Review: Holiday Pops with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops

To have an impact, cultural institutions must be accessible to everyone. That’s why Laura and Sarah head off to review so many performances, plays, and programs. I hope you enjoy this one. ~ Sue I can’t remember when I started going to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops concert…maybe 5 years ago? Nevertheless, it has […]

Protecting Trans Kids During the Holidays

LGBTQ Gift Cards

Some folks are sending in photographs of their #ProtectTransKids yard signs with their holiday decorations. One person, bottom row, second from the right, organized their decor around the sign itself. Please feel free to send your own images to PLC folx@pghlgbtq.org We have ordered 1150 yard signs to date, since late June. There are still […]

URGENT: Local LGBTQ+ Person Needs Clothing ASAP

I have a friend who is in URGENT need of support with gently used clothing. I’m not going to share too many identifying details here, but ask you to trust me. It is hard rebuilding your life under any circumstances. It absolutely helps to have nice, well-fitted clothing that reflects your identity. If you have […]

My Holiday Decoration Scheme

Or Jesus, Cats, and Trans Kids My neighborhood of Manchester on Pittsburgh’s Northside is having a holiday decorating contest. We have a lovely row house, built in 1872, but no outdoor electrical outlets so our decorating has always been limited. Putting things inside the windows is risky business with cats. And the windows are tall […]

Guest Post: Why December 10 is Sue Kerr Day in the City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh City Council Sue Kerr Day

Guest blog post by Anne E. Lynch, Executive Director, Three Rivers Community Foundation, and board member of Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities Recently, I was asked to weigh in on a very special document – a proclamation to make a Sue Kerr Day in Pittsburgh.  It was to be a surprise, but some of us argued against […]

Review: Handel’s Messiah at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Our review team attended Saturday’s performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Laura had heard it a few times, but always in religious settings. Sarah had never heard it live before. They both speak quite movingly of how the music affected them. They both love symphony performances and they both downplay their capacity […]

Trans Woman Day Rodas, 27, Found Dead in Malibu

Day Rodas

Day Rodas was 27-years-old when she began to live fulltime as her authentic female self. She was also 27 when her body was discovered at the side of the road in Malibu, California. A body was found Thursday morning on a roadside in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu, prompting the closure of a […]

Kelly Loving, 40, and Daniel Aston, 28, Among Victims at Club Q

I took my time writing this particular post about the two transgender neighbors killed in the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs. There’s as of yet no evidence suggesting the murderer was particularly motivated by gender identity, but this incident does irrevocably fuse our experiences of oppression, violence, and hate. We must understand that […]

Black Trans Woman Diamond Jackson-McDonald, 27, Murdered in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving

Diamond Jackson-McDonald

Pennsylvania was home to the most recent victim of anti-transgender violence terrorizing our nation. Her name was Diamond Jackson-McDonald. She was 27-years-old when she was murdered on Thanksgiving. Diamond was a Black trans woman. Shahere “Diamond” Jackson-McDonald was found shot to death inside her mother’s apartment on the 400 block of Manheim Street in the […]

On World AIDS Day, The Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission Remembers and Honors Anthony Silvestre — Researcher and Activist Who Dedicated His Life’s Work to Ending AIDS

Since 1988 and every year thereafter on December 1, World AIDS Day has been an international  day for global health in the fight against AIDS. On this day, our communities remember those who  we lost to HIV/AIDS, cherish those who are living with HIV, and recognize the impact this disease   has had on families and […]