Shooting Death of Young Latina Trans Woman Brings 2020 Toll to 44 Known Deaths

Transgender Epidemic Violence

A Latina transgender woman in her early 20’s was shot to death on December 26 in the Bronx borough of New York City. She was shot in the back of her head and died at the scene according to officers responding to the 911 call. Her name was Alexandria Winchester. The Ali Forney Center in […]

Two Trans Latina Women From NYC Murdered in Puerto Rico

Serena Angelique Velazquez, 32, of Queens and Layla Pelaez, 21, of the Bronx were visiting their hometowns in Puerto Rico when they were found dead on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Layla was originally from San Juan. Serena’s Facebook profile identifies her as being both of Russian and Latina origin, fluid in three languages. Their bodies […]

My Year as a GLAAD Media Award Winner

It was pretty exciting to be named OUTstanding Blog in the national GLAAD Media Awards. Exciting is such an understatement, as if I’m trying to capture the awesome feeling of the accomplishment but wrap it in some humility so you don’t think I’m a jagoff. It hasn’t been an experience that revolutionized my entire world […]

Yahira Nesby, 33, is the Most Recent Black Trans Woman Murdered in 2019

Yahira Nesby

  Yahira Nesby was a 33-year-old Black trans woman who has lived in the Brooklyn and Bronx boroughs of New York City. She was born and raised in North Carolina where she had attended Vance High School and Central Piedmont Community College. According to the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Yahira participated in New York’s […]

Tristan, 28, is Gay, Mexican-American, a Comedian and Writer and Drag Queen #AMPLIFY

gay pittsburgh drag queer

Name: Tristan Age: 28 County of Residence: Allegheny Pronouns: He/Him How do you describe your identity? Gay, Mexican-American Comedian and Writer, and drag queen Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I came out when I was 15 to my parents. I don’t know why I […]

Brenda Bostick, 59, is 10th Trans Woman of Color Murdered in 2017

They found her on April 25 around 10:30 PM in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC. She was unconscious and lying in the street after being brutally assaulted. She was nameless at that point. Her body was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she died on May 4, according to Mic.com. Now we know her name which […]

Ashe Believes To Be Queer Is To Be Yourself #AMPLIFY

Amplify LGBTQ Allegheny County

Name: Ashe Age:  29 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: She/her/hers How do you describe your identity? I usually identify as bisexual, but I’ll go with queer from time to time. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was honestly surprising. I came out at the beginning of my senior […]

AMPLIFY! Tara Wants Us To Talk About Intersectionality

Tara Sherry-Torres

Today, we launch AMPLIFY LGBTQ – a new occasional series of blog posts designed to give a “signal boost” to the voices of our LGBTQ neighbors throughout Western Pennsylvania. We are using a Q&A format and will mostly avoid editing their responses. The questions, however, may change as we ask each participant to tell us […]

Does Pittsburgh Permit LGBTQ Groups in St. Patrick’s Day Parade?

pittsburgh st. patrick's day parade

I’ve been trying to get an answer on this for weeks with no luck. Does The Irish Society for Education & Charity permit LGBTQ groups and organizations to march in the Pittsburgh parade with signage? I can’t get anyone to talk with me about this.  Tonight, tv news told me that the City of Pittsburgh will […]

Openly Lesbian NYC Council Speaker Announces Bid for Mayor

Openly Lesbian NYC Council Speaker Announces Bid for Mayor

Christine Quinn, openly LGBTQ Speaker of the NYC Council, has announced her plan to run for Mayor. A Quinnipiac University poll released late last month finds Quinn, who would become the city’s first female and openly gay mayor, leads New York City Public Advocate Bill De Blasio and other leading Democratic challengers. The survey also found 63 […]