LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Parents’ acceptance of transgender daughter sets example for Pennsylvania
Sometimes, I feel a tinge of regret that I will never be able to have my own children. I mean, it’s not impossible, but as time goes on, it becomes very improbable due to hormone therapy and any surgeries I may choose to undergo in my transition. And I’m OK with that. I can always […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Barry Humphries, a.k.a. Dame Edna, may not be relevant, but transphobic comments still have an effect
It seems as though, just when I feel that I’ve heard the worst thing I’ve ever heard, the door to the Dungeon of Transphobia creaks open and out comes another shadow of the past to enlighten us with its ignorance and idiocy. This time, from one Barry Humphries, a.k.a. Dame Edna. If you’ve ever wanted […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Finding transgender acceptance in the workplace – a thank you to my former boss
“The time has come,” the walrus said, “to talk of many things.” Most notably, the future, my employment, and opportunities to complete transition. I believe I’ve reached a turning point in my life where certain truths must be dealt with – truths about my anatomy and my appearance that have made it impossible for me […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Friendship, gratitude, suicide, and coincidental healing
“Day” in Hebrew is a word that means “enough.” The suffix “-enu” means “to us.” When put together, “dayenu” is a word that means, roughly, “it would have been enough for us,” as in the song “Dayenu,” a Passover song over a thousand years old. The song is like a prayer to God in gratitude […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: The conversation about HIV/AIDS has changed, yet stays the same
I remember the first time I heard of AIDS. It was some documentary my parents were watching, something about a woman who was dying of a disease doctors knew very little about, back in the late ‘80s. I asked my mom what had happened, and she told that the woman lost her immune system, and […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: When all the LGBT news is negative, depression can sneak up on you
In this week’s column, let’s talk about depression. Because it’s real, it sucks, and I have it. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been two weeks since I last wrote an article. Trust me, it wasn’t for lack of things to write about. We had a lot of awful things happening, including Germaine Greer, a […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Remaking ‘Rocky Horror’ and what this means to the LGBT community
To start, I should say that “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is somewhat… sacred to me. It’s a film that features ambiguous sexualities, gender bending, transvestism, and a really well-known dance routine that’s super simple to do (I mean, it’s just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Oh, but […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: Make yourself heard, and not just on election day – the 2015 Philly Trans* March
“Did you watch the debates?” was a popular refrain among many of my friends this week, which may or may not show you the caliber of people I associate with on a regular basis. I’m not bragging, honestly, but I realize that I tend to keep myself living in a bubble – a very queer […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: When masculinity becomes toxic, misogyny – and violence – follows
Suffice it to say, I’ve been a bit busy the last few weeks. There was NEPA BlogCon, then a trip to Pittsburgh for the TransPride Pittsburgh Conference, and then telling my story at the Big Gay StorySlam for the Scranton Fringe Festival… and I’m not done! This Saturday, I’m marching alongside Daye Lily Pope, transgender […]
LIVING YOUR TRUTH: The hopeful and heartbreaking lessons of the TransPride Pittsburgh conference
Going home has always been bittersweet. My family moved from Pittsburgh to Hazleton in 1990, and I was never happy about it. So much has changed that it’s sometimes hard to look back and remember. As such, my family often returns to the area to visit old friends and enjoy some of the many things […]
