Review: The Danish Girl

Spoilers. Last week, Ledcat and I went to AMC Loews at the Waterfront to see ‘The Danish Girl.’ This is one of my least favorite movie theaters because of its slightly shabby condition, a fact not helped with the introduction of self-serve soda fountains. Still, AMC brings in the lesser known films on a regular […]

Big Burrito Group Updates Trans Inclusive Language

Big Burrito Transgender

You may recall earlier in the year we reported that the folks at Big Burrito had made an ill-conceived attempt at humor by referencing Caitlyn Jenner in their “celebrity” portion of their menu at the Mad Mex restaurants. After backlash from the community, Chef Bill Fuller and his team pulled the menu and issued an […]

Pittsburgh Municipal Equality Index Score Increases for 2014

Municipal Equality Index

The 2014 HRC Municipal Equality Index has been released. Pittsburgh residents have gained significant benefit from the 2014 court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania, but has only made slight actual gains in terms of municipal initiated efforts to address equality. Pittsburgh’s most noticeable ongoing weakness is evident in the “gender identity” indicators. The scoring […]

Post-Gazette Ignores Trans Community When It Comes To Discrimination

When I saw the headline “Jurassic Legislature: As gays marry, lawmakers won’t protect their rights” I cringed. I thought to myself as I opened the link “please let them get it right, please let them get it right.” BOOM. They got it so very wrong. The poor performance of the state Legislature has a number […]

Pgh City Council Votes to Update Trans Non-Discrimination Protections

  Something very interesting took place in Pittsburgh City Council today – they directly addressed a matter of transgender municipal equality for the first time in history. The issue is non-discrimination which Pittsburgh City Council first took up as far back as the late 1980’s. In 1990, the City amended the Human Relations Ordinance to […]

Pittsburgh Based “This Week In Gender” Debuts on YouTube

A new YouTube show debuted this week produced by the Gender Dances Project, based right here in Pittsburgh. The show is called “This Week in Gender” and features several local familiar faces who aren’t often given a platform. The video is NSFW because of language, but it is rather engaging. I was particularly struck by […]

PA Governor Corbett States Support for Non-Discrimination Legislation

Corbett Pennsylvania

In a move that implies the changing dynamics of Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Corbett announced his support for legislation that would expand non-discrimination protection to the LGBTQ community. HB 300 and its companion bill would expand the scope of the state Human Relations Law to include sexual orientation and gender identity in matters of employment, housing […]

Why Does WESA Think Tony Norman Is the Go-To-Guy on LGBTQ Issues?

Remember when President Obama announced that he supported marriage equality?  Essential Pittsburgh’s choice to discuss what this meant? Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman. Remember when Jason Collins became the first openly gay male active in the big four professional leagues? Essential Pittsburgh’s choice to discuss what this meant? Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman. Now what does Tony […]

The Current Status of Equality Legislation in Pennsylvania

I grabbed this snippet summary from HRC: In May, Pennsylvania House Bill  1434 was introduced which would propose and amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution reading:” Marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent […]

Anti-Discrimination Protections in Whitemarsh Township

Anti-Discrimination Protections in Whitemarsh Township

Congratulations to the residents, elected officials and advocates in Montgomery County’s Whitemarsh Township for establishing discrimination protections for their residents.  Springfield and Lower Merion also recently enacted such ordinances for the protections of their residents’ rights to housing, employment and public accomodation. I believe that brings the statewide total up to 18 municipalities?  Here’s a […]