LGBTQ Rights, Info, News in Pennsylvania – thomascwaters.com

Two LGBTQ/community organizing opportunities in Pittsburgh next weekend.

In my opinion, one of the main things that keeps the local LGBTQ community from accomplishing more, is that too many within our community (meaning both organizations and individuals) fail to become engaged in the larger social justice movement. Too many gays and lesbians seem to only care about their own issues, and are ignorant of, or oblivious to the way our issues are inextricably connected to broader issues such as economic justice, gender equity, worker’s rights, the peace movement, and all the other areas of the social justice movement.

November 27, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general

PSEC: Safe Schools Petition

For many LGBTQ or youth perceived to be LGBTQ, a safe school environment can be the difference between life and death. Take a moment ad get involved! Sign the petition, and get to know the work of PSEC!

November 23, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general

Pittsburgh and the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR)

Maybe Transgender Day of Remembrance isn’t that important to people here? Or maybe it is?

November 22, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general

Why does the 99% become 41%: Occupy the voting booth!

I’ve been quite captured by the Occupy movement, and have written multiple times that I believe it marks the most important grass roots political movement since the anti-war efforts of the ’60’s. But one thing has been nagging at me. If we are the 99%, how is it that we let our government get so broke that it is selling us down the river?

November 22, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — general

LGBT Spain, and the lesson for the US 2012 elections.

All we have to do is look at the GOP’s agenda in the House. Since they regained power, everything they have done has been to attack individual rights. They ran on the economy, but their actions are all about social change and a return to an ultra-conservative control over personal freedoms.

In the bigger picture, the GOP’s efforts have been about destroying Obama so that a Republican would win, and what might it mean if the GOP had total power, or at least a far greater level of control? Look at Spain.

November 21, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general, Same-Sex Marriage

Prop 8 and the voice of the people.

it is a perspective of Equality that has moved out into a public conversation more than any other issue. And so, no matter what happens with Marriage Equality, it will either push full equality farther along or hinder our progress on all fronts., so it impacts every single member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer communities.

November 17, 2011 — 1 comment — general, Same-Sex Marriage

Prop 8 path forward to be known tomorrow.

But it also seems rational, that since this was a citizen’s initiated effort, that the court will allow citizens to appeal the case to the next level of the court. It is anticipated that at that level, it will win, but if it is allowed to continue, there will be no stopping the case and it will go all the way to the Supreme Court. In this scenario, more people may potentially win, as it could influence the right to marry nationally, but given how conservative the Supreme Court currently is, one can easily imagine the case being decided against Marriage Equality. Bigger potential win, but bigger risk.

November 16, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general, Same-Sex Marriage

Join me in Greensburg on Saturday?

A really wonderful and remarkable thing is happening in Greensburg this Saturday: their annual holiday parade! If that doesn’t really sound so remarkable, consider this. For the first time ever, the Greensburg PFLAG, Community Safe Zone project, and the Westmoreland LGBTQ Interfaith Network will be marching in the parade officially! I believe this is an awesome effort for the visibility for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and allied supporters in Western PA, and I want[Read More…]

November 16, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general

INITIATIVE FOR TRANSGENDER LEADERSHIP COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATION

An Evening for Appreciation, Entertainment and Community Building On Friday, Nov. 18 from 6:30 to 9:30pm at the Union Project at 801 N Negley Avenue in East Liberty, the Initiative for Transgender Leadership (ITL), in partnership with the Union Project, will be hosting a Commencement Celebration. ITL is inviting community members to honor the ITL’s first fellow, Rayden Sorock. We are celebrating the completion of the inaugural 10-month fellowship program dedicated to the professional[Read More…]

November 16, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — general

Laws alone do not end anti-gay efforts.

The linked story is both scary to read and alarming given the general impressions about what the end of DADT would accomplish. The story is worth your time and reading on its own merits, but I also want to use it as an illustration of another point. Laws alone do not end anti-gay efforts. The legacy of DADT is an ingrained hostility to gays and a lifestyle that for years was either illegal in the[Read More…]

November 16, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Activism, general

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