Stop Blaming Gary Van Horn for All of the LGBTQ Community Problems in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Pridefest Delta Foundation Gary Van Horn

I’ve seen variants of this rhetoric all over Facebook in the past several weeks, a very intentional effort to hold Gary Van Horn, President of the Delta Foundation, (known as GVH) accountable for the ways in which the Delta Foundation has failed our community and for his own personal alleged crimes. I think it is […]

Five Years as a Persad Client

Five years ago today, I began working with the team at Persad Center as a clinical client in addition to my existing community collaborations. Anticipating that things could get complicated by mixing clinical with community, I had resisted this relationship as long as possible. But finding a LGBTQ competent treatment team including a psychistrist had […]

The Misinformation of Mayor Peduto’s LGBTQIA Advisory Group

Those of you who have been reading along since 2005 or know how to use Google probably know that I’ve been paying attention to this group since the Ravenstahl era. I was at meetings, I read minutes, I pushed and pulled, I resisted – basically, I showed up and paid attention more consistently than any […]

Jason, 38, Talks About Workplace Discrimination as a White Gay Man #AMPLIFY

white gay male Pittsburgh

  Marriage equality is great, but it has overshadowed our greater fight. Name:  Jason Age: 38 County of Residence: Allegheny, raised in Warren, Warren County, PA; lived in North Haledon, NJ and Bay Shore, NY (Long Island) Pronouns: gay male How do you describe your identity? white gay male Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? […]

Maxwell, 22, is a Queer Trans Man from McKean County #AMPLIFY

McKean County Trans Man

What motivated you to take part in this project? 

I want people like me to know that it does get better. You are not sick, you are not broken; you are you, and you are brave and strong. I wish I’d known who I am earlier, but it doesn’t always happen that way, and that’s okay. Finding yourself can take a long time, but it’s worth it.

Ian, 27, is a Gay Trans Man Resisting Gender Expectations #AMPLIFY

Gay trans man Pittsburgh

What is your greatest hope for the LGBTQ community in Western Pennsylvania? 

I hope for progress honestly. I hope people don’t see inclusiveness as a burden but a part of life. Being inclusive isn’t restricting straight cis people, it’s about not limiting life to just them

Q&A With James Craig, Candidate for PA State Senate District 46

I learned about the James Craig campaign via Facebook. His district includes portions of Beaver and Washington counties as well as all of Greene County. His personal story is rather compelling. He’s the first candidate to respond to this round of Q&A’s. I hope you will give his response your consideration. We began this Political […]

Blog, #AMPLIFY and Sue Featured in Northside Chronicle

I’m going super-meta here, blogging about the interview I gave to a local reporter for The Northside Chronicle. When Sarah Gross contacted me via email to request an interview, it was near Pride and I was immediately skeptical. I had turned down a half-dozen requests to talk – yet again – about the Delta Foundation, […]

Pride is in the Person, not the Parade: A Guest Blog Post by Billy Hileman

A guest post from longtime LGBTQ activist and former Pride committee member, Billy Hileman. This is in response to decisions by the Delta Foundation that excluded Richard Parsakian’s participation as curator of dance performances at the festival, and separately left him no choice but to withdraw the historic rainbow pride flag. For the first time in […]

WARNING! Pittsburgh Magazine is Dangerous to your Queer Health

Pittsburgh Pridefest

A guest post from longtime LGBTQ activist and former Pride committee member, Billy Hileman, in response to a newly published long form piece in Pittsburgh Magazine about the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh. Note that I was quoted in the magazine article and am cited in Billy’s post. He originally wrote this as a Facebook status […]