Book Review: The Maisie Dobbs Mysteries

This is hands down one of my all-time favorite series of books. In fact, it was in response to a review of Book 1 in the series on NPR that I actually BOUGHT the book. I bought a hardcover book. That was huge for me. I looked up the review and it is online if […]

Q&A With La’Tasha Mayes, Candidate for PA House District 24

As a voting rights advocate and integrated voter engagement organizer, there is a frame for voting justice called “electoral justice” coined by Jessica Byrd, Rukia Lumumba, JD and Kayla Reed of the Movement for Black Lives. It represents the idea posed in your questions created by Black women and femmes working at the intersection of […]

My Best Friend’s Funeral: I’m Still Crying 15 Years Later

Dr. John Ruffing Veterinarian

Today, my friend John would be 56 years old. Even in whatever heaven for terrific people might look like, he is cringing about that. But in some sort of heaven is a certainty for John. No doubt. I don’t even really believe in heaven or maybe I do, a little. But I know that a […]

Black Trans Activist Raquel Willis Talks with The Sunday Show on MSNBC About Murders of Trans Neighbors, Ties to White Supremacy and Anti-LGBTQ Legislation Nationwide

MSNBC Covers Murder of Trans Women

I was so pleased with this segment – that Jonathan Capehart scheduled it and with the points Raquel Willis brought up, especially firmly connecting the dots between the anti-LGBTQ legislation (“Don’t Say Gay”, criminalizing transition, etc) and the epidemic of violent terror systemically murdering trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming neighbors – especially Black trans women […]

Q&A With John Fetterman, Candidate for US Senate

John Fetterman for Senate

I learned a great deal from the tour, and it helped build my understanding and knowledge of how a legal recreational marijuana system, which I have long strongly supported, could work in Pennsylvania. And some of what I heard on that tour helped change my opinion on a few issues relating to legal weed.  Lt. […]

Honor Earth Day By Cleaning Up A Neighborhood Hosting a Northside Cat Colony

My dear cat folx, the time is here – Earth Day is almost upon us and the clean-up events are rolling out across social media. I didn’t want to be left out in the shade, so I proposed to Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities (PLC) that we organize a little event to clean up the Fort Faulsey […]

White Trans Woman Fern Feather, 29, Murdered in Vermont

The body of 29-year-old Fern Feather, a white trans woman was discovered on Tuesday morning on the side of Duhamel Road near Cadys Falls Road in Morristown, Vermont. The autopsy determined the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, and the manner of death was homicide. She is the 12th US victim […]

Don’t Crash Into Me

No Means No

Growing up in emotional, financial, and physical chaos, I learned early on that my saying “no” was at worst, dangerous, and at best, ineffectual. I did not learn the social skills of setting healthy boundaries for myself because almost no one around me modeled that behavior. I grew up in a time when boundaries were […]

Black Trans Teen Girl Ariyanna Mitchell, 17, Murdered in Virginia

Ariyanna Mitchell Kamari Black trans women

Her name was Ariyanna Mitchell. She was 17 years old resident of Newport News, Virginia. On April 2, she was shot multiple times at a party in nearby Hampton, Virginia when she intervened in a dispute. Ariyanna was a Black trans woman. 19-year-old Jimmy Leshawn Williams of Norfolk shot her multiple times with an assault […]

How long ’til my soul gets it right

I had an uncomfortable conversation with some folx today that left me a little shaken. The source of our difference of opinion isn’t so much a concern and being at odds while awkward is not the problem. The issue for me is something I’ve encountered over and over again – being accused of valuing cats […]