LGBT Activists Say Amazon Should Avoid Pennsylvania For Lack of Statewide Protections

When I first heard about this effort a few months ago, I was intrigued – holding Amazon accountable to its own policy of affirming LGBT rights by choosing a new location (HQ2) in a state that has statewide nondiscrimination policies. Pennsylvania does not. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia do, but the state does not. “Employees, their families, […]

RIP Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, 42, First Trans Woman Murdered in 2018

Christa

A 42-year-old in the town of North Adams, Massachusetts is the first known transgender person to be killed in 2018 in the United States. Her name was Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien. The man who confessed to police that he killed Christa is her husband, 47-year-old Mark Steele-Knudslien. He is awaiting arraignment. An autopsy will be conducted Sunday […]

Arrests of two public employees on sexual misconduct charges brings realities of #MeToo to Pittsburgh

Jim Sheppard Mike Diebold

Two arrests this week of public employees on sexual misconduct charges brings home the reality of #MeToo to the Pittsburgh region. First came word that Jim Sheppard, an analyst in the office of County Controller Chelsa Wagner, was arrested on charges of harassment, stalking, and related crimes in regard to his ex-boyfriend. Sheppard had previously […]

Local LGBTQ Links We’ve Been Reading This Week – Dec 8

Liz Navratil and Angela Couloumbis at the Post-Gazette have a wrap-up of the calls for State Representative Daryl Metcalfe to be held accountable for his homophobic rant this week. The party is called to demote him and he is called to step down. Don’t hold your breath. Ryan Deto at the City Paper has his own […]

Updated: Metcalfe Doesn’t Like Male Colleagues Touching Him

He doesn’t want to be touched by other men. He is a married heterosexual and he had no qualms announcing so during debate on a land use bill by the PA House Committee on State Government. That’s our Daryl Metcalfe.  And he’s officially heterosexual. Representative Matt Bradford, the ranking Democrat on the committee, was seated […]

US Supreme Court Leaves Stand Texas High Court Ruling Undermining Marriage Equality

Domestic Partner Benefits

This is a nightmare scenario for me. I am not being histrionic, or perhaps I am being consistent with the histrionic level I’ve been maintaining on domestic partner benefits since 2014.  The US Supreme Court has let stand a Texas Supreme Court  ruling that there is no established right to spousal benefits in same-sex marriages. […]

Is Krampus Coming to the White House This Year?

Melania White House

When I first saw the images from the White House Christmas decor, I immediately thought “Melania is honoring her heritage!”  Melania Trump is from Slovenia, one of several Central European-Balkan nations that include “companions” in their holiday traditions – typically frightening beasts who acommpany St. Nicholas for some reason or another, manifesting the consequences of […]

WTF?

November 8, 2017. The date four local women in politics announced they were forming a Political Action Committee (PAC) called Women for the Future of Pittsburgh with the unfortunate acronym of WTF. For clarity sake, I’m going to use WTF Pgh to avoid confusion with actual WTF references. Stated mission: Women for The Future (WTF) […]

Mt. Lebanon Approves LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinance, 4th in Western PA

In December 2016, residents of Mt. Lebanon gathered for a ‘Unity Rally’ in response to multiple incidents of crimes targeting vulnerable members of the community. One year later, seeds planted at this rally led to the passage of a municipal ordinance protecting the LGBTQ community from nondiscrimination. Similar to one enacted eight years ago in […]

Election Day 2017 Wrap-Up: My Queer Perspective

There will be lots of these types of posts today across the blogosphere. You should read them because the outcomes from this particular election are both disappointing and hopefilled for those of us living our lives on the ground. Check out what Alvin McEwan has to say about it at Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters. […]