The Advice I Wish Someone Had Offered

Good Advice

9:45 PM on a Friday night is a good time to post something that is really more for me than anyone else. I’ve had a lot of writer’s block this week – more like a stranglehold on my throat that prevents words from leaving my body in any form. I can think, but I cannot […]

LGBTQ Liberation and Equality in Pittsburgh

Laverne Cox Pittsburgh

The road to equality and/or liberation is bumpy. I use the term “equality and/or liberation” because the juxtaposition of those goals (destinations?) indicates one significant reason for the bumpiness. Indiana and Arkansas happened this week. A lot of my friends (including me) tried to figure out the nuances of RFRA laws, something that only became […]

Bring Andre Gray Home: A Gay Black Man Disappears in Pittsburgh

On October 23, 2014, Andre Gray disappeared. Andre is a 34 year-old gay black man with a loving family and a circle of friends who miss him dearly. He is more familiarly known as Dre or Pok’ie, nicknames and endearments that remind us that Andre is more than a missing gay black man – he […]

A Thank You Note To Share from Persad Center

Rainbow Thank You Note

A lovely follow-up to a post I wrote earlier this week. One of the gentlemen from Persad’s SAGE program sent along this thank-you note (written at 4 AM on Boxing Day) in response to your generosity: Hi;I wish to thank you again for the lunch and the company. But I REALLY was floored by the […]

Pgh Reaches OUT to LGBTQ Elders For The Holidays

Cards for Persad Center

Funny how social media conversations can lead you down unexpected paths. I had recently posted about the creative name variants people use when they send holiday cards to our family (we are an unmarried lesbian couple who have been together for 12+ years.) – this is a pet peeve! A few people asked if they […]

Update On My Pgh Holiday Things To Do

Kennywood

In early November, I published a list of holiday things that I’d like to do this year. My plans were unexpectedly derailed when I learned that my 13 year-old dog has cancer. In fact, just today he had surgery to remove the growth and will spend the next two weeks recuperating. So my holiday things-to-do […]

UPDATED Help LGBTQ Seniors in Pgh During the Holidays With a Holiday Card

Send a Card to A Senior Citizen

An off-hand comment on Facebook brought to light a true need in our community – LGBTQ elders who are alone during the holidays. Kathi Boyle, coordinator of older adult services for the Persad Center, is part of a national group called SAGE, Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders has asked me to share that there […]

LGBTQ Holiday Shopping in Pittsburgh

Gay Christmas

A few suggestions for your holiday shopping planning. Support local non-profits and community groups is a terrific gift idea. In almost all cases, you can make a donation in the name of your loved one, but some local groups have some unique gift opportunities for you to consider. Note – these are LGBTQ organizations. If […]

Report Details Homelessness Among LGBTQ Youth in Allegheny County

Homeless Youth Pittsburgh

A report released by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services ‘I’ll never get used to it: Young People Living on the Street’ confirms that at least one-third of the number of homeless youth (ages 18-24) in our region are LGBTQ and most say a lack of family support is why they are not living […]

In 2013, 72% of anti-LGBT Homicide Victims Were Transgender Women

Island Nettles

This is an important piece from BuzzFeed about the epidemic of violence against trans women, particularly trans women of color. This snapshot commemorates the one year anniversary of the murder of Islan Nettles, a crime that remains unsolved. Out of 18 anti-LGBT homicides in 2013 included in a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, almost […]