Gary Has Lived in Northwest and Southwest PA As An Openly Gay Man #AMPLIFY

Gary Western Pennsylvania

Read the entire AMPLIFY LGBTQ Q&A archive. AMPLIFY LGBTQ is a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each […]

Patrouious Describes His Fears & Frustrations as a Trans Man in McKean County #AMPLIFY

Read the entire AMPLIFY LGBTQ Q&A archive. AMPLIFY LGBTQ is a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each […]

UPDATED: Allegheny County Will Terminate Domestic Partner Benefits on June 30

Allegheny County Pennsylvania

As we explored last year, Allegheny County plans to eliminate domestic partner benefits for LGBTQ employees effective June 30, 2015. Heterosexual employees were never offered access to these benefits. From the County Communications Director, Amie Downs: [This] is correct and those employees will be reminded/given notice again of the policy. Eliminating domestic partner benefits is […]

This Is How Food Stamps Benefit ALL Farmers Market Customers

A terrific program designed to help neighbors use their food stamps – SNAP – at local farmers markets has a wonderful benefit for all of us: the option to use our debit/credit cards at the same markets. Fresh Access Food Bucks offers SNAP recipients a chance to redeem their benefits for tokens that can be […]

Pittsburgh has 2nd Lowest Percentage of LGBT adults in 50 Metro Areas

This is important. A recent Gallup study of the 50 largest metropolitan cities in the United States found that Pittsburgh was ranked 49 thin terms of the size of our LGBT population. These results are based on responses to the question, “Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?” — included in more […]

Municipal Government and Publicly Out LGBTQ Employees

Does it matter if local and regional government employers hire and appoint openly LGBTQ people to leadership roles? This question has launched many a Facebook chats, unleashing discussions on everything from outing people to privacy concerns to dislike of being labeled as “the gay <insert title>.” These are valid points to consider. In my mind, […]

Allegheny Co DHS Quarterly LGBTQ Meeting

Information on an upcoming meeting that might be of interest – Sue   Allegheny County Department of Human Services is committed to serving all individuals and families without discrimination.  With this in mind, we are in the process of developing Standards of Practice for DHS and our contracted providers to guide our interactions and support […]

Report Details Homelessness Among LGBTQ Youth in Allegheny County

Homeless Youth Pittsburgh

A report released by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services ‘I’ll never get used to it: Young People Living on the Street’ confirms that at least one-third of the number of homeless youth (ages 18-24) in our region are LGBTQ and most say a lack of family support is why they are not living […]

Victory! City of Pgh Will Continue to Offer Domestic Partner Benefits to Employees

Pittsburgh Domestic Partner Benefits

I am so very relieved. I just got off the phone with the Personnel Department of the City of Pittsburgh. They confirmed for me that after a review, the City has decided to maintain its existing policy with regard to domestic partner benefits. No one will lose coverage if they remain unmarried. New employees can […]

In 2013, 72% of anti-LGBT Homicide Victims Were Transgender Women

Island Nettles

This is an important piece from BuzzFeed about the epidemic of violence against trans women, particularly trans women of color. This snapshot commemorates the one year anniversary of the murder of Islan Nettles, a crime that remains unsolved. Out of 18 anti-LGBT homicides in 2013 included in a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, almost […]