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 […]

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. […]

Butler Mayoral Election is Referendum Vote on Municipal NonDiscrimination Ordinance Says Local Trans Activist

“[The Nov 7 General Election] will be seen as a referendum vote [on nondiscrimination ordinances].  So, if it fails, no elected official will bring this back up anytime soon, in Butler or the surrounding area. If we get this passed, then it will show the neighboring municipality that it is not political suicide to bring this up and vote on it.”

Darlene Harris, Donald Trump, and Doing the Right Thing in Pittsburgh

You may have heard that Pittsburgh City Councilor Darlene Harris raised a ruckus when she used her personal vehicle to drive through a Northside Park along the walking paths. She claims she was investigating City stuff. This quickly deteriorated into the ‘Darlene, woman of the people’ folks and ‘Darlene is a self-entitled jagoff’ folks. I […]