Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Welcome to another year of LGBTQ Families Day, a ‘day of blogging (and more)’ about LGBTQ families, sponsored by the blog Mombian and the Family Equality Council. Once again, I’ve decided to share #AMPLIFY posts highlighting the voices of parents, step-parents  and grandparents and other caretakers of children.  If you are a LGBTQ person with ties to Western Pennsylvania, please add your voice to this archive (parent status is not a requirement.) You can read the full archive of nearly 300 stories at this link. (The estimated LGBTQ population of Western PA is 185,000, so our sample is about .2% of that population)

I am also planning to write an original post of my own about my experiences with my family AND publish a post from local LGBTQ foster parents about their experiences. Follow the tag at the end of the post to find those.

I have been collecting Q&A responses from LGBTQ folks with ties to Western Pennsylvania. The project is called #AMPLIFY and we plan to continue seeking Q&A contributions through at least the end of 2020. Participants are 18+, identify as part of the LGBTQ community and have ties to Western Pennsylvania.

We ask a lot of (mostly) open-ended questions about their identities and experiences. We do not ask any questions specifically about their family status, but many of them mention the fact that they are parenting in the context of one or more of the questions. About 20% of the contributors are parents.

If you appreciate our blogging, please consider a contribution

For my contribution to the annual Blogging for LGBTQ Families Day project, I decided the best thing to do is to amplify their Q&A posts. Please read as many as you like and absorb some of the wisdom and wit they have to share. Please note that I included people I know to be parenting or grandparenting. I did not necessarily include everyone who is a caretaker for a child. If I left anyone out, I apologize. Feel free to reach out to me and I’ll update. And let me know if/how we should add this as a question to the Q&A.

1. Lange, 41, is a Queer Single-Parent in Pittsburgh 
2. Rae, 48, is a Pansexual Trans Woman Living in Allegheny County
3. He’s a cisgender polyamorous bisexual guy, but nobody asks
4. Laura, 42, is a Bisexual Mom in Pittsburgh 
5. Tracey, 58, is a Queer Mother Parenting Nonbinary Children 
6. Morgan, 31, is a Black, Bisexual, Queer, Polyamorous Woman & Mother
7. Bobbi Jo, 63, is a Transgender Lesbian in Indiana County
8. Angie, 32: Out, Loud, and Proud Black Pansexual Mom
9. Amy is Bi in Pittsburgh But Not Really Out
10. Joel, 35, is Gay, a Trans Guy, Polyamorous, Christian, Parent, & Husband 
11. Krissy, 34, Talks About Step Parenting as a Bisexual Woman 
12. Angela is a Queer Mother & Intersectional Feminist
13. Caiolin, 56, is Just Another Woman Who Happens To Be Trans 
14. James, 54, Is a Gay Pittsburgh Dad Living in Texas
15. Laura, 44, is a Lesbian Mom in Fayette County 
16. Janet, 66, is Bisexual, Cisgender and Gender Nonconforming
17. Caitlyn 51, Lives Her Authentic Self as a Trans Woman in Erie 
18. Jamie, 52, Celebrates the Queer Tribe Rising
19. Jay, 33, Says Stories Are Part of Queer Liberation
20. Cheryl, 42, Wants Us To See Everyone in the LGBTQ Community
21. Eileen, 52, Reflects on the Awakening of Her LGBTQ Community
22. Kim, 40, Mother, Pansexual and Mexican-American in Washington County
23. Camellia, 30, is a Lesbian, Soon-to-be Wife, and Momma 
24. Wes, 44: Queer Trans Man, Parent Wants You To Know That He Exists
25. Sara, 28, Single Mom, Agnostic Jew, and Queer in Ohio
26. Jay, 54, Considers His Gay Identity Both Now and The
27. For Jodi’s Kids, Having Two Mothers Is Just a Fact of Life
28. Kim, 44, Say She Lost Her Job in Beaver County Because She’s a Lesbian
29. Alissa, 34, is Just Another Girl in the Crowd in Lawrence County
30. De, 49, is Concerned About LGBTQ Youth in Rural Western PA
31. Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a Gender Fluid Child
32. Heather Refuses to Marginalize Herself as a Bisexual Woman
33. Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist
34. Kathi Wants To Connect with LGBTQ Elders in Rural Communities
35. Shaquanna Wants Families to Have Positive Conversations With LGBTQ Relatives
36. Jeff Hopes the LGBTQ Community Will Embrace a Common Queer Identity
37. Jess is a Lesbian Mother Who Wants More Family Friendly Resources
38. Diane Discusses Being Belligerently Out in Pittsburgh
39. Anonymous Grieves How Pittsburgh’s Gay and Lesbian Community Treats Bisexuals
40. Maria Wants You To Know a Family Like Hers #AMPLIFY
41. Lyndsey Identifies as a Queer Genderfluid Lipstuck Butch
42. Alex is a Black Trans Man Who Doesn’t Apologize For His Existence
43. David Talks About the State of Equality in Erie
44. Bee Asks Where Single Parents Fit Into the LGBTQ Community
45. Vic Lives Closeted in Westmoreland County
46. Gary Has Lived in Northwest and Southwest PA As An Openly Gay Man
47. Paula Speaks Out About Bi-Erasure and Bisexual Exclusion
48. Joy KMT Values Intersectional Healing Spaces
49. Gina Shares Her Truth With Those Who Deserve To Know
50. Donna Met a Female Impersonator Who Made a Lasting Impression
51. Joyce Believes Tolerance Is Not Acceptance

If you or someone you know is an LGBTQ identified person 18 or older with ties to Western Pennsylvania, please ask them to share their story with this archive. The form is here.

If you would like to read our previous years’ contributions

2018 – 50 LGBTQ Parents #AMPLIFY Their Experiences for #LGBTQFamiliesDay 2018

2017 – #AMPLIFY LGBTQ Families, 40 Parents Share Their Experiences

2016 – #AMPLIFY LGBTQ Families, 29 Parents Share Their Experiences

2014 – Summertime Traditions For Our LGBTQ Family

2013 – Blogging Because We Are Family!

2012 – Being an Advocate: 7th Annual Blogging for LGBT Families

2011 – Blogging for LGBT Families 2011 – Don’t Devalue the Aunties

2010 – Pittsburgh LGBTQ Families – a Blog Post

2009 – Blogging for LGBT Families in Pennsylvania