SisTers PGH marks Transgender Day of Visibility

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2022

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- We are living in a time when the cis-tem, particularly in America, is doing everything it can to erase trans people from society. Its proponents see us succeeding, being recognized as our authentic selves, and they are desperate to stop that because it threatens their comfortable position in power. They pass bills that aim to cast us out to the margins and spread misinformation to fuel hate.

It is up to individual activists and organizations like ours to advocate loudly and publicly for trans rights and show up unapologetically in every space. SisTers PGH plans to continue doing just this and being the only trans-led organization running at our capacity in the region. 

We plan to continue telling our stories, from local media to national outlets like The Daily Show. We plan to continue hiring the best staff to care for our vulnerable community and having conversations with governmental bodies like Swissvale City Council and the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. We plan to continue building programs like Grow to Succeed and Project T to foster trans well-being and provide safe transitional housing, and create spaces for queer and trans youth to thrive.

And, of course, we plan to continue producing the biggest, baddest, and brightest Pride festival centered around Black, trans, and nonbinary people. Because it has never been more important to embrace who we are and make unabashed joy part of the process. 

It has never been more important to rise.


SisTers PGH is a Black- and trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves trans and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. Learn more at www.sisterspgh.org.

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SisTers PGH statement on death and life of Amarey Lej, Black trans woman and former Woodland Hills student

For Immediate Release: January 2, 2022

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(Swissvale, PA) -- Amarey Lej, also known as Myara, should be here right now. Instead we are grieving her loss, after the 21-year-old Black trans woman was found shot dead in Wilkinsburg this past weekend.

Amarey was a bright woman and former student of Woodland Hills. We at SisTers PGH would like to send her fellow classmates our deepest condolences, but also our deepest gratitude, as you rose in protection of Amarey when she needed it most.

The fact that the first murder of a trans person in the United States took place in our city should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, many trans women of color already know that this city, as well as the greater southwestern Pennsylvania area, is not safe for us. Amarey was not the first, but it is up to every one of us to fight like hell to make sure she is the last.

This is our time, as trans people and activists, to gather and engage in conversations regarding safety and policy. It is our time to demand not only justice for Amarey, but for all of us. Our lives are on the line, and we deserve not just survival, but peace and JOY.

As we move into this New Year, let’s keep Amarey in our hearts and minds to inspire us on this journey for our liberation.

SisTers PGH is a Black- and trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves trans and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. Learn more at www.sisterspgh.org.

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People’s Pride PGH to relocate to Swissvale for 2022 celebration

For Immediate Release: December 3, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(Swissvale, PA) -- SisTers PGH, a nonprofit founded and operated by Black trans women and femmes, has been organizing People’s Pride PGH March and Festival every year since 2017. Each year, we march to include local nonprofits, school districts, unions, and community members who have long been neglected by the former Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh and other organizations in the area.

Our work to uplift the TGNC (Trans and Gender-Nonconforming) community of Allegheny County will continue next year. However, the People’s Pride PGH 2022 March and Festival, which will take place on Sunday, June 5, will relocate to Swissvale, home of the SisTers PGH offices, community center, and many other Black and brown TLGBQIA folks.

We will continue our advocacy around improving Pittsburgh legislation, inclusion and boosting advocacy in the downtown area, but it is also important to focus on the communities where our people live. In 2022, our focus for the annual march and festival will be around improving Swissvale legislation, police training, advocacy, and inclusivity as we return to the streets after two trying, devastating years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to impact primarily Black, brown, and other historically marginalized communities. This will be the first Pride event ever held in Swissvale and we look forward to working with our partners to too keep spreading the message of inclusivity and the history of Pride. We encourage our supporters to join us as this is the time to continue unifying and educating our county and city.

We will release more plans and updates on the event as it draws closer. You can also view the planned march route below, which begins at Frick Park at 10 AM and will end at Dickson Elementary School, where the festival will be held until 9 PM.

Until then, stay tuned and stay safe.

SisTers PGH is a Black- and trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves trans and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. Learn more at www.sisterspgh.org.

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SisTers PGH launches scholarship program for local trans and nonbinary activists

For Immediate Release: August 18, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) -- SisTers PGH is launching a scholarship program for three Black/Brown trans people in Allegheny County to join our organization in Puerto Rico in October 2021 for several days of self-care and leadership development training.

We are partnering with our friends at GLITS Inc., a health and housing nonprofit in NYC that caters to the LGBTQIA+ community, to conduct this week of inspiration and growth, which will center around how to navigate being a Black trans-led agency.

