While thomaswaters.com has remained on-line and available to all to read, I stoped posting new content some time ago. At the time of the hiatus, I was struggling to both write on a daily basis, and also put my energy towards my artwork. At that point, an emphasis on my artwork was my goal. But…. As issues in the US, especially in the way the current political climate impacts the LGBTQIA+ community, I have felt[Read More…]
All of us can unite and accomplish more if we stopped trying to decide what letters do and don’t belong alongside L,G,B, and T. We will get further, when we see the challenges and attacks against us are about our gender expression predominantly, and the we don’t support rigid heteronormative expression.
But a handwritten letter, is unique in today’s culture. Few people do that. Senior staff, and possibly the senator themselves will read it for sure, because it is so unique.
Pittsburgh, PA- Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25th at 9:00 a.m. on the City-County Building’s Portico, City Councilperson Erika Strassburger and Council President Bruce A. Kraus will stand in solidarity with community leaders to honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a landmark event in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights. Also, Councilperson Strassburger, Council President Kraus, and the City’s Commission on Human Relations will announce the introduction of legislation to strengthen local protections against discrimination based[Read More…]
It isn’t hard to find memes and T-shirt’s, that announce Pride month by claiming that “the first Pride march was a riot.” This is true in some regards and misleading in others. We celebrate Pride in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York City. A police raid on the Stonewall Inn in the early morning hours of June 28th, 1969 set off riots over multiple nights and is considered today to be the[Read More…]
You and I have very different ideas about what canonization looks like. In my opinion, we need to spend more time and energy recognizing, praising and supporting all of the actions of others that fight homophobia, racism and all of the status quo that perpetuates the suffering you speak of.
Received this press release: HARRISBURG, Pa. – At its board of directors meeting on June 4, 2017, the Board of Directors of Equality Pennsylvania accepted the resignation of Executive Director Ted Martin. Martin’s last day with the organization will be June 30, 2017. “It has been a tremendous honor for me to serve as executive director. I never foresaw myself staying for seven years back in 2010, but I am glad I did,” said Martin.[Read More…]
We know about Leonard Matlovich because he outed himself, but there are thousands and thousands of lesbian, gay, bi and trans persons who have served and died for our country and the cause of Freedom and Democracy
We (queer activists) aren’t acting for the whole of the queer community or marginalized communities if we are calling for gay rights at the expense of clean drinking water, unpolluted land, and the constant feeding of high profits to the companies that cause environmental damage.
What is the foe harming the LGBTQIA+ community?
I’m likely to say this a lot. It’s almost going to be like a mantra. This blog began, really began, directly after the election of Barack Obama and the passage of Prop 8 in California. My husband and I were vacationing at a gay resort, and that’s an important part of the story. When you’re around several thousand like-minded individuals, it’s easy to feel a level of confidence as well as a level of support[Read More…]