How To Help Your Neighbors With Girl Scout Cookies

It is the most wonderful time of the year … cookie time! I placed my order last night and showed considerable restraint. And I want to suggest that we all add a sharing component to our cookie compulsion by purchasing a box (or ten) to donate. The Girl Scouts of America have an existing program […]

Austin, 30, is a Straight Trans Man from Washington County #AMPLIFY

Transgender Washington County

Name: Austin Jacob Age: 30 County of Residence:  Washington  County Preferred Pronouns:  He/Him/His How do you describe your identity? I’m an Austrian, Scottish, Irish American Christian UU who is a straight transman. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? Coming out the first time as a lesbian was the hardest. […]

Minion Wants To Talk About What It Means to be a Queer, Black, Futch Leathergirl #AMPLIFY

Leather Community Pittsburgh

  Name: Minion Age: 32 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Westmoreland Preferred Pronouns:  she/her How do you describe your identity? Black; cis-gendered; futch; pansexual and panromantic; pagan/afro-spiritual; polyamorous; sapiosexual; leather slave and leather babygirl Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I came out to my mother the spring before I […]

Viva Valezz is a Queer Burlesque Performer Parenting a GenderFluid Child

Allegheny County Lesbian

  Name: Viva Valezz! (aka Dre’) Age: 49 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns:  female How do you describe your identity? I am an old school lesbian… You can call me dyke if you’re my age. We earned that.  You can also call me gay or queer.  I’m also half-Mexican, so I also identify as Mexican-American. And… I’m a mom. […]

Heather Refuses To Marginalize Herself As a Bisexual Woman #AMPLIFY

Allegheny County Bisexual

Name:  Heather Age: 40 County of Residence:  Allegheny, formerly Washington County Preferred Pronouns:  she How do you describe your identity? I’m white, bisexual, female, italian-american, monogamous, a wife, and a mother. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I was villified by my family for being good friends with […]

Elliot is Bi, Trans and Wishes Westmoreland County Was Talking More About Queer Youth

Westmoreland transgender bisexual

Name: Elliot Age: 20 County of Residence: Westmoreland, attends college in Allegheny county Preferred Pronouns: he/him How do you describe your identity? I am a bisexual transgender male Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? Most of my friends had said in terms of their sexuality that they “always knew”, but for […]

Moira Describes the Toll of Gatekeeping on The Trans Community #AMPLIFY

Transgender Beaver County

  Name: Moira Age: 33 County of Residence:  Beaver County, previously lived in Allegheny County Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers How do you describe your identity? I am a transgender woman 100%. That’s the easy part. My sexuality is a convoluted mess. I am demisexual. I wasn’t real sexual before starting HRT. Now there is little interest. However I have a […]

Ade is Pansexual, Androgynous and Finds Comfort in Their UU Community #AMPLIFY

Monroeville queer

Name:  Ade Age: 32 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Westmoreland and Crawford Preferred Pronouns: I’m not picky, but I appreciate “they” or other neutral pronouns How do you describe your identity? pansexual, androgynous (non-binary and genderqueer also work), white, pagan, neuro-atypical Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I told a […]

Reach OUT for the Holidays: Supporting LGBTQ Elders

  Once again, we are teaming up with the SAGE program at Persad Center to support LGBTQ elders who may not have strong family support during the holiday season. Some adults in the program struggle to meet their day to day needs because of limited incomes and resources. Homophobia, transphobia and racism in their community […]

Niki Talks About Living as a Gender Queer Trans Woman in Pittsburgh #AMPLIFY

Name:  Niki Age: 32 County of Residence: Allegheny. Washington county where I grew up. Crawford county, Erie county. I went to college in both places Preferred Pronouns: she/her How do you describe your identity? My sexual orientation I describe as either bi, pan, or queer. I don’t care too much about those specific kinds of labels, just that gender isn’t important to […]