Worthington Borough Billboards Once Again Display Hateful, Racist Content in Armstrong County

John Placek Worthington billboards

Content Note: racism, white supremacy Earlier this year, we reported on the racist and offensive content displayed by Worthington businessman John Placek on his giant electronic billboard along State Route 422 in Armstrong County. After resistance from the community, Placek lost his Sunoco franchise and seemed to retreat from this tactic of displaying the seedier […]

Updated: Keyiariah Quick, 25, Might Be the 15th Black Trans Woman Murdered in 2019

Keyiariah Quick

UPDATE: Out.com has an article with more information about the circumstances around Keyiariah’s death. Most important is the dispute of claims she was murdered. I’ll continue to follow the reporting and hope that the truth comes to light. While Wilson claims a man Quick was casually seeing forced her to ingest an unknown substance which […]

Q&A with Meg Fair, Now Covering the LGBTQ Beat for the Pittsburgh Current

I was stoked to learn that my newspaper home, The Pittsburgh Current, had brought Meg Fair on board FT to cover the ‘LGBTQ beat’ as well as to provide music and other coverage. They have done some great reporting and I think their openly queer identity is very important to this role. Note – I […]

Thank You for Voting Us ‘Best Local Blog’ in Best of Pittsburgh Reader’s Poll 2019

Best of Pittsburgh Best Local Blog

We are in our 14th year of blogging and it has been an amazing year indeed, for good and for not so good sometimes. Being named the OUTstanding LGBTQ Blog in the nation by GLAAD during their 30th annual media awards was pretty damn exciting. It was also one of those moments where you are […]

Kiki Fantroy, 21, of Miami is the 13th Trans Woman Murdered in the US This Year

Kiki Fantroy was 21 years old, living in Miami-Dade, a lifelong resident of Florida. Around 4 AM on Wednesday, July 31, Kiki and some friends were returning home after attending a party. According to Planet Transgender, Kiki’s mother described the circumstances of her murder: [T]hey were approached by a group of men seeking sex. Her […]

Is Cancelling Three Rivers Regatta Karma for Accepting Chick-fil-A Sponsorship for Pittsburgh Marathon?

Three Rivers Regatta cancelled

I am convinced this is true. Today, Pittsburgh announced that the Three Rivers Regatta has been cancelled for 2019. LionHeart had been giving regular updates to the regatta’s board on the state of sponsorships and financial transactions related to the event. Late last week, the board learned for the first time that LionHeart had misrepresented […]

The @PghCurrent Column Where I Call for Pittsburgh To Abolish the Mayor’s LGBTQIA Advisory Group

Delta Foundation Pittsburgh

My latest for the Pittsburgh Current – City Should Dissolve LGBTQIA Advisory Panel It is time for Pittsburgh to establish an Office of LGBTQ Affairs with a dedicated paid staff. This Office will be a resource for all City Departments and Programs, City Council and the City Commissions, Boards, and Authorities. In addition, a LGBTQ […]

Denali Berries Stuckey, 29, is 12th Trans Woman of Color Murdered in 2019

Monica Roberts at TransGriot is reporting the murder of Denali Berries Stuckey, the 12th trans woman to be murdered in the US in 2019. Her body was discovered in Charleston early Saturday morning. Denali was a Charleston native. She graduated from North Charleston High School in 2011. She worked as a manicurist. Facebook is already […]

One Year After His Death, I Have Unfinished Business with Kerry S. Kennedy

Kerry S. Kennedy Florist Collage

I use my Google calendar to track a lot things, but memorial dates are perhaps the most important to me. Because I don’t want to forget them, even if its sad to think about their deaths. I want to remember that they lived (birthdays) and acknowledge that their deaths were too soon and too sad. […]

Tips to Beat the Heat in Pittsburgh This Weekend

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for the Pittsburgh region from Friday afternoon through Saturday. Temps in the 90s combined with the dewpoint are expected to generate Heat Index Values close to 105. Three days in Pittsburgh’s recorded history have hit 103 degrees. That temperature was recorded in July of 1881, […]