On World AIDS Day, The Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission Remembers and Honors Anthony Silvestre — Researcher and Activist Who Dedicated His Life’s Work to Ending AIDS

Since 1988 and every year thereafter on December 1, World AIDS Day has been an international  day for global health in the fight against AIDS. On this day, our communities remember those who  we lost to HIV/AIDS, cherish those who are living with HIV, and recognize the impact this disease   has had on families and […]

‘I Will Survive’ – The Official #ProtectTransKids Video

Protect Trans Kids

Each time I see a yard sign, I feel a little thrill. When I saw multiples, it increases. That’s not just satisfaction, it is validation that all of these spaces are proclaiming that they stand with transgender kids. And when I drive down a block or two and see many signs, it is a wonderful […]

There is a Wrong Way to Celebrate Thanksgiving

This year, Thanksgiving is an empty space. Usually there is family. But several members of my extended family blame me for unrest and there is a very large gulf. So holidays are diced into rotating portions of time and energy. Sometimes there is good food, my favorite meal of the year. But I am rarely […]

Processing Trauma of Childhood Hunger

Last week, my therapist and I picked up with EMDR to process more trauma. We intentionally defined a period of my childhood that was brutal, 1979-1983, or the years of 4th to 8th grade. Historically, EMDR has been quite helpful with my lesser traumas and anxiety. The hard stuff hasn’t cooperated and we’ve respected that. […]

Why do we need a campaign to Protect Trans Kids?

Protect Trans Kids

In mid-October, I received several reports of a disturbing new advertisement on local radio stations. The ads claimed that President Biden and other Democrats were supporting policies that forced children to transition. The reality is that the ad itself used lies and unscientific claims to terrorize transgender children and their families. It repeated conservative arguments […]

Trans Day of Remembrance 2022

In this year of 2022, I have documented the lives and deaths of 34 transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming neighbors so far. This list is not exhaustive and is not lined up directly with the official TDOR tracked information. But it matters that we all try, try to lift up the lives of these neighbors […]

UPDATE: Registration of LGBTQ Youth for Holiday Day Gift Card Drive Exceeds Expectations by 40%

Only three groups have registered so far – Pittsburgh Public Schools, Proud Haven, and Project Silk. When Pittsburgh LGBTQ Charities decided to wrap up 2022 with a gift card drive for LGBTQ youth, ages 12-21, connected with community groups – we did a preliminary assessment of how many youth might participate. You’ll remember that we […]