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Name: Emma Age: 28 County of Residence: Allegheny County. Formerly, Beaver county, Bradford county, & York county Preferred Pronouns: She/Her How do you describe your identity? I am a white, cis-gendered, gay woman. I wear the ‘lesbian’ hat sometimes, & like the ‘queer’ hat most often, too. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What […]
“[After 9th grade concert] Once we got home, my tears had turned to anger. I ended up slamming every door I touched, kicked off my shoes so hard they hit the wall, and told my mom I hated her. She got in my face, and my dad stepped in. He sent my little brother to his room before I recalled what happened at the school. He sighed, but didn’t say anything. He was a man of few words. After a few minutes of me blubbering, trying to calm down, the three of us went to the kitchen table to talk.
I remember my dad sitting across from me and my mom sitting to my right at our tiny cramped kitchen table. I don’t remember the specifics of conversation, mostly because I blocked it out, but in a nutshell, they told me homosexuality was wrong and I was going to Hell if I continued liking girls. I fidgeted with a leftover napkin as I told them I loved Z. We were best friends. I said I was bisexual, not homosexual, hoping that might somehow make it better. It didn’t. I was still damned just the same.
In the weeks following my admission, my parents forced me to start counseling.”
How do you describe your identity? Black gay man and female impersonator
Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was hard being the only son but my Mother was very supportive and my Father wasn’t at first but with time he was much better accepting he had a gay son.
How would you describe yourself NOW in terms of “being out”? Fabulous and truly living in my truth!
Kristene Chapa, then 18, and girlfriend Mollie Olgin, then 19, stopped by a park on their way to see a movie on June 23, 2012. A horrifying encounter with a stranger ended with both young women sexually assaulted and shot, left for dead in that park. Olgin died of her injuries, but Kristene Chapa survived and took the stand to testify against David Strickland more than four years later.
It took the jury less than six hours to return a guilty verdict. Four years, 3 months and six hours after their horrible ordeal, there was finally some justice for Mollie and Kristene and, hopefully, some closure for Kristene.
We are so pleased once again to be the social media sponsor of the ReelQ Film Festival, set for October 6-15 at the Harris Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. You can find the complete schedule of events here. Follow the hashtag #ReelQ31 for the latest on the festival! Opening Night Screening & Party – October 6, […]
Name: Jim Age: 63 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Venango, Philadelphia Preferred Pronouns: Just don’t call me Mrs. How do you describe your identity? Gutter trash who happened to meet the right people, have the right fate, and got to see the world as an out gay man. It’s been a blessing I tell you. Thank you Jesus. […]
At the end of the day, your silence is damaging. Your story can heal and make people feel like they’re not alone. Name: Rain Age: 26 ** Update – I made an error and listed Rain’s age as 44. I am sorry for the error. – Sue County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Washington and Greene Preferred […]
Enter to win a Florence Foster Jenkins Prize Pack! Every voice deserves to be heard! Paramount Pictures presents Florence Foster Jenkins Starring Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Nina Arianda. Set in 1940s New York, Florence Foster Jenkins is the true story of the legendary New York heiress and socialite (Meryl Streep) […]
Name: Delilah Age: 31 County of Residence: Cambria, Indiana, Lancaster, Dauphin, and some others in the Commonwealth that escape me at the moment. Preferred Pronouns: she, her, mademoiselle, and other female pronouns How do you describe your identity? I identify as a trans woman. To a lesser extent, I identify as a lesbian. I say to a lesser extent because […]
Name: Chi Chi Rivera Age: 47 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: she How do you describe your identity? I am first and foremost a spirit, that has taken residence within a BIG queer latina female body, this time. Next lifetime, I may be a white drag queen or a straight woman with 16 children, or […]
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