Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Exiting weekend ahead as we pack up the Civic and head for our Commonwealth’s capitol for the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit. It is our first time to this event and we are looking forward to getting some face time with other progressives.

It is also the first time we have a full-time in-house pet sitter staying at our home (Your Critter Sitters) which makes traveling soooo much easier, even for just a weekend. All of the pets stay here – no rushing animals to different spaces and handing off keys or that incredible guilty feeling when their sad faces watch you pack. No, ma’am. Our critters stay in their own home with one of their favorite people in the whole world planning to lavish them with love and attention around the clock. I’m amazed how relaxed I feel knowing that I don’t have to worry about them. Or the house. Or the car parked in the street. Or anything really. Well, I’m slightly worried because I didn’t dust the mantel and I’m unsure if we have appropriate bagels.

What is an inappropriate bagel, you ask? I have no idea. It just seems like a reasonable thing to fret about in lieu of those sad little faces being left behind at the kennel.

Just for kicks, here are the panels I’m planning to attend.

2015 Legislative Update – Rep. Patty Kim, PA House 103rd District; Rep. Madeleine Dean, PA House, 153rd District; Stephen Bruder, Policy Director, PA Senate Democratic Caucus

Ferguson is Everywhere – Franklin Henley and Sarah Schubert, Lead Organizers, This Stops Today Harrisburg; Molly Tack-Hooper, Staff Attorney, ACLU Pennsylvania

The State of LGBT Equality in Pennsylvania – Maureen Gray and Sarah Spohn, Regional Organizers, and Ammon Ripple, Statewide Faith Organizer, Equality Pennsylvania; Sen. Larry Farnese, PA Senate 1st District

Beyond the Koch Brothers: the Infrastructure of the Right –  Rachel Tabachnick, Fellow, Political Research Associates

Creating Change is also this weekend so it is really interesting to see who got to go to Denver to represent their organization and who gets to go to Harrisburg. That’s probably uncharitable of me. Creating Change is like the mothership of LGBTQ conferences. I don’t think I could quite handle that yet. Maybe next year. In Chicago. When Hillary is running for President. Oh my.

I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with Ledcat in the car listening to some good traveling music, the exposure to some new ideas and a chance to talk about my AMPLIFY! LGBTQ project. I have just 24 business cards left so I’ll have to be super judicious about that! I’m planning a design consult to revamp my websites so I couldn’t justify printing more cards. I tried, but prudence got the best of me.

We are pretty low key when we attend conferences. Simple dinners, a little sightseeing maybe and early to bed. I like when we meet interesting people to share a meal or a cup of coffee, but I’m pretty content to just absorb the sights & sounds of progressive people (and faux progressive people.) Lesbian bloggers are not high on the list of must-mingle guests.

I’ll probably ask some questions. I want to know what progressives are going to do about religious liberty challenges to LGBTQ people. I want to meet some other bloggers. I’d also like to remind at least one person that Pittsburgh has been home to the violent murders of two queer people of color and the disappearance of a third person, as well as the death by suicide of a young trans man in the past 18 months. Ledcat made me swear that I won’t *intentionally* make people squirm. I made her promise not to swear more than once every 20 minutes while driving so I guess everyone has to sacrifice here.

And I really hope the hotel has a good view. I’ve never been to Harrisburg for more than a few hours. We don’t plan to sightsee, just enjoy meals at two local restaurants that have yet to be determined. And check in on the critters every few hours.

If you are heading to #PaProgSummit, tweet at me.