Trans woman of color who supported herself as a sex worker while living on the streets was killed by police when she called 911

Linda Becerra Moran was 30 when she called 911 and reported she was at risk of being kidnnapped in Los Angeles. That was February 7, 2025. The Crime According to the website Remembering Our Dead Footage of the encounter showed officers speaking in Spanish with a distraught Becerra Moran in the moments leading up to […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Lissa Geiger Shulman, Candidate For Allegheny County Council

I helped to found a group called “Hampton for All” which is a community resource for educators, parents, and students in our community. We have a visible presence at our school board promoting protection for all marginalized groups in the town, including trans students. Meet the Candidate Welcome to the 2025 election season series ‘Political […]

Designating Pitt Men’s Study as a Historic Location Would Put the Narrative in the Hands of the Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Community

First, do no harm. I don’t think Donny’s Place, a former gay bar in the Polish Hill neighborhood, should be designated as a historic designation. And it certainly shouldn’t be the first place so designated. Back in 2021, I was contacted by Preservation Pittsburgh to support their efforts to designate the site of the former […]

2025 Discovery of the Body of Jay Lee, a Gay Black GNC 20-year-old, Spurs Trans, Queer Advocacy in Mississippi

The Crime Jay Lee also styled as Jaylee went missing on Friday 8th July, 2022 from Lafayette County, Mississippi. There was a suspect who went to trial even though Jay’s body was not found until early February 2025 in  in Carroll County. The legal proceedings in 2022 ended in mistrial. Upon the recent discovery of […]

Review: I Might Be a Little Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Pittsburgh Public Theater is wrapping up the season with a big splashy mid-Century modern stage classic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Written by Edward Albee, it won Tony Award for Best Play in 1963 and was considered controversial in its day. Is it on par with the big period stage pieces? Not yet. I’ll explain. […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, Candidate For Allegheny County Council

Kathleen Madonna Emmerling

While Allegheny County does include gender and gender expression in its anti-discrimination policy for employees, I support a county-level ordinance similar to the City of Pittsburgh fair employment ordinance (Chapter 659.02), is appropriate and feasible. The County often models its legislation after city policies pass.  Meet the Candidate Welcome to the 2025 election season series […]

Hard to be sure. Sometimes I feel so insecure.

Sometimes, blogging is overwhelming. Tonight is one of those times. I just published a post about being a disabled person relying on Social Security Disability Insurance after adding a few finishing touches. After getting home from a 3 and 1/2 hour play that I have to review. I received two additional Political Q&A responses that […]

I am one of 9+ million Americans deemed totally and permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration.

I am one of 9+ million Americans deemed totally and permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration. I was 40 years old at my date of disability. I am 54 years old. Today, I receive a monthly allotment of $1500 after I paid for mandatory Medicare. I had/have full health insurance coverage through my spouse. […]

These 10 Local Candidates Have Completed Our Political Q&A

Each time someone mentions how they are showing up to resist tyranny, I feel a twinge that I could be doing more. Then I remember how I’m spending a lot of my time – memorializing trans neighbors and the Political Q&A project. It is critical that we make informed decisions to put strong progressives into […]

The 2025 Political Q&A Series: Amanda Neatrour for Pittsburgh City Council, District Two

Representation in government is extremely important. We haven’t had a Black woman on City Council since 2009, and there have never been more than two Black people on council at any given time. I also do not recall the last time we had a truly active disability rights advocate who was also disabled on City […]