Candidate for PA State House Jessica Benham Describes Digital Campaigning During a Pandemic

Jessica Benham

I asked a few campaigns to weigh in on the new tactics and strategies they will be relying on to move ahead with critical elections. What is still possible? What is newly possible? How can we help from our homes? You can read our candidate Q&A’s here. Also, check out our Q&A’s about the Pennsylvania […]

Q&A with a 30-year Employee of a Grocery Store

Groceries

I feel like my company is doing the best they can and listening to our concerns and adjusting to help us. I feel customers are not. Many of us who have worked retail and/or grocery retail in the past have some appreciation for what our neighbors in those jobs are experiencing, or perhaps more accurately, […]

Q&A with Kris Rust About the PA Primary, Critical Elections, and Mail-In Ballots

Kris Rust

This is a very confusing time. We spend hours trying to find toilet paper and disinfectant, worrying about access to critical medications that are being redirected to maybe cure COVID-19, and having our evening news interrupted by a ridiculous puppet President who lies and misleads us every single fucking day. One point of confusion is […]

84 Trans Stories from Western Pennsylvania on the Trans Day of Visibility

Transgender Awareness Week

March 31 is the International Transgender Day of Visibility, devoted to raising the visibility of transgender and gender nonconforming (GNC) neighbors both in terms of their resiliency and successes as well as the realities of transphobic bias and violence. I’ve curated 84 stories from our #AMPLIFY project to illustrate the multi-faceted experiences of transgender neighbors […]

Q&A: Northside Eatery Bistro To Go Offers No-Contact Delivery & More to Keep Serving Comfort Foods

Bistro To Go Delivers

Highlighting some neighborhood restaurants that are serving the community with specific questions about their new COVID-19 policies and procedures. Bistro To Go has been a long-time friend with delicious comfort foods. I noticed tat they’ve added in-house delivery to nearby communities so I asked them to give us an update. If you business would like […]

Q&A with Ryan Deto about the role of Pittsburgh City Paper in the region’s curent crisis

Ryan Deto Pittsburgh City Paper

Local media outlets are essential to the work we do on this blog. Chief among those has been the Pittsburgh City Paper, a relationship that has had ups and downs over the years. I’ve been through the tenure of four editors, countless staff and beat reporters, and other staff as well as multiple publishers. I’ve […]

#SteelCitySnowflake Q&A with Lynz

Lyndsey Sickler Pittsburgh

As part of our #SteelCitySnowflakes project, we are highlighting neighbors who contribute to the social justice fabric in our communities. Next up is Lynz nominated by Anonymous. They and I have known one another for many years and we are actually distant cousins. They are very well known in the LGBTQ community and had a […]

Q&A With Lissa Geiger Shulman, Candidate for PA State House 30

Lissa for PA

As a woman, I do bring a still under-represented perspective as only 26% of the General Assembly is women. However, I also have a privileged perspective due to my race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. I acknowledge that this limits my perspective, and will work to listen to and elevate more diverse voices as a […]

Q&A with Jessica Benham, Candidate for PA State House District 36

Jessica Benham

The residents of district 36 deserve a solution to the flooding that impacts their daily lives. They are tired of constant studies and plans that don’t materialize. We are revisiting our Political Q&A series for the upcoming elections of 2020. We’ve reached out to candidates who are pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ, asking them a series of […]

Q&A with Emily Kinkead, Candidate for PA State House District 20

Emily Kinkead

I make a concerted effort to inform myself about the LGBTQIA+-related issues in my district and in our community and the events that I can attend to demonstrate my support. This spans everything from talking to my queer-identifying friends and activists about their experiences to attending the Trans Day of Remembrance and the protest at […]