“Black and brown trans and nonbinary people rarely get opportunities to take care of themselves or to carve out a block of time for self-development or education,” said SisTers PGH Founder and Director Ciora Thomas. “This is just one way our organization can change that.”

Applications are now available at www.sisterspgh.org. This is a great opportunity for a local trans person of color to get in on the ground level and see how this type of grassroots work is done.

Anyone with questions about the scholarship program or application process can reach out to SisTers PGH at info@sisterspgh.org.

Please consider donating to this effort at

PayPal: PayPal.me/sisterspgh

CashApp: SisTersPGH

Venmo: SisTers-PGH

Please notate “Retreat” in the description box so funds can go directly to this effort. Thank you in advance

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SisTers PGH mourns loss of trans legend Jahaira DeAlto in fatal Boston stabbing

For Immediate Release: May 4, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH – May 4, 2021) – SisTers PGH released the following statement regarding the fatal stabbing of Jahaira DeAlto:

We mourn the death of yet another transgender woman of color in America, Jahaira DeAlto, who was murdered, May 2, in Boston.

At least 17 trans or gender non-conforming people are known to have been killed in 2021, and it breaks our hearts to watch this number rise.

But Jahaira was more than a statistic. The 42-year-old trans woman born in Achrafieh, Beyrouth, Lebanon, was an advocate for survivors of domestic violence, a ballroom legend of the House of Balenciaga, and a devoted mentor.

Jahaira was like a mother to so many TLGBQ youth, and we send our love and condolences to all of those grieving this tremendous loss. We will harness Jahaira’s compassion and light as inspiration in the continuous fight for our rights to not just live, but to thrive.

Trans women deserve our roses while we are alive. Enough is enough.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH launches campaign to support trans refugees in Kenya

For Immediate Release: May 4, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH - May 4, 2021) – SisTers PGH released the following statement regarding a partnership with Refugee Trans Initiative:

On April 16, 2021, police raided a safe house in Kenya that shelters trans refugees and activists. The violent raid occurred as the shelter residents were holding a vigil for a colleague who lost their life in a bombing at the Kakuma refugee camp earlier in the month.

The police jumped the fence, beat all of the trans women in the shelter, and arrested eight, who are all refugees. Three have already been released, but five remain in custody and cannot leave until bail is paid.

The remaining five are also in need of medical and mental health care after already spending two weeks in police custody, where trans people are not safe.

Refugee Trans Initiative operates the shelter where the raid took place and is a transgender-led organization in Kenya that aims at improving the needs and rights of transgender refugees through advocacy and shelter for vulnerable trans activists.

Homophobia and hardship are rampant in many countries in Africa, and far too many trans people are forced to flee and find shelter wherever they can. Kenya is usually seen as a rare haven, being the only East African nation where someone can seek asylum and be registered as a refugee based on their LGBT status.

But violence and discrimination, as we see, is still too common. This is why we have been partnering with Brave Space Alliance to assist RTI in moving to a safer location to do their vital work.

We are also asking our supporters, allies, and accomplices to join us in donating to RTI’s campaign to free their trans sisters from prison. We are looking to raise $5,500 to contribute to not only bail, but medical care, mental health support, and housing, as well.

Visit www.refugeetransinitiative.org to learn more or to make a donation. You can also donate via Paypal to: pemblan01@live.se.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH stands with COWC victims

For Immediate Release: April 30, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(Pittsburgh - April 30, 2021) -- Last year, during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Outreach Wellness Center (COWC) sent us several cease and desist letters for speaking out for patients who have been harmed, and then silenced, by the center’s staff and leadership.

We became an unsolicited safe space for people to grieve during our intake process or for those commenting on social media with more grievances in reference to COWC. The center then took us to court, eventually losing their case against us but continuing to harass us, along with community members trying to heal from the pain they caused, including gaslighting and other white supremacist tactics to erase our work and voices as Black trans leaders.

Just several days ago, a flyer was left in our Swissvale office advertising a vaccine clinic being administered by Central Outreach Wellness Center. Access to vaccines is very important; however, it’s also important we lead community members to safe, competent and trustworthy service providers.

TLGBQ community members in Pittsburgh still grieve to this day about the harm caused by COWC staff and leadership. This is why we must not allow more community members to be led astray and used as an opportunity to be patients at Central Outreach.

We will be standing in solidarity with those harmed by the center during the clinic this Saturday, May 1. We will be standing for restorative justice and against the center’s tactics, led by Dr. Stacy Lane. We will be standing and speaking truth to power.

