Q&A With Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D. on Transgender Youth

After the brutal murder of 14-year-old trans girl Pauly Likens in Mercer County this summer, I was struggling mightily with how to move forward with my work. The story of how this interview came to be is convoluted, but I put on my blogger hat and asked Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health for […]

Little Pink Milestones for You and Me

Today, the promotional folx for John Mellencamp invited me to review his upcoming concert series at The Benedum in late May. Wow. That’s a big step up for us in terms of fame. I know that sounds weird, but I’m still not recovered from the Rick Springsteen rejection of our Q&A (pre-pandemic) as a slap […]

Update on Campaign Q&A’s for 2023 Primary Election – Now With More Updates!

Political Q&A

Update: as candidates/campaigns contact me, I’ll try to keep this table below current. I’m not going to revamp the math/data portion because it is intended to be a snapshot of where we were on the date of publication. Please go ahead and ask your candidates to join us! On the heels of the Stonewall Steel […]

Steel City Stonewall Democrats Select 2023 Endorsements

Steel City Stonewall Democrats

Be sure to check out the questionnaires on the SCSD website. All of them. Read all of the questions and responses. It is definitely not a fair assumption that an out LGBTQ candidate has a solid grasp on LGBTQ political history or policies. Don’t make their mistake of ignoring the facts. Educate yourself. Three of […]

Here’s Why I Publicly Identify Candidates Who Do Not Complete My Political Q&A

Holding candidates accountable

Someone asked me privately recently about my choice to publicly list candidates I’ve approached to complete my Campaign Q&A series, specifically identifying those who have not responded to my request at all. In other words, this is a long post explaining a blog series policy, procedures, and impact so its on the record for anyone […]

Q&A With Raymond Robinson, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-02-42

Raymond Robinson

My work with youth showed me how the experiences of different groups vary even when engaging in similar behaviors. I have seen how young girls are often treated more harshly by paternalistic judges than male counterparts.  Similarly, I’ve seen how the experiences of black youth look drastically different than white youth regarding behaviors in schools. […]

Q&A With Bill Peduto, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh

Bill Peduto Mayor

Competitive primaries evince the best out of elected officials. It keeps us honest, and allows us to stay in touch with the communities we serve. I’m proud to have run in multiple tough races, because I think it’s made me a better elected official. We are launching our election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive […]

Facemask Q&A with HauteButch Founder & Designer Karen Roberts

Karen Haute Butch

The fear, oppression, and sheer frustration that comes along with having a fierce sense of style and living in a society stuck in out-dated mindsets where women should embrace feminine “appropriateness” is what keeps HauteButch thriving even on our darkest days. One important part of the Pittsburgh MasQUe ProjecT is highlighting safe and affirming places […]

Q&A Election 2020: Nat Yap, Political Activist with the Order of the Phoenix

Nat Yap Pennsylvania Democrat

This is a new limited-Q&A series focusing on Election Day. I’ve approached an array of regional folks to ask them the same seven questions about the election. This election is complicated in ways we never thought possible, but there are paths forward. Listening to what our neighbors are prioritizing and how they are framing the […]

Q&A Election 2020: staci backauskas Founder, The Haiku Ninja Collective

Allegheny Bisexual

This is a new limited-Q&A series focusing on Election Day. I’ve approached an array of regional folks to ask them the same seven questions about the election. This election is complicated in ways we never thought possible, but there are paths forward. Listening to what our neighbors are prioritizing and how they are framing the […]