I met one of my favorite people when she was just finishing up chemo for breast cancer. She was interested in volunteering at the agency where I work, and we met to talk about the jobs that volunteers were doing and the time commitment that might be involved. I’ve mentioned this before in other blog […]
Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Of Superhero Capes and Chemo
Posted: 9th April 2017 by admin in BlogTags: cancer, chemo, friendship, grief, healing, superheros, warrior women
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Bad Ass Adulting in Entomo Season
Posted: 27th March 2017 by admin in BlogTags: adulting, home ownership, humor, phobias
A Facebook post from last spring: Somewhere in a parallel universe, there’s a bug version of Criminal Minds playing out and investigators are standing over dismembered centipedes saying, “Given this level of overkill, this is clearly the work of a centipeda-cidal maniac.” Yes. Arrest me now. I make no exoskeletons about my centipede phobia. I’ve […]
When Ya Gotta Go, Ya Gotta Go!
Posted: 27th February 2017 by admin in BlogTags: #transgender, challenges, gender identity, gender neutral restrooms, genderqueer, privacy
Written almost two years ago as we embarked on the Don’t Pee Here adventure. I’m sad to say that so little has changed and yes, people ARE still freaked out by seeing someone with short hair washing their hands in the women’s restroom. Two years is a long time to wait to pee. You should […]
2016, A Year of Silliness
Posted: 19th February 2017 by admin in BlogTags: Facebook posts, humor, silliness
My Facebook friends often comment on the humor in my posts. Who could not use a little humor? So I sat down today and pulled the most responded-to, most Erma Bombeck-inspired posts from 2016. I hope they will make you smile. “Your Facebook posts are so funny. And I’m learning there’s a predictable group of […]
Stretching for Words Like It’s a Yoga Pose
Posted: 13th November 2016 by admin in BlogTags: #LGBT youth, community, Dare to Dream, LGBT issues, Trevor Project, Youth Outlook
Last night, my agency held its annual gala, four days after much of the LGBT world was shot through with a bolt of fear that brought some of us to the verge of physical illness. On Wednesday, I was in meetings marked by stunned silence, abject fear, and immutable grief. The questions everywhere I turned […]
Daring Crustaceans and Other Adventurers
Posted: 2nd November 2016 by admin in BlogTags: #support, courage, death, grief, healing, vulnerability
November 2, 2016 Five years ago this afternoon, I was at a local middle school speaking about LGBT youth and their developmental process. Earlier in the day, I’d learned that a former intern, my very first intern at Youth Outlook—Brian– had died, only 24 hours after learning about the death of one of the drop-in […]
Corporal Works of Bumper Stickers
Posted: 6th September 2016 by admin in BlogTags: Catholic school, kindness, Mother Theresa, Random Acts, St. Francis, Works of Mercy
I used to consider myself a recovering Catholic. When I first discovered her writing, I got quite a chuckle out of Anne Lamott’s reference to recovering Catholics as “incense survivors”. I still have a favorite saint—St. Francis. I think Frank was probably a cool guy. Who wouldn’t want to hang out in the garden with […]
An Open Letter to Some Grown Ups at the Start of the School Year
Posted: 24th August 2016 by admin in Blog, UncategorizedTags: #LGBT youth, diversity, education, GSA, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, professional development, trans youth, Youth Outlook
Dear School Administrators, I’m about to share with you an idea that is so radical, it might make your hair catch fire when you read it. Ready? Here goes. It is not the responsibility of the teenagers with whom you cross paths to educate you about their gender identity. I know this is a crazy […]
Pride 2016: Whiplash
Posted: 13th June 2016 by admin in Blog, UncategorizedTags: #transgender, genderqueer, LGBT, love, Pride, PTHC, survivor
Pride 2016: Whiplash Last week, I left home on a sunny Thursday morning to go to the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference. I got a little turned around near the airport with all of the construction and had a hard time finding the economy parking lot, which I thought was kind of funny given the number […]