2024 Political Q&A with Makenzie White: What You Need to Know About This Candidate for PA Senate District 45

Meet the Candidate This is the first post of our 2024 primary election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity for candidates to connect with the LGBTQ community, progressives […]

40 Days This Blog Illumined the Advent of the Holiday Season

Memories of Christmas and other holiday events are part of life’s sustenance, good and bad. They remind of what we’ve experienced and also teach us about who we are. Or perhaps who we aspire to be? Since 2005, I’ve written many blog posts about this holiday. Many describe events long before I was born but […]

How I Will Remember Sinéad O’Connor

When I was 21 years old on October 3, 1992, Sinéad O’Connor was the brave hero I needed. I remember being at a retreat for campus ministry that weekend, watching the show stretched across longish sofas with pizza and pop and the righteous purity of our little Catholic college bubble. I remember the shock in […]

Another Update: Crowdfund to Distribute #ProtectTransKids Yard Signs in Brookline and Carnegie

Protect Trans Kids

Anyone can make an individual request for a yard sign, stickers, or pens at http://bit.ly/ProtectTransKidsSigns at no charge. Some communities have organized to distribute directly. We are crowdfunding with them to pay for a box of 50 signs ($580) so we can get them in the ground ASAP.  Our ‘urgent care’ vet office is on Brookline Boulevard. […]

The Easter My Dad Went Fishing Without Us

Easter brings to mind a lot of bullet point memories In 1983, things were bleak financially. I was 12 years old and in 7th grade. So, of course, my Dad decided to join my cousins on a spring fishing trip to the Outer Banks over Easter. They weren’t high end, but it was still money […]

I Voted for Jimmy Carter When I Was in First Grade

Jimmy Carter

In October 1976, Jimmy Carter was the Democratic nominee for President. I was five years old, in first grade at New England Elementary School. Our teacher explained to us in very basic terms how an election worked and what it meant to vote. Mrs. Moreno was her name. I’m pretty sure this was tied to […]

No Crib For a Bed

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don’t really care for music, do you? I’ve always known that my family moved to West Mifflin when I was a preschooler so while I can lay claim to that corner of the blue collar world as […]

City Council Proclaims Dec 10 2022 to be “Sue Kerr Day” in the City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh City Council Sue Kerr Day

I thought it was a LGBTQ activist emergency. Really. Monday morning, my wife texted me repeatedly, telling me to call City Councilor Bruce Kraus’ office immediately. I was a little dumbfounded by the request. So I called, no answer. I called his cell phone (it is Pittsburgh, having his cell phone is not that unusual), […]

That Time My Foster Kitten Got Sick and I Had to Miss the Governor’s LGBTQ History Month Reception

Governor Wolf LGBTQ History Month Reception

I’m tempted to write “It has been a week” but as it is only Monday night, that’s not adequate to explain where my head is right now. Here’s the quick and dirty version – I broke my toe Saturday night. Ouch. This morning, one of our foster kittens had a temperature of 105.4 (very high) […]

Q&A With John Fetterman, Candidate for US Senate

John Fetterman for Senate

I learned a great deal from the tour, and it helped build my understanding and knowledge of how a legal recreational marijuana system, which I have long strongly supported, could work in Pennsylvania. And some of what I heard on that tour helped change my opinion on a few issues relating to legal weed.  Lt. […]