Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

I remember sitting in our attic at my PC thinking “What should I say?” immediately followed by “Who will read it?” And then I wrote this first blog post.

As we head into our tenth year of Corresponding all things LGBTQ Pittsburgh, I’m sort of amazed that I’ve lasted this long. Not the concept, but me personally – I’m not someone who has ten years of any sort of hobby or such thing under their belt. I feel so grown up! So I took a few moments to reflect on the things in my life that led me to this point.

1. Political Science – I have a BA in Political Science which I opted to pursue simply for lack of any other interests. I then completed 3 years of a fast track MS/Ph.D degree in political philosophy before I dropped out and ran to Kentucky. All of those classes have proven worthwhile for me as I explore the intricacies of the pursuit of legal equality and social justice. I am sure almost all of my instructors would be horrified. My college mentor never spoke to me again after I came out. But I certainly appreciate all that they taught me.
2. Catholicism – I grew up Catholic and it has been a defining part of my existence. I studied the history of theology, read the Bible, did Mission trips, explored liberation theology, became a missionary, and so forth. I was abandoned by the Church in a very dark hour and still believe it is the defining spiritual force in my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever set foot again in Mass, but my heart is there.
3. Communication – I met the Interwebs at LSU in 1992 and never looked back. I always had an email address and always believed in the capacity for email (and more) to strengthen our connections. I badgered other students into joining a listserv. I was relentless. Ha.
4. Failure – I’ve had my share. Losing jobs, friends, relationships, lovers, opportunities, and more has given a lot of opportunity to reflect on how things break down as well as how we develop resiliency.

A huge thanks to the contributors along the way – especially Trish Mifflin and Ledcat. If you are interested in contributing, drop me a line. There’s no pay and probably not much exposure, but we do occasionally get together at Eat n Park! 🙂

My tenth year of blogging coincides with the launch of my gig as a Resident Artist with Most Wanted Fine Art. I will be dedicating a lot of my resources to amplifying the stories of LGBTQ people in Western Pennsylvania, especially those who are not often at the table. I think that is a terrific infusion of new life at this juncture and hope it keeps you coming back to read more.