Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

GLAAD asked me whom I would like to write a profile of me for their blog. Without hesitation, I said “Dani Janae” … the very week she was moving away from Pittsburgh!

She crafted this article: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents’ Sue Kerr is Paying Tribute to LGBTQ Individuals who Lost Their Lives to Violence

What I like about this is that someone FINALLY heard me when I say

• I’m a social worker, not a journalist
• My childhood trauma weaves its tendrils through everything in my life.
• I am not “picking up the mantle” of Monica Roberts, a claim that disrespects her legacy and minimizes the work I actually do and ultimately the people who trust me with their stories. It’s transphobic and racist to say this. Stop.
• I can do this work because of my privilege, my supports, and my hard work on my MH recovery. I’m not a martyr and I’m not some miracle.
• I’m a human being trying to be the adult I needed in my young life.

I felt very heard in Dani’s writing. Funny how a blogger of 17 years needs someone else to amplify their personal message. Most people either abruptly shape my words to suit their narrative or patronize (or pigeonhole) me.

Thank you, Dani. Thank you, GLAAD.