Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

I took a look at the most ‘popular’ posts/pages from 2015. AMPLIFY didn’t even crack the top twenty which is interesting because the individual posts do quite well. Clearly, my regular blogging is still driving most of the traffic to the website. So that’s an important lesson for me to keep in mind. And a reminder that I’ll continue to create lots of content in addition to AMPLIFY.

And, sadly, the most popular posts can be grouped as those about violence against QTPOC & trans women as well as a few posts exploring the lack of resources in our community.  I’m unsure if I’m doing a better job of reporting on those critical topics or if there is simply more to report on. Actually, some of these posts were written before 2015 so perhaps a little of both.

1. 22 Year Old Ohio Trans Woman Stabbed to Death By Father
2. UPDATED: Trans Woman of Color Lamia Beard Murdered in Norfolk
3. PghLesbian Home Page
4. UPDATED 24 Year Old Trans Man Dies By Suicide in Pittsburgh
5. Kristina Grant Infiniti, 47, is 11th QTPOC To Be Killed in 2015
6. Review: Keurig 2.0 Is Even Less Eco-Friendly Than The Original
7. I Might Have Reported You on Facebook, But They’ll Never Tell
8. Ten Things You Can’t Buy With SNAP (Food Stamps)
9. Candra Keels, 20 Year Old Queer Woman of Color, Murdered in Domestic Dispute
10. Update on the Lives and Deaths of Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson
11. Bring Andre Gray Home: A Gay Black Man Disappears in Pittsburgh
12. Whatever Happened to Alex Libby from the Movie Bully
13. Penny Proud of New Orleans is Fifth Trans Woman of Color Killed in 2015
14. UPDATED: Trans Woman of Color Yazmin Vash Payne Murdered Near Los Angeles
15. The Lack of Bisexual Resources in Pittsburgh #BiWeek
16. UPDATED: 22 Year Old TWOC Shade Schuler Found Murdered in Dallas
17. 66 Year Old Trans Woman K.C. Haggard Was Murdered in Fresno on Thursday
18. UPDATED: The Loss of Another Trans Sister of Color – Tiff Edwards of Ohio
19. Kandis Capri Murdered in Phoenix, 3rd TWOC Death Reported This Week
20. Mercedes Williamson, 17 Year Old Trans Woman Murdered in Alabama

I can’t pick a “best post” for the year. I would pick all 100 AMPLIFY posts as personal favorites, but I recognize that they aren’t my writing at all. The post I wrote about Bri Golec was shared by Miley Cyrus, but there’s no joy in that, not even a thrill. Just a sad acknowledgement that someone noticed.  The posts I wrote about the murder of Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson was shared by a syndicated television special on true crime stories so that also was a byproduct set of hits.

I suppose my best work was my original blogging on the disappearance and murder of Andre Gray, a bisexual man of color from Lawrenceville. What began as a spotlight on his disappearance led to the mourning of his violent death at the hands of three local men and, finally, the creation of a permanent memorial in his name in a park in Lawrenceville. The trials of those responsible for his death have yet to start so we’ll continue with Andre’s story in 2016.

Still, so much loss and grief and pain. I guess the data shows that it is necessary and just to continue creating content that exposes all of this, but it certainly takes a toll on me. I can admit that. It is a toll worth paying, but one that does need some balance.