TWOC Crystal Edmonds Murdered in Baltimore

Crystal Edmonds Trans

Crystal Edmonds, 32, a trans woman of color who lived in Baltimore died Friday from gunshot wounds to the back of her head. Crystal is the 21st known transgender person to be murdered in 2016 in the United States. She is also the third person whose death I’ve blogged about this week and the second […]

Skye Mockabee of Cleveland is 17th Trans Person Murdered in 2016

Another tragic story to share in the unrelenting slaughter of our trans siblings. 26 year old Skye Mockabee of Cleveland is the latest victim. Skye’s body was found early Saturday morning in a Cleveland parking lot. The owner of Ecclesiastic Granite Fab found Skye Mockabee, 26, dead about 8 a.m. in the parking lot his business on […]

22 Year Old Ohio Trans Woman Stabbed to Death By Father

Bri Golec

22-year-old Bri Golec has recently returned to a transgender support group in the Akron, Ohio area. She had participated a few years ago, then stopped attending. Recently, she began to more assertively explore her gender identity. Sadly, Bri will not have the chance to continue her journey after an altercation with her father,  Kevin Golec, […]

Pittsburgh Dad Makes First Reference to Gay Neighbors

I like Pittsburgh Dad. He rings true to me – this strange amalgam of adult men in my family and my friend’s fathers. Yep, he’s corny. Yep, he’s sometimes tries too hard. Yep, he’s a little too loose and easy with the insults of others. That’s what I mean – he sounds real to me. […]

UPDATED: The Loss of Another Trans Sister of Color – Tiff Edwards of Ohio

Tiffany Edwards

This has been a tough month, no doubt about it. From Repent Amarillo targeting teenaged girls to the Pittsburgh Dyke Trans March being TERFd (and possibly secretly recorded), it has been an exhausting month. But the worst has happened – a fourth trans woman of color has been found murdered, this time in Walnut Hills, […]

Mocking Violence Against Trans Women Is Not Acceptable

Trans

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Ghandi It is my opinion that being an ally to the trans community requires me to believe the people in that community. I believe when they tell me that words like “tranny” and “shemale” and “shemail” are […]

A Lump of Coal for Reg Henry and Two for the Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh transgender

It is nearly 2014 and we continue to have to battle with our alleged allies over issues like not using the word “transvestite” (or a thousand other words), especially our allies in the media. Today, Reg Henry’s column in the Post-Gazette hit that low note once again. Given Vladimir Putin’s ill treatment of gay people […]

Why Use The Term “Alleged” When Reporting on Crimes Against LGBTQ People

I’ve had a few questions about the use of the term “alleged murder” to refer to the deaths of Betty Janet Skinner and Brittany-Nicole Kidd-Stergis in Cleveland last week. I can only imagine the degree of hurt, anger and outrage – perhaps fear? – in the community and it is fair to say that the […]

CBS Program “Mike and Molly” Says F*ck You To LGBT Community

Last season, the hit CBS sitcom “Mike and Molly” went astray with two jokes about transgender women, specifically using the slur “shemale.” That very same weekend, a movie starring Melissa McCarthy used another slur, “tranny.” Trish provided some brilliant insight into exactly why these terms are slurs and not fodder for humor, especially on CBS […]

Why the LGBTQ Community Needs a Pittsburgh Dad Moment

I have a Pittsburgh Dad. He’s 72, worked in the steel mills for 50+ years, grew up in Brentwood, loves the Stillers and all the rest. He’s a socially conservative Republican Roman Catholic who doesn’t believe in climate change or unions, but he’s fine with his lesbian daughter. I  think he’s especially proud that my […]