Maggio, 28, is Unapologetically a Bi-sexual Queer Feminist Scholar #AMPLIFY

Allegheny Butler County Bisexual

Name:  Maggio Age: 28 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Butler Preferred Pronouns: She/Queen How do you describe your identity? I am a bi-sexual queer feminist scholar. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? For as long as I remember I was attracted to girls. In middle school I started explaining to […]

Finalists in the Readers Choice Awards

The finalists have been announced in what I’m told is a record-breaking number of votes cast for the Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter 2016 Readers Choice Awards. I am honored to be voted as a finalist in nine categories. I am especially proud that the #AMPLIFY project is a finalist as well. Here are the categories […]

James Street Gastropub Brings Queer Entertainment to #PghNorthside

James Street Gastropub

The James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy has been a welcome addition to the Northside, bringing live jazz and so much more to the Deutschtown neighborhood. The food is pretty good, the beer options plentiful, and it always seems to be bustling with live music options. We’ve watched venues come and go in that space so […]

117 Ways to Describe LGBTQ Identity

We ask contributors this question “Please describe your identity.” No checkboxes. No drop down menu. No predetermined categories. Just an open-ended question and a text field for people to write their response. 117 people have responded thus far (110 published, the others in the ‘to be published’ queue.) As you can see, each person wrote […]

Nine Pennsylvania LGBTQ Blogs You Should Follow

We don’t maintain a traditional blogroll on this here site. Have you seen the right column? It is packed with information – its the proverbial junk drawer in this kitchen. So every once in awhile, I like to post about queer and trans blogs your should know about. In no particular order The Feminization of […]

Minion Wants To Talk About What It Means to be a Queer, Black, Futch Leathergirl #AMPLIFY

Leather Community Pittsburgh

  Name: Minion Age: 32 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Westmoreland Preferred Pronouns:  she/her How do you describe your identity? Black; cis-gendered; futch; pansexual and panromantic; pagan/afro-spiritual; polyamorous; sapiosexual; leather slave and leather babygirl Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I came out to my mother the spring before I […]

The #AMPLIFY 100

Carina, 18, Identifies as Plus-sized Tattooed Monogamous Queer and Femme #AMPLIFY

Washington County pansexual queer

Name: Carina Nicole Age: 18 County of Residence: Washington Preferred Pronouns: she/her or they/them How do you describe your identity? Plus-sized tattooed monogamous queer femme. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I came out as bisexual at thirteen, and pansexual at sixteen. I still have not fully come out as genderfluid. […]

Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a GenderFluid Child

Allegheny County Lesbian

  Name: Viva Valezz! (aka Dre’) Age: 49 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns:  female How do you describe your identity? I am an old school lesbian… You can call me dyke if you’re my age. We earned that.  You can also call me gay or queer.  I’m also half-Mexican, so I also identify as Mexican-American. And… I’m a mom. […]

As a Lesbian, Shelly Values Her Ties To Rural Indiana County #AMPLIFY

Indiana County Lesbian

Name: Shelly Age: 33 County of Residence:  Indiana, previously Butler Preferred Pronouns: She, her How do you describe your identity? I am female, and I feel feminine on the inside. I identify as lesbian, gay, or queer. My outward presentation is much more masculine. I do not feel comfortable in female clothing and prefer to wear men’s clothing. I […]