As a Lesbian, Shelly Values Her Ties To Rural Indiana County #AMPLIFY

Indiana County Lesbian

Name: Shelly Age: 33 County of Residence:  Indiana, previously Butler Preferred Pronouns: She, her How do you describe your identity? I am female, and I feel feminine on the inside. I identify as lesbian, gay, or queer. My outward presentation is much more masculine. I do not feel comfortable in female clothing and prefer to wear men’s clothing. I […]

What Question Should I Have Asked? #AMPLIFY

Pink House

Finally, what question should I have asked?  This is one of my favorite questions in the #AMPLIFY survey. I have used this information to modify the questions as the project has unfolded. As I look over the responses now to consider how to incorporate even more suggestions in to the survey, I thought I would […]

Elliot is Bi, Trans and Wishes Westmoreland County Was Talking More About Queer Youth

Westmoreland transgender bisexual

Name: Elliot Age: 20 County of Residence: Westmoreland, attends college in Allegheny county Preferred Pronouns: he/him How do you describe your identity? I am a bisexual transgender male Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? Most of my friends had said in terms of their sexuality that they “always knew”, but for […]

Gloria is a Happy Black Lesbian #AMPLIFY

Gloria Bigelow

Name: Gloria Bigelow Age:  Old Enough County of Residence: Grew up in Allegheny, now lives in California Preferred Pronouns: she How do you describe your identity? Happy black lesbian. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I found support in my friends and in other people in my community. I also […]

Moira Describes the Toll of Gatekeeping on The Trans Community #AMPLIFY

Transgender Beaver County

  Name: Moira Age: 33 County of Residence:  Beaver County, previously lived in Allegheny County Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers How do you describe your identity? I am a transgender woman 100%. That’s the easy part. My sexuality is a convoluted mess. I am demisexual. I wasn’t real sexual before starting HRT. Now there is little interest. However I have a […]

Why The Success of #AMPLIFY Has Left Me Discouraged

AMPLIFY Pittsburgh

I waited all day yesterday to learn if we were going to receive a $1000 grant for the AMPLIFY project, funds that would be used to turn my 2000 CRV into an art car to promote the project. Unfortunately, we did not secure the grant. We lost – just one of 84 applicants rejected for […]

Sara, 35, on Her Reality as a Lesbian in Western PA #AMPLIFY

Allegheny County lesbian

Name: Sara Age: 35 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: Me, herself, someone, somebody How do you describe your identity? Female, white, lesbian Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It’s funny now but back in 1993 it was scary. I came out to my mother after listening to the Melissa Etheridge […]

Mark, 29, Talks About Gay Stereotypes in Pittsburgh

Name: Mark Age: 29 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: He How do you describe your identity? Male Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? When I was 18 to one of my close friends. She had actually been under the impression that I was “100% hetero” and I had to set […]

Ade is Pansexual, Androgynous and Finds Comfort in Their UU Community #AMPLIFY

Monroeville queer

Name:  Ade Age: 32 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Westmoreland and Crawford Preferred Pronouns: I’m not picky, but I appreciate “they” or other neutral pronouns How do you describe your identity? pansexual, androgynous (non-binary and genderqueer also work), white, pagan, neuro-atypical Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I told a […]

Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist. #AMPLIFY

Dinah Denmark

Name: Dinah Denmark Age: 53 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: I don’t use them generally How do you describe your identity? Lesbian. Jewish. Buddhist. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was 1981, I was 18 years old. My college roommate and I fell in love. Fortunately, I had relatively […]