It is Hard to Get The Feeling and Sounds of Being Handcuffed Out of My Mind

Two pairs of handcuffs

35 days ago, I was handcuffed into a police cruiser under an invalid civil commitment warrant. I was only detained for four hours, but does that matter? Denying me my civil liberties – my actual liberty – for any period of time without just cause or due process is an affront to democracy. I am […]

Celebrate National Coming Out Day By Reading These 318 Stories

National Coming Out Day

On this National Coming Out Day, it is important to remember that coming out is not a one and done experience – we “come out” every time we meet someone new who has been taught to assume everyone is heterosexual and cisgender. And sometimes we don’t come out because it is not safe. We might […]

Q&A: Pittsburgh is the Perfect Culture for Steel City Con

Last year, I learned that a colleague who serves on a Commission with me happened to own Steel City Con! It was a delightful bit of news. I’ve always been curious about the Con world. Knowing the owner gave me a reason to pay closer attention. My favorite Con moment media was the 2014 To […]

Are my cat companions “nibblings”?

Tonight I realized I’ve stopped taking cat photos. If you follow me on any platform, you see pics of my food, my television shows, my home, and my cats. My whole life has been added to my permanent record thanks to memory features on FB, Google, OneDrive, etc. I open that link each day, pouring […]

Why is Indigenous Peoples Day so important? 

By Lee Dingus, a Pittsburgh based Haudenosaunee – Seneca artist and educator, Founder of Echoes of the Four Directions Why is Indigenous Peoples Day so important?  Indigenous People’s Day recognizes the resilience of my ancestors and the legacy I carry with me, my grandmothers. It is a day dedicated to the impact colonialism had on my […]

Here are 100 Lesbian Blog Posts on International Lesbian Day

International Lesbian Day

Lesbians get two awareness days – Lesbian Visibility Day on April 26 and International Lesbian Day on October 8. Obviously today is October 8. I don’t have many great lesbian thoughts to create an essay to pay tribute to lesbians. Instead, I compiled a list of 100 blog posts written since 2005 about lesbians. Interviews, […]

Nine Reasons to Save This Blog Right Now

Reasons to support saving this blog Political Q&A’s – for six years, I’ve interviewed a who’s who of regional politicos, from a US Senator to behind the scenes folx who make the campaign magic happen. I’ve brought to light countless out LGBTQ elected officials and asked tough, but fair questions. Memorial Post for Trans Neighbors […]

Q&A With Natalie Duleba on Resistance, Resilience, and the Real People of the Post-Gazette Strike

One year strike rally Pittsburgh News Guild

[One year of a strike means] that striking workers have seen every season of greed and selfishness the Blocks have. It means that striking Pittsburghers aren’t afraid of a long fight if it’s fighting for what’s right. Today marks a solemn day in Pittsburgh labor, social justice, and general histories – the one year anniversary […]

How to Request Toys For Tots in Western Pennsylvania 2023

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (12 years) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2023. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to double check the details. I will update as information becomes available. […]

62 Year Old Trans Woman Deidre Sterling Died in Texas. Her Body is Unclaimed

Deidre Starling profile photo.

The body of Deidra Esmerelda Sterling was found on April 1, 2022 in Carrollton, Texas. Her case was updated January 17, 2023. Deidra was a trans woman. Her body remains unclaimed. The circumstances of her death are not suggestive of violence, she was found dead in her bed by her landlord. She was about 63. […]