Pittsburgh: Not So Equal After All

Marriage equality Peduto pittsburgh equality

Pittsburgh received 72 out of 100 possible points on a recent national survey of municipal equality released by the Human Rights Campaign.  The city was not ranked in 2012.  The index was divided into 6 categories: non-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and relationship with the LGBT community. Pittsburgh […]

Nobody here but us chickens

(I’ve been trying to write this for a week. If it seems disjointed, that’s why.) Last Monday, the Episcopal bishop of Pittsburgh authorized same-sex blessing ceremonies, and made clear that being gay or lesbian, and in a committed relationship, is no barrier to becoming a priest or deacon in the church. I’ve written about my […]

Are We Good At Blogging?

The Prompt: Are you good at what you do? What would you like to be better at? This is an interestingly timed question – last week was a heady experience on our blog as the posts on “Mike and Molly” took off, breaking records for days on end. Then came the Huffington Post response, nearly 10,000 […]

I’m Afraid To Get Gay-Married

Daily Prompt: Fright Night  What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it? This prompt caught me off guard. I can rattle off a list of things I’m afraid of happening. I won’t because then someone who thinks I’m Satan for criticizing Billy Gardell might do them. […]

City Councilman Burgess Doesn’t Seem To Think LGBTQ Identity Reflects Diversity

City Councilman Ricky Burgess believes – nay, insists – that the next President of City Council be a person of color. And he’s willing to step up to the challenge.  Burgess notably the only member of that body who refuses to sign the Pridefest Proclamation because Pride is too “sexualized” has also historically  ignored the […]

Two Women Who Restored My Faith in Humanity Yesterday

1.  State Representative Naomi Jakobbsen of Illinois left the bedside of her dying son to vote yet on “marriage equality” – a measure that passed with a cushion of one vote. Tragically, her son died before she could return to the hospital. How do you adequately say thank you to someone who would do this? For […]

Feminism and trans rights are compatible

More than 400 feminist authors, bloggers and academics have signed onto a campaign to speak out against transphobia and attacks on transgender people by other feminists. (Update: More than 500 people have now signed, as of the afternoon of Sept. 19.) “A Statement of Trans-Inclusive Feminism and Womanism” is signed by people from all corners […]

A Bishop, a Rabbi and a Newspaper Columnist Walk Into a Gay Bar

The Post-Gazette has published a lovely piece from Rabbi Aaron B. Bisno, senior rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation in Squirrel Hill. We don’t like the government intruding into citizens’ personal lives, and we have a deeply ingrained sympathy for victims of prejudice, having so often been victims ourselves. As Rabbi Yoffie states, “We know from long […]

So Guess Who Found An Entire Archive of Domestic Registry Documents in the Basement?

So … guess what was found in the basement of the City-County Building? Yes, all of the Domestic Partner Registry affidavits. No copies kept anywhere else and they only went looking b/c someone (ahem) raised a stink. So now we have 16 days to complete the rest of the process. Things we’ve learned 1. Repositories […]

Giveaway and Interview: SONia and disappear fear are coming to Pittsburgh

Recording artists disappear fear’s brand new release Broken Film debuts this month and the band with SONia will be playing Club Cafe on Wednesday September 18  (7:00 doors/8:00 show) as part of the CD release party tour. With stellar musicians from NYC and L.A. joining Baltimore’s own SONiA (Rutstein) this disappear fear CD release show […]