Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Caution – this seems to be one of those made-up celebrations that are used to generate click-bait articles on websites targeting lesbians, but not necessarily driven by lesbians.

So this lesbian is going to seize the moment to write a non-click-bait article promoting lesbian visibility.

First, read every single blog post I’ve written since 2005. I’ll wait. 🙂 (Read this post in particular to understand how that’s a joke.)

Cindy Rizzo posted a thoughtful piece at Medium in 2017 making the case for lesbian visibility and narrowing in on potential reasons why lesbians resist – internalized stigma around this history of lesbian exclusivity and the trauma of the TERF legacy.

I definitely get the latter point – having been TERF’d myself, I hope people give me the benefit of the doubt. I understand if they don’t because these nasty folks are causing tremendous harm in our community.

Regarding the idea of lesbian being a relic of the past, I’m not sure I agree completely. My impression is that the term lesbian was a catch-all umbrella term that provided a modicum of safety for all queer women and nonbinary folx at a time when we didn’t use words like queer or nonbinary to describe our identities. As our understanding of sexual and gender identity has grown more nuanced and robust, it is natural for people to use more precise language.

I find it ridiculous to read that lesbians are the least visible and most as-risk group in the LGBTQ community. That’s absolutely untrue. We aren’t losing anything by amplifying and sharing resources with the bisexual, queer, pansexual, asexual, agender, transgender and nonbinary communities. Some of those folks are also lesbians.

Lesbian identity has of course changed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room under a differently termed umbrella for all of us. And it certainly doesn’t mean that lesbian culture can’t grow beyond ‘the good old days.’

In honor of all the lesbians, here are some of the #AMPLIFY contributors who have specifically identified as a lesbian. I urge you to read their stories and signal boost them as well.  This project uses open-ended questions including “How do you describe your identity?” so this list may not be 100% exact, but is a fairly good representation of our contributors. These are in no particular order. And note how many younger contributors are using the term lesbian to describe their identity.

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If you would like to share your story with the #AMPLIFY Project, you’ll find the Q&A here (it takes about 20-30 minutes)

1. bee Revisits 60+ Years of Her Feminist Lesbian Experiences in Pittsburgh 
2. Madelyne, 19, Shares Her Story as a Lesbian Growing Up in Johnstown
3. Helen, 32, is a Lesbian, Immigrant, Irish Comedian Living in Pittsburgh 
4. Rene, 48, is a Lesbian from Mercer County who wants to belong 
5. Maria Talks Lesbian Life in the North Hills of Pittsburgh 
6. Jenna,19, is Proud of Her Lesbian Identity 
7. Madi Scull, 20, Identifies as a Nonbinary, Asexual Lesbian 
8. Kool Kase, 32, is a Black Lesbian at Peace With Herself
9. Kelsey, 22, Talks Lesbian Life in Elk County 
10. Bobbi Jo, 63, is a Transgender Lesbian in Indiana County
11. Katie, 25, Identifies as Puerto Rican, White, Cis-Female and Lesbian
12. Marcia, 58, is Cisgender, Lesbian & Slightly Gender Nonconforming
13. Regina, 33, Finds Comfort in Lesbian Ambiguity
14. Laura, 44, is a Lesbian Mom in Fayette County 
15. Camellia, 30, is a Lesbian, Soon-to-be Wife, and Momma 
16. Patricia, 41, Does Not Feel Safe as a Trans Woman in Her Urban Pgh Suburb
17. Diane, 56, Is Asexual With Lesbian Leanings and a Writer
18. Pixie, 26, is Androgynous, Non-binary, Genderqueer and Lesbian, But Identifies as Pixie
19. Dani Janae, 23, Identifies as a Black Femme Lesbian Poet & Trauma Survivor
20. Char, 62, is a “Very Late Bloomer” Lesbian in Cambria County
21. Jill, 49, Wants Young LGBTQ People To Have a Safe Place to Go In Cambria County
22. Kim, 44, Say She Lost Her Job in Beaver County Because She’s a Lesbian
23. As a Lesbian, Shelly Values Her Ties to Rural Indiana County
24. Gloria a Happy Black Lesbian
25. Sara, 35, On Her Reality as a Lesbian in Western Pennsylvania 
26. Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist
27. Jess is a Lesbian Mother Who Wants More Family Friendly Resources
28. Saintly Sinner is a Cisgender Lesbi Not So Flexible Black Biological Womyn
29. Alexandria is a Lesbian Artist Trying To Get Her Bearings
30. Shawna on Her Unique Experience as a Lesbian in Indiana County #AMPLIFY
31. Jessi is a Trans Lesbian Who Asks Questions
32. Jan Offers an Older Perspective on LGBTQ Pittsburgh
33. Joyce Believes Tolerance Is Not Acceptance
34. Rae, 48, is a Pansexual Trans Woman Living in Allegheny County
35. Chrissy, 40, Wants LGBTQ Folks to Educate One Another With a Sense of Humor 
36. Wendi, 31, Describes Being a Trans Ally in Her Workplace
37. Emily, 40, Talks About LGBTQ Visibility, Intersectionality & Resiliency 
38. Morgan, 21, Hasn’t Met Other Openly Gay Suburban Couples 
39. Heidi, 28, Learned That It’s Okay To Be A LGBT Christian
40. Delilah, 31, Finds Trans Community on Twitter
41. Sara, 28, Single Mom, Agnostic Jew, and Queer in Ohio
42. Lisa Believes Being Out and Honest is ‘Like Flying’
43. Alissa, 34, is Just Another Girl in the Crowd in Lawrence County
44. Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a Gender Fluid Child
45. Kathi Wants To Connect with LGBTQ Elders in Rural Communities
46. Jaime From The ReelQ Film Festival Says Yep I’m Gay
47. Taylor Wants More LGBTQ Resources and Community Unity
48. Jessi is a Trans Lesbian Who Asks Questions
49. Amber Has Always Been Proud of Being OUT
50. Vic Lives Closeted in Westmoreland County
51. KK Compares Small Town Michigan to Pittsburgh
52. Cindy Has Been Fundraising for the GLCC for 14 Years
53. For Jodi’s Kids, Having Two Mothers Is Just a Fact of Life
54. Been Fundraising for the GLCC for 14 Years
55. Skip Believes The Act of Coming Out Is a Continuous Process
56. Shell is Proud of the Positive Impact of Pittsburgh Black Pride