On Being a Woman

When I was a teenager and young adult, I struggled with the simple concept that I was a woman. I wasn’t questioning my gender identity; I was questioning my validity. Anytime I had to say something like “I’m a woman” in any context, I was self-conscious and awkward and keenly aware that I felt ‘othered.” […]

My First Letter to the Editor, Published by Vanity Fair in 1995

I used to read Vanity Fair pretty regularly in the 1990’s. I’m unsure how that got started, but I liked the pageantry and almost otherworldly insight into the world of the rich and powerful. So much did I appreciate the magazine that I was compelled to submit a letter to the editor, my very first […]

Two Problems with the HAIM Fundraiser for the Tree of Life Shooting in Pittsburgh

Pop rock band HAIM created a shirt on their playful Haimukkah ditty as a way to show support for the 3 Jewish congregations targeted by a white domestic terrorist in October in Pittsburgh. It is a lovely gesture.   Dreidels, Candels, Latkes oh my! All the things you need to get your Haimukkah celebration going! […]

My #365FeministSelfie 2018 Edition

#365FeministSelfie

I was browsing the website Shakesville tonight when I came across this post from Melissa McEwan announcing that she’s bringing herself back to the #365FeministSelfie project for 2018. I, too, had participated during 2014 as an act of resistance. My blog post about the project even earned me a subscription to Bitch Magazine (yay!) I […]

Bookending My Reproductive Justice With Margaret Atwood

In March 1994, I was rushed to the hospital and scheduled for surgery after months of excruciating uterine cramping. I underwent a laparoscopic procedure to remove endometrial growth from inside my abdominal cavity and also remove my appendix. I was hospitalized for three days, maybe four. I was a graduate student at LSU. I had […]

WTF?

November 8, 2017. The date four local women in politics announced they were forming a Political Action Committee (PAC) called Women for the Future of Pittsburgh with the unfortunate acronym of WTF. For clarity sake, I’m going to use WTF Pgh to avoid confusion with actual WTF references. Stated mission: Women for The Future (WTF) […]

Q&A with Maryann ‘Sunhands’ of The Ovarian Psycos Cycle Brigade #ReelQPuff

Ovarian Psycho

We are proud to be the official social media sponsor of the ReelQ Pittsburgh Underground Film Festival (PUFF) August 4-6, 2017 at the Melwood Screening Room. The opening night feature is Ovarian Psycos directed by Kate Trumbull LaValle, Joanna Sokolowski. Ovarian Psycos documents a new generation of fierce, unapologetic and feminist women of color from the Eastside of Los Angeles who […]

How Allies Can Erase LGBTQ People When Scheduling LGBTQ Events

Allies Pittsburgh

A recurring theme in the ‪#‎AMPLIFY‬ series is the lack of LGBTQ resources – funding, space, services, leadership opportunities, etc. We have lost a lot over the years, that’s true and we are still battling for the most basic rights., including visibility and dignity. Progress is rarely a linear progression, right? So it is especially frustrating to […]

Fat Is a Feminist Issue: Concert Tee Shirts

Fat Is a Feminist Issue: Concert Tee Shirts

This first appeared on the feminist blog, Shakesville, as a guest post. [Content Note: Sizism.] I’m not a big fan of live music so my collection of concert shirts is pretty limited. My partner, Ledcat, on the other hand loves both—she has a closet filled with shirts and an impressive collection of ticket stubs. The […]

Secrets Resonate Through Off The Wall Production of Ibsen

Ghosts Off The Wall

Ghosts.  It might be more aptly known as Secrets. Helen Alving has spent her life putting duty before her personal desires. In spite of her careful attempts to fulfill her duties to her degenerate husband and protect the victims of his debauchery – their son and his illegitimate daughter toiling as a parlor maid under […]