Seth, 21, Came Out as Bi and Trans Via Power Point #AMPLIFY

Name: Seth Giovanni DiMartile Age: 21 County of Residence:  Allegheny, formerly Philadelphia and Mays Landing, New Jersey Pronouns: he/him/his How do you describe your identity? Oh, Lord. I’m bi, but queer and gay are also acceptable, my gender isn’t quite binary; trans, trans boy, transmasculine, boy, guy, and male are all acceptable, I don’t really like the terms […]

Rev Leonard, 37, is a Black same-gender loving freedom fighter #AMPLIFY

Reverend Shanea Leonard

We are very pleased to have the contribution of Reverend Leonard as AMPLIFY post number 200. Name: Rev Leonard Age: 37 County of Residence: Allegheny County, formerly Philadelphia County Pronouns: she, her, hers How do you describe your identity? I am a Black same-gender loving freedom fighter, I am a person of faith. I am a lover. I am […]

We Need Your Investment To Keep Going

Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Here’s the very simple truth – we do not have enough money to keep this blog and the related projects going for much longer. So I am reaching out to ask those of you who value the work and can afford to do so, to make a donation. Twelve years ago, this was a hobby. […]

Wendi, 31, Describes Being a Trans Ally in Her Workplace #AMPLIFY

Name: Wendi Age: 31 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Erie Pronouns: Mrs, Her How do you describe your identity? Ummm. I am a lesbian woman. I am white Italian. Wink* Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I officially came out at 16 to my parents after my dad had seen […]

Brandon, 23, Identifies as a Pansexual Genderqueer Male #AMPLIFY

pansexual genderqueer Pittsburgh

Please share a lived experience, anecdote or fact about life as an LGBTQ person in your community. One of my customers at work had recently come out as trans. She hasn’t said anything to me but I saw her dressed in female clothes and was carrying herself different. The second time I saw her I asked what prownouns she preferred and if she had a different preferred name. And she just seemed to be so happy that I had taken the time to ask and respect her as a female.

Angela is a Queer Mother & Intersectional Feminist #AMPLIFY

Name: Angela Age: 28 County of Residence: Allegheny,  formerly Berks, Montgomery, Bucks in PA. Also lived in Rome, Italy, and the SF Bay Area of California Preferred Pronouns: she/her How do you describe your identity? I am a white cis woman. I am disabled by our society that allows people (mostly who are feminine) to remain chronically ill. I am […]

Rest In Power, Dakota James

Dakota James Missing Person

I read with mixed emotions the news that the body of 23-year-old Dakota James had been found in the Ohio River near Neville Island. Dakota has been missing since January 25, 2017. There’s no appropriate comment, nothing I can think of that would bring comfort to the exhausted family who lost a 23-year-old adult child […]

Tyler, 18, is a Pansexual Trans Man in Erie #AMPLIFY

Name: Ty Age: 18 County of Residence: I’ve lived in Erie, Edinboro, and will be moving to Warren, Pa. Pronouns: He/him/his How do you describe your identity? I am a transgender pansexual male. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? When I came out as a lesbian, I didn’t face any problems. […]

LGBTQ Things To Do in Western PA #AMPLIFY

LGBTQ Things To Do Pittsburgh

Welcome to the current edition of our new feature  – a signal boost to the efforts of our #AMPLIFY contributors to strengthen our communities. Our first posts were well received! This list is not all-inclusive or comprehensive, but we’ll do our best to share the items our contributors ask us to promote. If you’d like to […]