Helen, 32, is a Lesbian, Immigrant, Irish Comedian Living in Pittsburgh #AMPLIFY
How would you describe yourself NOW in terms of “being out”? I am super out! I talk about being a lesbian openly in my comedy often. I hope by being super open about my sexuality, I can bring some visibility to the community and hopefully win some hearts for the LGBTQ community from folks who haven’t perhaps had personal experiences with queer people in the past.
DeRay McKesson to Speak in Pittsburgh on February 12, Limited Scholarships Available
Join PublicSource for an evening with DeRay Mckesson, a civil rights activist, community organizer and the host of Crooked Media’s award-winning podcast, Pod Save the People. DeRay started his career as an educator in public schools. He came to prominence for his participation in, and documentation of, the Ferguson protests and the movement they birthed, and for […]
Trying New Things
I’ve stretched myself out of my comfort zone twice thus far in 2019. Surprisingly, I feel pretty good about this even though it appears neither leap will pan out in ways we might consider successful. First, I applied to The Creative Nonfiction Writers Fellowship – a ten-part intensive workshop series for ten experienced nonfiction writers. […]
Five Black Creators, Educators & Community Builders to Invest Your $$ With to Honor #BlackHistoryMonth
I see you sharing lots of (awesome) content in honor and recognition of Black History Month. I see you liking the content I’m sharing. And I admittedly am trying each day to find fresh content to signal boost on my social media channels. But this is not enough. We have to do real anti-racism work […]
Self-care moments
Today, I was supposed to set up my table at the Keystone Progress Summit with a colleague. They told me this AM that they have strep throat. Ugghh, that’s awful. I was planning to still go, but found myself dawdling. I didn’t feel too socially anxious, but something was holding me back mentally. I figured […]
Feeling Cozy
First I had a cold. Then Pittsburgh was very cold. Together, it adds up to my spending about three weeks mostly at home, eating a lot of soup. I can’t remember having such a terrible cold, just a cold but uggghhh. Feeling very grateful it didn’t migrate into bronchitis for which I credit the soup. […]
Here’s Why I Think PA State Senator Daylin Leach is a Lying Jagoff
Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach is under pressure to resign given multiples allegations of sexual misconduct, including one claim that he coerced a then-17-year-old young woman into performing oral sex. He was 30 at the time. Cara Taylor alleges Leach coerced her to perform oral sex in 1991 when she was 17 and he was […]
Q&A with Ali Hoefnagel About Gender Chaos, Queer Art, and Their Show ‘You Can Call Me Al’
Next week, the Community Supported Art series presents You Can Call Me Al at the New Hazlett Theater on the Northside. I asked storytelling and artist Ali Hoefnagel to talk with us about their performance. You Can Call Me Al is a long-form story about growing up, getting gay, coming out, living with mental illness, and uncovering family […]
This Winter’s Night
It is 12:10 am and I should be asleep. But Ledcat had to go into work from 11 pm until 1 am tonight. She has to interview someone in one of her cases and has to meet them while they are on shift. She’s too fair to shirk work even in frigid temps. She would […]
Q&A with Susan Stein, Playwright Offering Another Glimpse into the Holocaust Through the Diaries of Etty Hillesum
Intersectionality is how to understand Etty Hillesum. She insists on not being defined by her circumstances (the Holocaust, yet unnamed), by her gender, by her religion, race, age, class, sexual orientation, political leanings. And yet she identifies herself as a woman, as a Jew, as a 28 year old middle class Dutch student. She is a truth seeker and digs deeply into her own self to work herself out. – See Etty the Play at Carnegie Stage February 7-10, 2019.