Is My 1991 Internship With Rick Santorum No Longer The Most Quirky, Interesting Thing About Me?

Rick Santorum internship

Today, I met an LGBTQ person from Pennsylvania who did not recognize the name Rick Santorum. Huh. This was in the context of an interview with the Philly Gay News about my blogging. It was bound to happen eventually. He left public office in 2006, defeated by current Senator Bob Casey. He has a lackluster […]

Suspected DUI Driver Crosses Lanes, Kills Virginia Trans Advocate Before the New Year

Lexus Shelby Riddick-Walker

The Crime The last violent fatality of 2023 comes at the hands of a familiar foe, alcohol or more specifically driving under the influence. Lexus Walker, a Black trans woman, was 43 when she was killed by an alleged drunk driver doing the wrong way through a stretch of tunnels in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This […]

The Murder of a 53 year old Trans Woman in Maryland

The Crime Meghan Riley Lewis, 53, was a white trans woman living in Maryland, parent to two children, technology professional, a Dead Head, musician, and resoundingly lauded for her compassion and kindness. On December 27, she tragically joined the ranks of trans neighbors who have died violent deaths in 2023 when a single gunshot fatally […]

Arrest In The August 2023 Shooting Death Of Lovely Page

Lovely Page BlackTranswoman

Chicago police have made an arrest in the August murder of Lovely Page, 54, a Black trans woman. He was detained by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. Alex Rodriguez, 57, has been charged with one felony count of first-degree murder and one felony count of murder (other forcible felony). He was arrested on […]

The Chilly Return of the Steel City Snowflakes

Steel_City_Snowflakes

They are back … Why Steel City Snowflakes? I’m proud to be a snowflake. It certainly doesn’t feel like a slur. Snowflakes are sturdy, powerful, and flexible. They change form. And as a cluster, they can shut down anything. How Does It Work? In 2020, we created the Steel City Snowflakes project. The dedicated web page on […]

When 20 year old Black Trans Woman Shandon Floyd Went Missing, Why Didn’t We Look For Her?

Shandon Floyd

The Crime Shandon Floyd, a 20-year-old Black trans woman from Florence, South Carolina, was found dead in a car in nearby Columbia, South Carolina on Nov. 15 almost a week after she was reported missing. Is it estimated that she died on November 8. As of now, we know Shandon was visiting family and friends […]

This Year In Pennsylvania, These Openly LGBTQ Candidates Won Office

A list of openly LGBTQ people who won elected office in Pennsylvania in 2023. Each time I create a post like this, I am humbled to think of how much has changed since I began blogging in December 2005. At that point, an openly gay man won office on Wilkinsburg Council in the 90s, but […]

How this Delaware County School District is Affirming the Privacy of Transgender Students through New Policies

Penn-Delco School District transgender

We recently learned that Penn-Delco School District leaders are working on a draft of a policy addressing nondiscrimination needs of the students. This includes transgender students. Penn-Delco is a suburban public school school district in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Some transgender students are not openly so at home for reasons such as safety concerns or lack […]

Eastern Pennsylvania School District Adopts Anti-Trans Student Policies

Perkiomen School District transgender

A Pennsylvania school district recently passed a policy requiring students to use restrooms based on their assigned gender. Perkiomen Valley School District is located in central Montgomery County. It serves the boroughs of Collegeville, Trappe, and Schwenksville, and the townships of Lower Frederick, Perkiomen, and Skippack, in Pennsylvania.The district headquarters are in Perkiomen Township. Now, the Perkiomen Valley School Board initially struck down the sex-based […]

Three Lancaster Transgender Teens Died by Suicide Over Past Year

transgender teen suicide Pennsylvania

Content Note: suicide, gender identity, Lancaster Lancaster LGBTQ communities have experienced deep loss this past year. Three young trans teens died by by suicide over the past year, including two in the past month. Say Their Names River Paige Olmsted, age 17, October 16, 2023 Theadora “Thea” Cassidy, age 18, September 22, 2023 Brayden Snyder, […]