Political LGBTQ&A with Jessica Semler, Etna Borough Council Member-Elect

Jessica Semler Etna Borough Council

If I had more folks that look like me out and in positions of power when I was younger, I truly think I would have come out to others, and myself years earlier than I did. It means so damn much. More LGBTQ folks in office means visibility of what it can look like to […]

Emilee, 21, Describes Life as a Chinese-American Lesbian in Rural Fayette County #AMPLIFY

Chinese-American Lesbian

Being the minority for both race and sexuality can be a nightmare here. I have not experienced any [microaggressions] for my sexuality, but it’s a constant battle because of my race. Strangers will constantly make rude comments to me about being Chinese. I’ve had customers at work make rude and or ignorant comments about it. The worst part is when people try to ask me where I’m from. Honestly I don’t know because I was adopted as a baby. It hits a certain nerve when people bring up anything to do with my ethnicity.

The Persad Staff Union Q&A

The overworked, underpaid staff who have repeatedly resisted the board and consistently shown that have zero faith in their board leadership. They’ve posted open letters to the board. They have demands. They organized a door decorating contest to demonstrate their cohesion. They value and respect their current Executive Director, Carlos Torres, and seem to believe […]

Coroner Reports Death of Black Trans Woman Elisha Stanley was Accidental

Elisha Stanley Cause of Death

Earlier this year, we reported on the September 16 death of 46-year-old Pittsburgh native, Elisha Stanley, who had traveled to her hometown to visit family. Elisha was a Black trans woman and her death was sudden and unexpected so understandably people were very concerned both for the loss of her as an individual and the […]

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Rural PA LGBTQ&A with West Branch Pride Organizers in Williamsport, Lycoming County

West Branch Susquehanna River Pride

This is part of a new occasional series exploring LGBTQ organizing in rural Pennsylvania communities. After our recent driving trip through the PA Wilds communities, I was impressed that after an almost complete lack of queer visibility, a slew of new LGBTQ projects unfolded in my feed – a Pride event in Elk County, a […]

82 Trans Stories from Western Pennsylvania Honor Trans Awareness Week

Transgender Awareness Week

The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, we have Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues the community faces. I’ve curated 82 stories from our #AMPLIFY project to illustrate the multi-faceted experiences of transgender neighbors in Western Pennsylvania. Our project asks people to describe their […]

Trump Targets LGBTQ Foster Care and Adoption – My Latest for @PghCurrent

Political LGBTQ&A with Jonathan Warnock, Indiana Boro Councilmember-Elect

Openly Gay Elected Official Indiana County

I say all the time that I’m just fighting the future, i.e. doing everything I can to mitigate the effects of climate change. Working for LGBTQIA+ rights feels the same. No minority group in history has gotten rights without a fight, and no group will keep them without vigilance. I’ve been involved with this for a long time now, going back to college and grad school working the the ‘gay/straight’ alliance clubs where I went to school. I seem to be unable to turn down the chance to advocate for equality or work to fight our climate future… just ask my husband.

I’m profiled for the Post-Gazette by Tony Norman