Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Things are going along pretty busily.

As of tonight, we have request for 98 individual masks and 250-350 by organizations including SisTers Pgh, Garden of Peace, and Shepherd Wellness Community. We want to make sure LGBTQ community has access to facemasks, especially that trans and queer folks feel safe and dignified. We are acutely aware of the hate and animosity targeting Dr. Rachel Levine, as well as how that spills out to all transgender women and men. No one deserves that.

We have distributed the first 30 or so this week. Our next delivery dates will be this weekend and we hope to get to the rest of the 98 plus some of the organizations.

We have about a dozen sewists (sewer + artist) and access to others through a regional effort. We have one sewist in Butler County and one in Beaver County. We have requests from many counties, even Ohio. If you need a facemask, please reach out.

Here is how you can get involved

1. Share the link to sign up link for masks. I’ve found that we really need to ask people directly because they think someone else has a greater need. That’s not true or scientifically accurate. Every LGBTQ person who wears a mask is protecting ALL of the other LGBTQ persons and the cishet persons, too. So let’s gets folks masks. It is fine if they want to donate to offset the cost. But don’t go without.
2. If you sew, even a little bit, please make some masks for us, for your neighbors, for anyone. We can connect you with folks who have patterns, ideas, timesavers, suggestions, advice, etc.
3. We need fabric and thread. Fabric should be tightly woven cotton like you would use for shirts or dresses. Some cotton flannels work. “If you can put two layers of your cloth in front of your mouth and easily blow through it, it is probably too thin or porous. You should be able to breathe through it, and not feel like you are suffocating.”
4. Connect with us on Facebook to build community and stay in touch.
5. Create a logo?
6. Ask your favorite media resource to cover this project so we can reach even more LGBTQ folks.
7. Think about why we are trying to center the trans community in this project. And then figure out other ways to do that.
8. Donate soap. 
9. Warsh your hands.
10. Stay at home. Really. No quick hugs, no little trips in isolation, no running around without masks, no ‘just family’ gatherings. No excuses. Too many people HAVE to leave their house to keep our country running. Stay. At. Home. You owe it to other people to follow the rules even when it is hard. Your workaround isn’t okay. It isn’t just about your, it is about lots of vulnerable people whose fates is in your hands. That’s the science. I don’t want to bury someone I love while reading about your excursions. Please.