cowan, Candidate for Court of Common Pleas Judge

Alyssa Cowan

I’ve been working on developing a glossary to be used across Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services, the Courts, and DHS-contracted service providers. The glossary is nearing completion and had been developed utilizing gender inclusive and gender neutral language throughout the glossary. It is critically important for judges to recognize the importance of word choice […]

Q&A With Hilary Wheatley Taylor, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge for District 05-2-19

HIlary Wheatley Taylor

But from that experience comes a perspective that can only benefit those that might come before me as Magistrate: I’ll approach each person as more than their worst day or worst choice or most shameful story.  I know first hand that we are all more than any one of those things and we deserve a […]

Q&A With Bethani Cameron, Candidate for City Council District 4

Bethani Cameron

Let’s re-imagine public safety with a heavy emphasis on mental health and substance use response teams who have many years of school to understand how to evaluate and de-escalate, and how to encourage ongoing treatment for those who need it.  We make police do this now. It doesn’t work. We will have more and more […]

One Year Anniversary of Pittsburgh MasQue ProjecT

Today marks one year since Lyndsey Sickler and I spoke the Pittsburgh MasQue ProjecT into existence. Dramatic, perhaps. But this year has taught me that it is up to us to save ourselves. We are the calvary. Mainstream institutions haven’t shown up or acknowledged the realities of our lives during the pandemic, especially media outlets […]

Pittsburgh Pays Tribute to Trans and Queer ‘MasQue ProjecT’ To Mark One Year of Distributing Face Masks

Here’s the press release: Pittsburgh – A face mask distribution project centering the trans and queer community in Western Pennsylvania marks a milestone with an online tribute, Saturday, April 3, at 8 PM via Zoom. Hosted by local artist, Alistair McQueen, the event will feature guest co-hosts Gisele Fetterman and Bruce Kraus.   On April […]

Of Pandemic Anniversaries: Part One

While I expected the “anniversary” of the pandemic would be sobering, I did not anticipate the emotional wall I would collide with this month. For the most part, we have had a relatively fortunate time during this horror. Our income didn’t change, we could work from home, we had lots of streaming services, access to […]

Correction: Three Young Trans Folx Were Murdered in Western Pennsylvania This Past Week

Jasmine Cannady

Earlier this week, we reported on the tragic shooting death of 22-year-old Jasmine Cannady and younger brother, Jeffrey ‘JJ’ Bright, in Ambridge, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. At that time, we noted that JJ identified as a trans male teen, having begun his transition at age 12. He was 16 at the time of his death. Since […]

Both of my parents have COVID-19

Last week, my brother contacted me to let me know. He had authorized requesting hospice for them. They live in an assisted living facility here in Pittsburgh. They have a myriad of underlying conditions, ravages of lives hard lived and filled with tragedies. Of course, they end up both contracting an international pandemic causing virus. […]

The Vulnerability of a Wedding Registry

Lesbian Wedding Registry

You would think a wedding registry would be the fun part of wedding planning, but oh no no no no. We had no intention of putting together a registry – we aren’t establisheding a new household, we aren’t young, it’s a pandemic, etc. It was hard enough figuring out the backyard logistics of serving apple […]