Q&A With Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D. on Transgender Youth

After the brutal murder of 14-year-old trans girl Pauly Likens in Mercer County this summer, I was struggling mightily with how to move forward with my work. The story of how this interview came to be is convoluted, but I put on my blogger hat and asked Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health for […]

How to Request Toys For Tots in Western Pennsylvania 2024

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (13 years) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2023. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to double check the details. I will update as information becomes available. […]

Sharon Man Will Go To Trial on Six Charges in the Brutal Murder of Trans Teen Pauly Likens, 14.

Pauly Likens

Content Note: Graphic descriptions of violence, sexual assault, brutal murder of a trans teen. Today, prosecutors in the trial of the murder and dismemberment of 14 year old trans girl Pauly Likens successfully added two charges – Involuntary Deviant Intercourse with a minor and a general homicide charge.  Watkins had been previously charged with murder, […]

More Information and Questions on the Murder of Pauly Likens

According to documents obtained by media outlets, the man who chose to murder Pauly claimed he had met someone on Grindr, using the app to meet up with an individual described to match the girl per KDKA – TV and they had ‘sexual contact.’   ‘Sexual contact’ between a 29 year old man and a 14 year […]

14 trans youth have died violently since 2022 in the US

The brutal murder of 14 year old Pauly Likens in Western Pennsylvania is far from an isolated incident.. Looking through my archive of memorial posts, I found 14 listings of youth and young adults 21 and under. That’s a span of 18 months, averaging nearly one trans youth brutally murdered each month. They represent more […]

14 Year Old Trans Girl Brutally Murdered in Western Pennsylvania

I am holding space tonight for this young community member and neighbor whose life was taken in a brutal manner. Pauly Likens was from Sharon, PA. She liked to wear fake nails and/or polish. She likely died on June 22 or 23. Sharon is about 75 miles from my home in Pittsburgh. I have been […]

My Apology to Both Girls Named Jazlynn Johnson in Nevada

Trans deaths

Earlier this week, I blogged about the death of an 18-year-old trans girl in Carson City, Nevada. And I got things wrong. The person I described in the original post attached to this URL is a different 18 year old girl named Jazlynn Johnson. Everything I shared about her was tied to a young woman […]

Five Pennsylvania Health Boards Jointly Condem the Use of Conversion Therapy on Minors

“We will not let hatred masquerade as medical treatment here in Pennsylvania.” Five Pennsylvania state health boards have released a joint statement opposing conversion therapy on minors. This has been resoundingly supported by the Pennsylvania Equality Caucus of the General Assembly. This coordinated effort acknowledges the dangers associated with conversion therapy but also sends an […]