Baptist Pastor Arrested for Murder of Trans Woman Keanna Mattel in Detroit

Keanna Mattel

Baptist pastor Albert Weathers, 46, was arraigned Monday for the murder of transgender woman, Keanna Mattel, according to a post at Planettransgender. Weathers is charged with open murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The 36th District Court set bond at $1 million according to The Detroit News. Other details suggest […]

Keanna Mattel, 35, is 24th Trans Neighbor Murdered in the US during 2018

Keanna Mattel

I learned terrible news tonight from Detroit where a 35 year old Black trans woman was murdered Friday morning, the 24th transgender victim of fatal violence in the US this year. Her name was Keanna Mattel. Note that Keanna’s surname has been spelled with one ‘l’ and with two. We are using the spelling on […]

Ten Years Later: Attending the First LGBTQ Bloggers & Citizen Journalists National Summit in 2008

Sue Kerr

While I began blogging in December 2005, I believe that a significant milestone in our growth was the weekend Ledcat and I traveled to Washington D.C. for the first LGBTQ Bloggers and Citizens Journalists National Summit. It was December 5-7, 2008. I met a lot of folx there and my mind was awhirl with new […]

The New Norm for Bloggers?

So this is almost the new norm for queer bloggers (and perhaps others as well?) I share original content on social media sites. Someone takes the time to set up a fake Reddit account and send me the attached message privately “Kill yourself you fucking disgusting flaming faggot” This is tied to an #AMPLIFY post. Just daring […]

A Black Trans Woman Known as Tydie is 23rd Trans Person Murdered in 2018

Tydie Trans Woman Baltimore

A Black trans woman known as Tydie was murdered in Baltimore on Monday, November 26. She is the 23rd transgender person to be murdered in the United States during 2018. Note that in some spaces her name is styled Tydi, but we are using the spelling offered by the trans community in Baltimore. From the […]

11 Quotes from the #AMPLIFY LGBTQ Project in Honor of World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st December each year. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever global health […]

That One Time When Murphy Brown’s Frank Fontana and Avery Brown Were Assaulted in Altoona, PA Because They Are Journalists

Just in case you don’t know – Murphy Brown is a fictional character as are her friend Frank Fontana and her son Avery Brown. They work for fictional networks, Murphy and Frank for CNC hosting ‘Murphy in the Morning’ and Avery for the Wolf Network. They are not actual journalists. They use the sitcom format […]

How ‘Murphy Brown’ is Telling White Women With Good Intentions to Do Better

Murphy Brown Thanksgiving

Spoilers Ahead. When I heard about the return of Murphy Brown, I was a little more than skeptical, a sentiment shared by many who thought we should probably stop at Will & Grace before this reboot/reinvent/reignite craze forced us to acknowledge there are lessons to be learned from the past. It is not just the show […]

Post-Gazette Profiles LGBTQ Poets and Performers Kierra Darshell, Thea Trix, and Rachel Bovier

Kierra Darshell Thea Trix Rachel Bovier AMPLIFY

On Sunday, the Post-Gazette published three articles that should interest you. First, there is a front page below-the-fold story profiling local poet Rachel Bovier who rose to local infamy by self-publishing her poetry in the Post-Gazette Celebration section and on a billboard on Baum Boulevard. Her journey has been documented through the public interest in […]