Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Today is the day we celebrate the lesbians in our lives – Lesbian Visibility Day. According to Wikipedia. I’ve been diligently trying to track down other sources for this so-called visibility day that started in 2008, but I’ve had little in the way of luck. Google seems to indicate it has not been ‘a thing’ for several years.

I am not a lesbian who bemoans the loss of lesbian cultural touchstones (often bars) because I find it wonderful to have all these sober choices and more visibility for a nuanced understanding of  sexual orientation and gender identity. Perhaps my status as an adult child and someone who came out in my late twenties after I had left bar life behind me impacts my response to equating lesbian bar culture with lesbian culture. I was never part of that culture so I don’t miss it per se.

My fear about this visibility day is that it may be grounded more in radical feminism of the TERF variant which excludes most of my friends than in a celebration that includes all lesbian voices. And even having been TERFed, I worry that I’ll be perceived or be propping up those folks whose views are abhorrent to me.

Cindy Rizzo has a piece on Medium exploring that issue and many reasons why we should celebrate lesbian visibility all of the time.

That being said, I identify as a lesbian and place incredible value on the preservation of our history AND the redefining of our roles in today’s culture. And I believe in including all of the lesbian voices in this project. As you browse through the list below, give some thought to the rich variety of experiences and contributions these women have to offer.

Lesbians have been front and center in the AMPLIFY project, sharing their experiences across a 50 year time span. Here are 59 stories about lesbian culture in Western Pennsylvania, ranging from women in their early 70’s to their early 20’s.

1. Marcia, 58, is Cisgender, Lesbian & Slightly Gender Nonconforming
2. Wendi, 31, Describes Being a Trans Ally in Her Workplace
3. Regina, 33, Finds Comfort in Lesbian Ambiguity
4. Emily, 40, Talks About LGBTQ Visibility, Intersectionality & Resiliency 
5. Shari, 57, Wants More Inclusivity & Power for QTPOC
6. Laura, 44, is a Lesbian Mom in Fayette County 
7. Emma, 28, Keeps Her Queer Eyes Open in Pittsburgh
8. Morgan, 21, Hasn’t Met Other Openly Gay Suburban Couples 
9. Hayley, 46, Wants To Keep That Pride Feeling Year Round
10. Cheryl, 42, Wants Us To See Everyone in the LGBTQ Community
11. Eileen, 52, Reflects on the Awakening of Her LGBTQ Community
12. Rach, 36, Loves a Girl in Armstrong County
13. Kay, 27: Not Ashamed of the Reality of Me
14. Heidi, 28, Learned That It’s Okay To Be A LGBT Christian
15. Camellia, 30, is a Lesbian, Soon-to-be Wife, and Momma 
16. Patricia, 41, Does Not Feel Safe as a Trans Woman in Her Urban Pgh Suburb
17. Mariah, 38, Wants More Support for Westmoreland LGBTQ Neighbors 
18. Lisa Believes Being Out and Honest is ‘Like Flying’‘
19. Sara, 28, Single Mom, Agnostic Jew, and Queer in Ohio
20. Diane, 56, Is Asexual With Lesbian Leanings and a Writer
21. Pixie, 26, is Androgynous, Non-binary, Genderqueer and Lesbian, But Identifies as Pixie
22. Jill, 49, Wants Young LGBTQ People To Have a Safe Place to Go In Cambria County
23. Dani Janae, 23, Identifies as a Black Femme Lesbian Poet & Trauma Survivor
24. For Jodi’s Kids, Having Two Mothers Is Just a Fact of Life
25. Char, 62, is a “Very Late Bloomer” Lesbian in Cambria County
26. Kim, 44, Say She Lost Her Job in Beaver County Because She’s a Lesbian
27. Alissa, 34, is Just Another Girl in the Crowd in Lawrence County
28. KK Compares Small Town Michigan to Pittsburgh
29. De, 49, is Concerned About LGBTQ Youth in Rural Western PA
30. Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a Gender Fluid Child
31. As a Lesbian, Shelly Values Her Ties to Rural Indiana County
32. Gloria a Happy Black Lesbian
33. Sara, 35, On Her Reality as a Lesbian in Western Pennsylvania 
34. Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist
35. Kathi Wants To Connect with LGBTQ Elders in Rural Communities
36. Casey, 38, Honors One Year Since Coming Out As a Gay Woman
37. Mair, 55, Came Out the Same Week As Ellen DeGeneres #AMPLIFY
38. Shaquanna Wants Families to Have Positive Conversations With LGBTQ Relatives
39. Jess is a Lesbian Mother Who Wants More Family Friendly Resources
40. Saintly Sinner is a Cisgender Lesbi Not So Flexible Black Biological Womyn
41. Jaime From The ReelQ Film Festival Says Yep I’m Gay
42. Taylor Wants More LGBTQ Resources and Community Unity #AMPLIFY
43. Alexandria is a Lesbian Artist Trying To Get Her Bearings
44. Maria Wants You To Know a Family Like Hers #AMPLIFY
45. Shawna on Her Unique Experience as a Lesbian in Indiana County #AMPLIFY
46. For Kristina, Being Out is Her Normal
47. Bee Asks Where Single Parents Fit Into the LGBTQ Community
48. Jessi is a Trans Lesbian Who Asks Questions
49. Vic Lives Closeted in Westmoreland County
50. Kayden Wants to Be Safe Holding Her Partner’s Hand in Pittsburgh
51. Cindy Has Been Fundraising for the GLCC for 14 Years
52. Carmen is a Queer Black Womyn From Pittsburgh
53. Amber Has Always Been Proud of Being OUT
54. Shell is Proud of the Positive Impact of Pittsburgh Black Pride
55. Skip Believes The Act of Coming Out Is a Continuous Process
56. Jan Offers an Older Perspective on LGBTQ Pittsburgh
57. Meg Is a Country Queer
58. kelly emphasizes that ‘gay is not the totality of me’
59. Joyce Believes Tolerance Is Not Acceptance

If you appreciate this post and others like it, please donate to the AMPLIFY project!

To learn more about the AMPLIFY project, visit our page and consider sharing your story from wherever you are on the LGBTQ spectrum.