Cat Redux

Well, that should read reduction. We aren’t reducing the number of cats, just their weights. We have three overweight cats who are now on a diet. And unhappy about it. We had to strategically balance the senior cats need to access food on demand with the dreaded removal of dry food. So we determined that […]

LGBTQ&A: Bram Reichbaum – Blogger, Ally

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Bram Reichbaum is a highly respected political blogger in the Pittsburgh region. His hallmark is producing well-researched thoughtful reflections on the larger threads that run through the political scene. Bram has contributed […]

Why We Offer Giveaways

I Love Giveaways

So why is a lesbian blog doing “giveaways?”  It began several years ago when I was approached to participate in media night for Cirque du Soleil and give away a pair of passes. It was fun! I wrote about the show and that was that. Since then we’ve been approached several times. I’ve blogged about […]

Theater Sans Serif Presents 8: Or The Fight For Marriage Equality

Friday evening only, local company Theater Sans Serif will offer a staged reading of Dustin Lance Black’s “8”  This script, based upon the real life events surrounding the testing if Proposition 8 is Constitutional. This proposition called for California to disallow gay marriage. This fundamental right is being denied to our LGBT brothers and sisters, […]

Sexual Assault and Rape Culture Are LGBTQ Issues

Trigger Warnings – sexual assault, rape, victim-blaming Coauthored with Ian Awesome. Originally posted on HuffPo Gay Voices. The conviction of two young men for raping an unconscious young woman challenges us to rethink our assumptions about youth, the legal system and sexual assault. We are both survivors of sexual assault. In the light of media responses to […]

Shocked: My LGBTQ support ‘never wavered’

Shocked: My LGBTQ support ‘never wavered’

According to the website Buzzfeed, Michelle Shocked has now issued two “open letters” about remarks she made during her March 17 concert in San Francisco. You can read them here. The first open letter says (according to Buzzfeed—the statements aren’t on Shocked’s website): “I do not, nor have I ever, said or believed that God […]

WYEP’s Sauter on Shocked comments

I asked Mike Sauter, music director and midday on-air host at WYEP (91.3), what he thought of reports that folk singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked verbally attacked gay people during a concert in San Francisco. Have station staff members discussed the incident? “We’ve been definitely talking about the situation at the station. Shocked’s behavior is very odd, […]

“Madama Butterfly” – Cultural Lessons on Respect for Women

**SPOILERS** Last night, Ledcat and I were guests of the Pittsburgh Opera for the performance of  Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Congrats to Tiffany who won the two tickets (and brought her friend Becky along.) Cio-Cio San’s open heart and trusting nature are the reasons that Pinkerton should love her, and the reasons that we weep at […]

Eco-Wednesday: Vinegar

Green Grandma Vinegar Fridays

Now, I’m sure some folks might be tempted to snark on the association of vinegar with moi. And while “ha ha ha” is my first response, I do admit the shoe might fit.  But recently I’ve grown interested in the use of vinegar as a healthier alternative for everyday home and personal needs. I met […]

Shell-shocked

Were you making a joke—saying something ironically—that flopped? Was it a cry for attention? Or were you simply making a heartfelt expression of pure nastiness? Just what were you trying to do, Michelle Shocked? Shocked is a feminist folk-singer whose songs champion strong, independent women. “Anchorage,” the break-out single from her 1988 album “Short Sharp […]