15 Year Old Trans Youth Missing in Columbus Ohio

Ashley Lane

Saturday evening, 15-year-old Ashley Lane left their family’s hotel room to attend an event at a Columbus Anime Convention (Ohayocon). They didn’t return. At first their parents thought they might have run away, but they left behind their glasses, coat and phone charger. Now they suspect something worse has happened. There’s no simple way to […]

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, […]

Candra Keels, 20 Year Old Queer Woman of Color, Murdered in Domestic Dispute

Candra Keels

This morning, the family of 20-year-old Candra Keels of Rochester, NY are burying their loved one who was murdered allegedly at the hands of her girlfriend. Officers responded to 15 Denver Street about 3 A.M. for the report of a fight. There they found Candra Keels with a stab wound to her torso area. Keels […]

The Legacy of Cathy Cairns

Cathy Cairns

One year ago today, Cathy Cairns departed this life with her best friend at her side and the comfort of knowing her final wishes had been filled. Among those wishes was a desire to be buried with her parents – a wish you helped to fulfill with thousands of dollars in donations. As we wound […]

The Full Obituary of Madeleine Hershey

Madeleine Hershey (1963 – 2015)

Yesterday, I read about the death of a member of Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ community. Her name was Madeleine Hershey and she was 51 years old. I knew her only very casually, but I was struck by her family’s decision to self-publish her obituary.  This is what I read: Below is Madeleine’s obituary and information about celebrations […]

Governor Elect Tom Wolf Takes Two Important LGBTQ Visibility Steps

Dr. Rachel Levine

I’ve been pondering the issue of why LGBTQ visibility in municipal government matters. By pondering, I mean this is something I’ll write about again and again. And again. By visibility, I specifically mean the presence of LGBTQ individuals in positions of senior leadership and responsibility. I think we all agree that a diverse workforce is a good […]

The Real Reason LGBTQ Visibility in Pgh Gov Matters

The Real Reason LGBTQ Visibility in Pgh Gov Matters

             

Update on the Lives and Deaths of Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson

Crystal Jackson and Britney Crosbey

The story of Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson resonates through recent events even though they’ve been dead for more than ten months. Britney and Crystal were 24-year-old queer women of color from Houston. Their bodies were left near a dumpster, Crystal died of a gunshot wound and Britney due to severe head trauma. They were […]

Will Dan Savage Bring His Best Santorum to the US Capitol Steps?

Rick Santorum internship

I’m fairly certain I’m one of a handful of 44 year old people who still list their college internship on their resume. My six-month stint with then-Congressman Rick Santorum in 1991 has proved to be one of the most unintentionally fruitful items on my list of professional accomplishments. Thanks to Santorum’s decision to run for […]

Pittsburgh Vigil for Andi Woodhouse, Trans Man Who Died By Suicide

Andi Woodhouse Vigil

On Saturday, January 3, a dozen people gathered on the 10th Street Bridge near Pittsburgh’s South Side to honor the memory of Andi Woodhouse. Andi was a 24-year-old trans man, a new resident of Pittsburgh who died by suicide in mid-December at this location. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette did a nice story leading into the vigil. […]