Religious Liberty – How Gays Became Bullies

On Tuesday July 7, 2015, I attended a “religious liberty” seminar sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. I did this for two reasons. One to get continuing legal education credits to maintain my law license. Two to see what the religious (right-wing) folks were up to. This seminar was planned before the United States Supreme […]

A Reel Take: Boys (Jongens)

Boys the Film

  Dutch director Mischa Kamp’s 2014 feature film, Boys (Jongens) is a quiet reflection on two teenage boys first loves. The film was originally created for television and this doesn’t show at all, it’s far from the content that i remember seeing as a young teenager watching after school specials. In many ways the “made-­for-­TV” feeling of the […]

Updated: Final Arrangements for Andre ‘Pokie’ Gray

Funeral Flowers Pittsburgh

As we reported, Andre’s body was recovered from the Ohio River on March 20 near Wheeling, West Virginia. His cause of death has been declared a homicide by gunshot wound. A person of interest (Hubert Wingate) is already being held at the Allegheny County Jail for other charges. No charges have been filed and Pittsburgh […]

Fish Fry Friday March 27 with Judah Fellowship on the North Side

Fish Fry Pittsburgh

Our fish fry tour was derailed this year by a busy calendar of events, but I am very pleased to note that one of our favorites is returning this year – the annual fish fry at Judah Fellowship on the North Side (near AGH.) Last year, we voted this the “Best Mac and Cheese” fish […]

40 Under 40 Pgh Updates Nomination Form To Be More Trans Inclusive

Pittsburgh 40 Under 40

Since 1999, Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP have teamed up to recognize young leaders in Southwestern Pennsylvania through the ’40 Under 40′ initiative. I was among those honored in 2004 – one of three white lesbian and gay nominees. Each year, I encourage people to submit names because I know it can have an impact. I […]

Update On The Search For Andre Gray & How To Donate

Andre Gray has been missing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since October 23, 2014. This past weekend, Andre’s family and friends (and strangers) gathered on the North Side to search the area near the spot where Andre’s abandoned car was found. Now we have a new way for you to get involved and show your support for […]

Please Help Search for Andre Gray This Saturday Feb 7 on the North Side

Andre Gray

Andre Gray has been missing since late October. As I’ve written before, Andre is a member of the local LGBTQ community. This Saturday his family and friends are asking you to join them in a search for information on his whereabouts. They will be canvassing the Spring Garden neighborhood (North Side) where his car was […]

PghLesbian Blog Nominated in Nine Reader’s Choice Award Categories

Vote For Us

We are honored once again to receive your nominations in the 2015 Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter Reader’s Choice Awards. Our blog is a regular contributor to their publication and we are thrilled to have so much community support for our work. The Keystone Alliance Gaylife Newsletter is a tri-state organization with a national and regional […]

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, […]

A Thank You Note To Share from Persad Center

Rainbow Thank You Note

A lovely follow-up to a post I wrote earlier this week. One of the gentlemen from Persad’s SAGE program sent along this thank-you note (written at 4 AM on Boxing Day) in response to your generosity: Hi;I wish to thank you again for the lunch and the company. But I REALLY was floored by the […]