#AMPLIFY Zine Issue 2 Now Seeking Sponsors for June/Pride Edition

Pittsburgh Pride Sponsorships

UPDATE – just an FYI that we are dedicating Issue #3 to the bisexual and pansexual community. It will be released in September for Bi Visibility Week. The overwhelming success of Issue #1 has put an entirely new spin on our plans for the second issue which will also double as the event program for […]

#AMPLIFY LGBTQ Families, 29 Parents Share Their Experiences

Blogging for LGBTQ Families Day

For the past 18 months, I have been collecting Q&A responses from LGBTQ folks with ties to Western Pennsylvania. The project is called #AMPLIFY and we plan to continue seeking Q&A contributions through the end of 2017. Participants are 18+, identify as part of the LGBTQ community and have ties to Western Pennsylvania. We ask […]

Bill, 52, is a Gay Man Living in a Small Town in Cambria County #AMPLIFY

Gay Cambria County

  Name: Bill Age:  52 County of Residence: Cambria, formerly Indiana Preferred Pronouns: he, him How do you describe your identity? A white gay man who is not butch or fem. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? I never formally came out to most family members. Over time it became […]

Patricia, 41, Does Not Feel Safe As a Trans Woman in Her Urban Pgh Suburb #AMPLIFY

Allegheny County Trans Woman

Name: Patricia Age: 41 County of Residence: Allegheny, formerly Washington Preferred Pronouns: She/Her How do you describe your identity? At some point, the mental switch flipped in my head firmly into a “female” identity. (I think it was always set to “female” but I was trying to force it to say “male”!) So I identify as a trans woman. I […]

The #AMPLIFY 100

Why The Success of #AMPLIFY Has Left Me Discouraged

AMPLIFY Pittsburgh

I waited all day yesterday to learn if we were going to receive a $1000 grant for the AMPLIFY project, funds that would be used to turn my 2000 CRV into an art car to promote the project. Unfortunately, we did not secure the grant. We lost – just one of 84 applicants rejected for […]

Dinah Denmark: Lesbian, Jewish, Buddhist. #AMPLIFY

Dinah Denmark

Name: Dinah Denmark Age: 53 County of Residence: Allegheny Preferred Pronouns: I don’t use them generally How do you describe your identity? Lesbian. Jewish. Buddhist. Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was 1981, I was 18 years old. My college roommate and I fell in love. Fortunately, I had relatively […]

Reach OUT for the Holidays: Supporting LGBTQ Elders

  Once again, we are teaming up with the SAGE program at Persad Center to support LGBTQ elders who may not have strong family support during the holiday season. Some adults in the program struggle to meet their day to day needs because of limited incomes and resources. Homophobia, transphobia and racism in their community […]

How To Sign Up For Toys for Tots in Western PA – 2015 Edition

I’m actually late this year with this annual blog post. Finding information on Toys for Tots programs can be time-consuming and challenging. My work with the AMPLIFY project has expanded my awareness of how difficult it can be to access programs the further your family lives from an urban hub. My hope is to add […]

How #AMPLIFY Has Changed My Life

I’m nine months into my artistic residency and four full months into the #AMPLIFY project, at least the publication phase. Seems like a good time to do some reflecting. If I were going to put up a sculpture to describe my life this year, it would be #AMPLIFY. It would be a beautiful reclaimed wood sculpture. […]