How #AMPLIFY Has Changed My Life

I’m nine months into my artistic residency and four full months into the #AMPLIFY project, at least the publication phase. Seems like a good time to do some reflecting. If I were going to put up a sculpture to describe my life this year, it would be #AMPLIFY. It would be a beautiful reclaimed wood sculpture. […]

Claudette is a Non-Binary Queer Who Wants Us To See Beyond the L and the G #AMPLIFY

queer Allegheny County

Name: Claudette Sheree Age: 22 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: They/Them/Their How do you describe your identity? I identify as queer non-binary hard femme queen Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face?  coming out as a femme non-binary queer person in a very strict family in a very small town. […]

#ReelQ30 Preview ‘Margarita With a Straw’

Margarita With a Straw Saturday October 10, 6:30 PM at the Harris Theater This lovely movie deftly explores intersectionality. I can’t recall many films that specifically introduce sexual storylines for persons with disabilities. Especially queer people with disabilities. Especially queer people of color with disabilities. Kalki Koechlin portrays Laila, a talented composer who refuses to […]

Taylor Wants More LGBTQ Resources and Community Unity #AMPLIFY

Allegheny County Lesbian

Name: Taylor Age: 27 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: Queen(she) How do you describe your identity? Female Lesbian Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? My coming out was hard, I just came out and said I like girls, everyone was quiet for a while, then they started to ask questions. I […]

Alexandria is a Lesbian Artist Trying To Get Her Bearings #AMPLIFY

lesbian Pittsburgh

Name: Alexandria Age: 48 County of Residence:  Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: Female How do you describe your identity? I’m a compassionate person who is a white, female, lesbian artist. How would you describe yourself NOW in terms of “being out”? All the way out Tell me about the first LGBTQ person whom you met. What impact did they have on […]

The Lack of Bisexual Resources in Pittsburgh #BiWeek

Bisexual Umbrella

  This is National Bisexual Visibility Week (#biweek) and not an especially positive reflection on Pittsburgh.  Our community does not have a single group or resource devoted to the bisexual community, nor do we have any openly bisexual individuals in leadership roles within the community. We have two very prominent community leaders who are bisexual […]

How To Organize a Birthday Project aka A Pop-Up Tote Bag Project

wishing well

On October 22, I will turn 45. I couldn’t be happier as I’ve mention before when describing aging. Our celebration will be pretty low-key – probably dinner at a good restaurant and a cake in my preferred flavor. I’m pretty sure Laura will gift me with some new winter jammies. Who can complain? But this […]

#ReelQ30 Preview: S&M Sally

S&M Sally

S&M Sally Saturday October 10, 4 PM at The Harris Theater S&M Sally is the third of a series of sorts following lesbians Jamie & Jill as singletons and, in this third installment, as a couple of one solid year. It is a comedy that delves into the BDSM world with all the of the […]

PJ Identifies as a Cis White Gay Man With a Twist of Genderqueer

Pittsburgh gay

The experiences of ex-pats who left Western Pennsylvania for some reason sheds valuable light on these questions around the regional LGBTQ experience. PJ is a friend who now lives in Chicago, but was here long enough to have some powerful formative experiences. Name: PJ Age:  46 County of Residence: Now in Chicago, but grew up in Westmoreland, […]

Ashe Believes To Be Queer Is To Be Yourself #AMPLIFY

Amplify LGBTQ Allegheny County

Name: Ashe Age:  29 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: She/her/hers How do you describe your identity? I usually identify as bisexual, but I’ll go with queer from time to time. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was honestly surprising. I came out at the beginning of my senior […]