Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Last minute funding appeal unsuccessful

The #ProtectTransKids project has been wrapping up for several reasons. All of them break my heart because I know these signs are needed more than ever.

This project was funded by small donations, over $25k. With that investment, we produced 2000 signs and 10,000 stickers. That’s a success.

Over the winters, signs disappeared. It doesn’t seem to be an organized plot, just attrition. Stakes break, lawns get cut, and some folx don’t realize the sign needs to remain up always and forever.

A 14-year-old trans girl was brutally murdered in Sharon, Mercer County. They want a lot of signs. Folx in the surrounding counties of Venango, Crawford, Butler, and Lawrence want signs. If ever a community needed us to send them a sign, it is the trans and queer kids in those communities.

But we are out of signs.

Why? Well, I had to step away for personal reasons in 2023, I was not fundraising for #ProtectTransKids. It takes a lot of energy and time to do that work. No one was able to step in. Then there’s the defamation legal action that includes me, my blog, the family, and the City Paper. So the City Paper cannot write about this project. The City Paper is our best outlet for LGBTQ stories.

Please know that I tried. I asked, begged, and pleaded. I sent press releases. But without funding, we can’t order the signs.

I had this idea that turns out to be a fantasy – a group of foundation and corporate heroes stepping up to jointly contribute the $10k we need to meet the current demand. Like a response to an emergency, addressing a gap. There are certainly 10 entities in this region that could invest $1,000.

But apparently that only works in public disasters. And it takes someone inside that circle of affluence to get the ball rolling. And it is the end of the year. And we can’t wait for a grant cycle – we don’t need a grant, we need walking around money.

We have the nonprofit status, we have a good infrastructure, and we have volunteers. We have outcomes (see above.) I’m confident that if we distributed signs, those small donations would begin again.

I guess I got that idea from a tv show or a movie. It feels like a real and possible thing that could be coordinated with a few phone calls and email. But that’s not my world. I trust the people who gave me the feedback know what they are saying.

We still have stickers. If we get a Hail Mary down the road, maybe we can revisit the project.

I wish I could convey the feeling that seeps into my heart when I drive past a sign. Safety and concern emanate from that home or business. It is a genuine signal that our trans youth are not alone. To be honest, that we are all not alone.

I had a lot of awkward conversations the past week trying to explain my appeal. It was worth it because I know I’ve done everything I can. We didn’t fail. We just stopped because of forces beyond our control.

We’ll regroup and find other ways to move forward to protect trans kids.

Thank you to the volunteers and to each household, business, and organization that posted a sign. We’ll have more outcomes later. And please keep your signs up as long as you can.