Q&A Election 2020: Schuyler Sheaffer Has a Plan For Us to Turn Out Voters

Schuyler Sheaffer political consultant

This is a new limited-Q&A series focusing on Election Day. I’ve approached an array of regional folks to ask them the same seven questions about the election. This election is complicated in ways we never thought possible, but there are paths forward. Listening to what our neighbors are prioritizing and how they are framing the Biden/Harris […]

Q&A with Matt Merriman-Preston about Voting by Mail in November’s Election

Earlier this year, I published two Q&A’s about the rapid changes to the Pennsylvania primary voting process, one with Kris Rust and one with Matt Merriman-Preston. In late July, I approached them about updating for the General Election. Then Trump swooped down on the United States Post Office and tried to break it. He literally […]

That Time (almost) No One Came to my High School Graduation Party

On Wednesday, May 25, 1988, I received my diploma from West Mifflin Area High School, a blue-collar suburb of Pittsburgh. A few weeks later, my parents had a graduation party for me as thousands of parents had done before. We had lots of food, tons of canned pop, and almost no guests. I don’t have […]

What Dr. Rachel Levine’s Statement Might Mean for the Trans Community

Dr. Rachel Levine

Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health has made a statement about the unrelenting vitriol directed at her identity. I was so pleased that she squarely addressed how these attacks impact the entire transgender community. One thing people inevitably ask me about the Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT is if we have any documented evidence of trans […]

Q&A With Emily Skopov, Candidate for State House District 28

Emily Skopov

  We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2020. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of questions about their campaigns. We’ve sent out about a dozen Q&A’s to folks and encourage you to suggest others. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any […]

Pennsylvania to Require Face Masks Whenever People Leave Their Homes

As a founder of The Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT I was pleased to learn that PA Secretary of Health Rachel Levine M.D. and Governor Tom Wolf have significant strengthened the guidelines for masquing up in Pennsylvania. Under today’s directive, everyone must wear a mask Gov. Tom Wolf and health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine on Wednesday expanded […]

Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman Stands in Line for Groceries

Second Lady of Pennsylvania Gisele Barreto Fetterman shared this photo on Sunday morning. Her husband, Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Goverenor, standing in the rain at a social distance with mask and gloves, waiting to shop for groceries in Pittsburgh. He’s waiting his turn. In the rain. Following the guidelines. Just like the rest of us. #LeadByExample

Day 21

Man, this is exhausting. I slept decently last night (thanks, psych medication) and struggled to get going today. The days start the same as usual – get washed, dressed, let the dog out, feed the cats, feed the other cats, feed the original cats again, feed the dog, make the coffee, eat something. Laura gets […]

How to Keep House During a Pandemic: Sanity v Sanitization

How to clean during a pandemic

When this began, we had on hand the following:  two bottles of bleach, six bottles of white vinegar, four bottles of Murphys Oil Soap, rags, spray bottles, and half a refill bottle of hand soap. We also had about eight rolls of paper towels, a package of napkins, and lots of rags. After week one, […]

Q&A with Matt Merriman-Preston About the Pennsylvania Primary Election, Mail-In Ballots, and More

This is a very confusing time. We spend hours trying to find toilet paper and disinfectant, worrying about access to critical medications that are being redirected to maybe cure COVID-19, and having our evening news interrupted by a ridiculous puppet President who lies and misleads us every single fucking day. One point of confusion is […]