LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Sarah McBride is another woman who made history at the DNC
They’re calling it the first time an openly transgender woman has addressed a major convention. Indeed, on a night of firsts, I was brimming with pride to see Sarah McBride take the podium at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday. The first time I read about Sarah was her heartbreaking story of courage […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Entering a mixed-race transgender lesbian relationship and all the prejudices that come with it
It was Monday, the Fourth of July, as the rain drizzled and fireworks exploded all around us. I took her hand and we walked out of the apartment building to see the big display Wilkes-Barre was putting on at Kirby Park. As we walked hand-in-hand, I couldn’t help the feeling of trepidation when I noticed […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: ‘Day of Action’ takes Pennsylvania one step closer to legal equality
There’s this saying: “Don’t ask God to move mountains if you aren’t willing to pick up a shovel.” It’s a powerful statement that reminds us that we need to be prepared to work for things that we want. Much like moving a mountain, when it comes to changing laws, getting ordinances passed, and fighting for […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: After Orlando shooting, we must stand together against hate – ALL of us
My heart has been broken. My community – my family – has been viciously attacked. At roughly the same time I was out clubbing with friends in Philadelphia, a nightclub full of mostly Latino people who were LGBT, just like us, were doing the same in Orlando, Florida. And just like us, they felt safe […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: ‘We see you’ – Attorney General Lynch historically stands for transgender rights
“We see you.” It’s hard to believe that three words could hold so much meaning to so many of us, but they do. The moment that U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke this simple phrase, just one line out of her entire speech on Monday, May 9, tears welled up in my eyes – and […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Religious bigotry is preventing passage of Pennsylvania Fairness Act
The Pittsburgh City Paper recently asked a very good question: “What’s holding up Pennsylvania’s LGBT Fairness Act?” Well, I don’t want to say “religious bigotry,” but… (Spoiler alert – it’s religious bigotry.) Last August, House Bill 1510, the Pennsylvania Fairness Act – a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Lackawanna County Commissioner Laureen A. Cummings needs to be held accountable for bigoted comments
In the past few weeks, I’ve been closely watching the Facebook profile of one Laureen A. Cummings, a woman I’ve never met and never knew existed before. I was alerted to her presence by someone who took issue with her use of derogatory and disgusting words to allegedly describe people like me – the transgender […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Commonwealth Medical College’s Transgender Health Conference opens eyes and brings tears
The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton held their fourth annual conference on transgender health care and awareness on Monday, April 11 with a record turnout. Students, faculty, and practicing physicians crowded the main auditorium to hear from the transgender community, as well as its families, friends, and allies within the overall LGBT community. It’s still […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Combating hate groups with love is necessary, but is it enough?
It can be extremely disheartening for those who preach love and acceptance to come to terms with the fact that there is so much hate in this world. I do believe that when love increases, hate must decrease, but as I have observed, it is merely human nature to fear and reject the things we […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: South Dakota bill restricts transgender students’ bathroom use – and freedom
I’ve heard it said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance – and so it would seem as the transgender community deals with the fallout of the recent news out of South Dakota. Despite the fact that the population of South Dakota is roughly less than half the size of the entirety of the […]
