On This One Year Anniversary of Anti-Trans Messaging from Eight Pittsburgh Radio Stations

Eight radio station ads

A Troubling Anniversary for the Pittsburgh LGBTQ Community One year ago, I received my first tip about the transphobic ads running on local Pittsburgh radio stations. I spent a lot of hours trying to track down the ad, figure out the FCC information, and encouraging people to contact the stations. All in all, eight of […]

Family Of Adreya Harden Files Lawsuit Against Her School

Adreya harden memorial Trans Day of Remembrance 2021

Adreya Harden was a 15 year old student at  Wyoming Valley School District and the West Side Career and Technical Center in Luzerne County. She was also a transgender teen who faced indescribable violence and bullying from her classmates, her school, and the community. The school district and teachers refused to use her name, insisting […]

Celebrate National Coming Out Day By Reading These 318 Stories

National Coming Out Day

On this National Coming Out Day, it is important to remember that coming out is not a one and done experience – we “come out” every time we meet someone new who has been taught to assume everyone is heterosexual and cisgender. And sometimes we don’t come out because it is not safe. We might […]

Q&A: Pittsburgh is the Perfect Culture for Steel City Con

Last year, I learned that a colleague who serves on a Commission with me happened to own Steel City Con! It was a delightful bit of news. I’ve always been curious about the Con world. Knowing the owner gave me a reason to pay closer attention. My favorite Con moment media was the 2014 To […]

62 Year Old Trans Woman Deidre Sterling Died in Texas. Her Body is Unclaimed

Deidre Starling profile photo.

The body of Deidra Esmerelda Sterling was found on April 1, 2022 in Carrollton, Texas. Her case was updated January 17, 2023. Deidra was a trans woman. Her body remains unclaimed. The circumstances of her death are not suggestive of violence, she was found dead in her bed by her landlord. She was about 63. […]

Marilyn Augustine Hendren, a 51 year old Native HIV+ Trans Woman, Died in Tulsa. No One Has Claimed Her Body.

Two photos of a Navajo adult trans woman with chin length hair. In one she's wearing a white dress and in the other a button up paisleey shirt

Marilyn Augustine Hendren was born in Keams Canyon, Arizona in May 1972. She attended Tecumseh High School. Marilyn described herself on Facebook as “gay Native American and HIV + for 23 yrs.” She lived in Albuquerque and then Tulsa. It is believed she was a registered member of the Navajo Nation per a document found […]

27 year old Gender Nonconforming Thaddeus ‘Tad’ Keegan Bradley Killed

The body of Thaddeus “Tad” Keegan Bradley was found 9 Sep 2021, in Willits, CA, but identified April 2023. Tad was identified as gender non-conforming and found in women’s clothing,  Their parent reported Bradley missing to the Arcata Police Department in July 2022, Note that we have not been able to determine Tad’s pronouns so […]

Black Trans Woman Bre’Asia Bankz Shot to Death in Arizona

Bre'Asia Bankz photo

Bre’Asai Bankz was born and raised in Crossett, Arkansas. She moved with her family first to Los Vegas and then to Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Crossett High School, she went on to study at the University of Arkansas and then studied hair styling at Beauty Education. At age 27, her life ended at […]

Crowdfund and Life Update

Crowdfund Sue Kerr

I’m still doing okay – safe with friends and taking things one day at a time. I went back to court last week, negotiated and agreed to a continuance, and took a break. Spent a lot of time with my nephews this weekend. We had a firepit fire and made s’mores. Celebrated a birthday and […]

27 Year Old Black Trans Woman DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson Killed in Los Angeles

DéVonnie J'Rae Johnson trans woman

In a storyline reminiscent of the shooting death of a trans teen in a Walgreens, a 29-year-old Black trans woman who was reportedly homeless was shot to death by a security guard in a Los Angeles grocery store. Black trans woman DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson was shot to death in Los Angeles, CA on Aug. 7, […]