Q&A with Lisa Boeving-Learned, Candidate for PA State House District 8

Lisa reached out to me to ask for inclusion in this series. She made me realize that my call-for-Q&As should specify that it is not limited to Pittsburgh. I was struck by her passion for progressive solutions in our rural communities. Lisa grew up in Pittsburgh, moved away for her adult life, and has since […]

Q&A with Kareem Kandil, Candidate for PA State House District 30

Kareem reached out to me in response to my call for Q&A’s with candidates challenging incumbents. This series is designed to highlight the folks who heeded the call to resist by running for elected office. Kareem is running for Pennsylvania State House in the 30th district, a North Hills District outlined in the image below. […]

Q&A with Will Anderson, Candidate for PA State House District 24

This is the next in a series of blog posts about individuals challenging incumbents or running non-traditional races in Pennsylvania. Will’s campaign reached out to me after I posted a call for respondents. He is running in the primary against a Democrat State Rep in the 24th district. Will has documented his years of community […]

Q&A with Sara Innamorato, Candidate for PA State House District 21

I’ve known Sara for about a year, mostly through Facebook and shared interests in organizing. I know that she worked with New Voices Pittsburgh, a venerable progressive organization, and had co-founded She Runs to bring electoral tools to women in the region. Then I read about her decision to challenge Dom Costa and her partnership […]

Q&A with Amber Sloan, Candidate for Allegheny County Democratic Committee

A friend of mine stepped up to run for office, specifically for a seat at the table of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee.  Amber is a powerful voice in the City, especially in her home neighborhood of Homewood. Read her AMPLIFY profile here We’ve been featuring candidates for various offices, but this is our first […]

Q&A with Summer Lee, Candidate for PA State House District 34

Summer Lee for PA

The first encounter I had with Summer Lee was when she reached out to me in 2017, asking to meet with me to discuss LGBTQ issues that were on her radar. I learned she is an attorney and children’s advocate, she’s been deeply involved in the efforts to push back against police and staff brutality against students in […]

Q&A with Aerion Andrew Abney, Candidate for PA State House District 19

A few years ago, I answered a knock on my door in Manchester and met this energetic young man who was running for a committee seat. His enthusiasm was contagious and we became Facebook friends. I’ve followed his career and continue to admire his enthusiasm, his leadership in Manchester, and his passion for service. Aerion […]

LGBTQ&A: Ted Martin Wants Us All to Pull Together

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles. Ted is the Executive Director of Equality PA, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. We’ve never actually met, but we have chatted quite a bit […]

LGBTQ&A: Lauren Jurysta is Building Pittsburgh’s Queer Community

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles.   Lauren is a co-organizer of the Pittsburgh Dyke and Trans March (we’ve already profiled Eli Kuti) which is coming up this weekend. This […]

LGBTQ&A: La’Tasha Mayes and The Power of ‘The Two’

An occasional series where we pose some questions to local LGBTQ folks (and Allies) to learn more about their personal experiences with LGBTQ culture. Click here for a complete list of all LGBTQ&A profiles. When La’Tasha first explained to me how “reproductive justice” was a queer issue, I was amazed to have this new paradigm. And to meet […]