Urgent Caturday Appeal – This Pittsburgh Pet Food Pantry Only Has Enough Food Through March 14

Our pet food pantry is going to run out of food in three weeks. Help! The Dr. John P. Ruffing VMD Pet Food Pantry serves cat colony caretakers, TNR trappers, rescues, and modest income pet owners. We currently have 60 household registered, 40 are active. Each month, we distribute dry and canned food – typically […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Judge Alyssa Cowan, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

In order for marginalized groups to have  increased access to the judicial system to expand their civil rights, I would make these three  recommendations: expand pro bono programs, create additional self-help centers, and  encourage attorneys to adopt a sliding-fee scale based on income and ability to pay.  Meet the Candidate Welcome to the 2025 election […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Lauren Leiggi, Candidate for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

I agreed to complete this Q&A because I myself have previously used this blog to learn more about candidates running for office. I feel it is often difficult to find information about candidates, especially when most people do not know that Judicial candidates have a different set of ethical rules to adhere to compared to […]

It matters that trans folx Sam Nordquist AND Tahiry Broom AND Elisa Rae Shupe died

Trans deaths

The media has been zealously covering the brutal, unfathomable murder of biracial trans man Sam Nordquist in upstate New York this month. Sam was a 24 year old young adult who trusted the wrong person and paid a horrific price. His death is a travesty and there are lessons to be learned. But Sam is […]

Is it my job to make Facebook a safe space? Or should you help?

Dear friends, The Facebook page for my blog has garnered a lot of new followers these past months. And that’s great. Of course I want people to read my original content and engage the content I spend hours amplifying every day. Along with new followers comes new haters. They post rude, nasty, and vicious comments […]

Pennsylvania Senate Introduces Anti-Transgender Legislation while Pine-Richland School District continues to ignore child pornography charges

The Pennsylvania State Senate has taken action to protect the Keystone State from gender identity realities with the Two-Gender Protection Act. Senate Bill 213 was introduced in the Pennsylvania State Senate by Senator Doug Mastriano This law would mandate that Pennsylvania State Government use “sex” instead of “gender” in official communications and require that all […]

Spying on the appropriation of the ‘real’ James Bond with City Theatre

THE REAL JAMES BOND…WAS DOMINICAN closes this weekend at City Theatre. I think you should check it out. While I am no James Bond fan, I do appreciate his legacy in contemporary culture so the title caught my attention. Turns out Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican diplomat, race car driver, soldier and polo player who’s believed to […]

Biracial Trans Man, Sam Nordquist, 24, Missing from Minnesota, Tortured and Killed in Canandaigua, New York

CN: torture, murder, transgender identity This will be an ongoing investigation. But what we know now is: Sam Nordquist was born in Red Wing, Minnesota and lived most recently in St. Paul, Minnesota. He identified as biracial. In the missing person’s postings, Sam’s family said he had about 22 tattoos, including an owl tattoo on […]

I Knew Elisa Rae Shupe (1963-2025) and She Deserved Better

Jamie Shupe Pittsburgh

I met Elisa Rae Shupe, known then as Jamie, here in Pittsburgh. She had moved here with her wife for trans affirming health care. We met through the local LGBTQ Community Center when I was seeking donations from veterans groups to support trans and queer youth. Note: while Elisa is well known for winning a […]

29 Year Old Black Trans Woman Tahiry Broom Killed in Detroit

Tahiry Broom, a 29-year-old Black transgender woman, was shot and killed on Sunday morning, February 9, in Southfield, Michigan. She was visiting Detroit from Cleveland. Tahiry’s nickname was Tokyo. According to WXYZ, Robert Ridges III, 28, met her through a commercial sex advertisement and met up on Sunday, Feb. 9, near Ridges’ apartment in Southfield. […]