Sexual Assault and Rape Culture Are LGBTQ Issues

Trigger Warnings – sexual assault, rape, victim-blaming Coauthored with Ian Awesome. Originally posted on HuffPo Gay Voices. The conviction of two young men for raping an unconscious young woman challenges us to rethink our assumptions about youth, the legal system and sexual assault. We are both survivors of sexual assault. In the light of media responses to […]

Shocked: My LGBTQ support ‘never wavered’

According to the website Buzzfeed, Michelle Shocked has now issued two “open letters” about remarks she made during her March 17 concert in San Francisco. You can read them here. The first open letter says (according to Buzzfeed—the statements aren’t on Shocked’s website): “I do not, nor have I ever, said or believed that God […]

WYEP’s Sauter on Shocked comments

I asked Mike Sauter, music director and midday on-air host at WYEP (91.3), what he thought of reports that folk singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked verbally attacked gay people during a concert in San Francisco. Have station staff members discussed the incident? “We’ve been definitely talking about the situation at the station. Shocked’s behavior is very odd, […]

“Madama Butterfly” – Cultural Lessons on Respect for Women

**SPOILERS** Last night, Ledcat and I were guests of the Pittsburgh Opera for the performance of  Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Congrats to Tiffany who won the two tickets (and brought her friend Becky along.) Cio-Cio San’s open heart and trusting nature are the reasons that Pinkerton should love her, and the reasons that we weep at […]

Eco-Wednesday: Vinegar

Green Grandma Vinegar Fridays

Now, I’m sure some folks might be tempted to snark on the association of vinegar with moi. And while “ha ha ha” is my first response, I do admit the shoe might fit.  But recently I’ve grown interested in the use of vinegar as a healthier alternative for everyday home and personal needs. I met […]

Shell-shocked

Were you making a joke—saying something ironically—that flopped? Was it a cry for attention? Or were you simply making a heartfelt expression of pure nastiness? Just what were you trying to do, Michelle Shocked? Shocked is a feminist folk-singer whose songs champion strong, independent women. “Anchorage,” the break-out single from her 1988 album “Short Sharp […]

Change The Conversation: Blogging About Sexual Assault – Planning Post

Friends – The Pittsburgh Women’s Blogging Society is organizing a “Blogging Day” on Tuesday April 2. “Change the Conversation: Blogging About Sexual Assault” We need help to make this successful. Help us send a message of solidarity to our sister in Steubenville and all survivors of sexual assault. Help us begin the difficult conversations on […]

Join Us For GAYla This Weekend at Pittsburgh Public Market

We’ll be participating in the second annual GAYla event at the Pittsburgh Public Market on Saturday from 9-5 and Sunday 10-4. It is a chance to meet some of the local organizations and LGBTQ owned businesses. Stop by our booth to learn more about our blog and other social media tools. We’ll have coloring pages for […]

Lessons From Steubenville – Rapists Destroy Their Own Lives By Raping Women

Trigger Warning – references to sexual assault, rape apologists, and rape culture   Let me be absolutely clear – it is not what they didn’t say, it is what they DID say. They weren’t guilty of “rape essentially” – they are guilty of rape. Their lives did not fall apart – they destroyed their own […]

The Week in LGBTQA – March 17, 2013

St. Patrick’s Day edition. First, let me wish my younger brother Jim a happy birthday. He’s 41 – 17 months younger than me. In my head he’s still 8. LOL.  One of most significant stories this past week involved a conversation about how we prevent rape. Gun proponents argue that women need guns to shoot […]