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When: Saturday, May 1, 2021, 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Where: 2028 Noble St. Swissvale, PA 15218

SisTers PGH update on COWC victim action

(Pittsburgh - April 30, 2021) -- Our previous statement about Center Outreach Wellness Center (COWC) included a plan for SisTers PGH to lead a solidarity action this Saturday with Black trans lives and with patients harmed by the center’s practices.

After a long, impactful conversation, our staff and volunteers decided that our mental and physical health as Black trans people is crucial, and we will not be participating in the action.

We are still asking for cisgender and white allies to turn out in support of COWC’s numerous victims, but staff and volunteers of SisTers PGH will not be in attendance.

This is when and why we need our allies to step up and be true accomplices. We look to our comrades to speak when our voices are silenced. We look to our comrades to march when we are beaten down. We look to our comrades to protect us when we are affronted by oppressors.

This is about protecting our bodies and souls. We ask our supporters to continue offering strength and solidarity, and to meet tomorrow, May 1, at 2028 Noble St. at 12:30 PM in defense of Black, trans, and nonbinary lives.

We also are calling upon the Center Outreach Wellness Center to form an advisory council that is community-member-based to address long-standing grievances with the center, as well as to publicly apologize to those harmed by the center staff and leadership. Dr. Stacy Lane must be held accountable for her refusal to listen to victims and for creating an environment of retaliation against patients with real grievances.

Healing starts with accountability. We demand it now.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH: Stand Up for Trans Women and Girls in Sports

For Immediate Release: April 5, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(Mon., April 5, 2021) – SisTers PGH released the following statement opposing the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, set to be introduced today by Pennsylvania lawmakers:

“We at SisTers PGH oppose the deceptively named and ill-intentioned Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, set to be introduced by a group of Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania today, Mon., April 5.

“This bill would limit transgender women and girls from playing on women's and girls’ sports teams, all because of a misguided belief that Trans women have an unfair advantage in athletics, a theory even the Scientific American has debunked.

“Not only is this belief demeaning to Trans women, but it is offensive to cisgender women as well. They are not fragile objects, just like Trans women are not aggressive super-athletes.

“This is discrimination, plain and simple, and conservatives are latching onto this issue because they see it as easily moveable. But we shall not be moved.

“We ask allies and activists to stand with Trans women everywhere. Once this bill is introduced, its supporters will have time to lobby for more support before it is eventually brought to the floor for a vote. This will be our time to speak up and out against this legislation.

“For those who live in Pennsylvania, please reach out to your state representatives and tell them to oppose this bill and others like it. Tell them to say ‘yes’ to being on the right side of history and humanity.”

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH announces theme, partners of People’s Pride 2021

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) -- SisTers PGH, a nonprofit founded and operated by Black, Pittsburgh-grown trans women and femmes, has been organizing People’s Pride PGH March and Festival every year since 2017. It was created to uplift Black, trans and nonbinary folks who have for too long been segregated and abused by the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh.

Each year, we march to include local nonprofits, unions, and community members. We march to oppose white-, cis-, gay-centered Pride parades and extravagant parties, which are too expensive for many nonprofits and communities to participate in. We march to offer another opportunity to feel what being at a true Pittsburgh Pride can feel like.

This year, in 2021, People’s Pride PGH will be celebrated June 18-20 and will be centered around the theme “Reclaiming Pittsburgh Pride.” Now more than ever, TLGBQIA and other marginalized communities must stand together, firmly rooted in equity and radical honesty, and take back the celebration of our lives.

We are proud to be partnering with the Pittsburgh Equality Center to bring other leaders, organizations, and allies to the table, to not only work together on supporting this year’s virtual events but future celebrations as well. We find it vital to continue taking this pandemic very seriously even as vaccines roll out many of our own TLGBQIA community have not had access to the vaccines, especially our most marginalized.

The reality is our communities and others are still being affected by Covid-19 and it would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous to gather in person for People’s Pride 2021. However, with the support of our sponsors, community partners, and comrades, we aim to provide a one-of-a-kind, interactive virtual experience that those near and far can join to see how incredible and diverse our TLGBQIA community of Pittsburgh is, with hopes to finally be together in person again in 2022.

This is the time to tell our own stories. This is the time to rebuild, refocus, and organize as a collective force while ensuring our TLGBQIA community is supported in the Pride movement.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH mourns loss of Kyree Sanders

For Immediate Release: March 12, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) -- We at SisTers PGH are crushed to learn of the passing of 23-year-old Kyree Sanders in Cincinnati last week.

Kyree, a Black Trans woman, was shot and killed in the city's Clifton neighborhood. No suspect has yet to be identified, and we hope the Cincinnati police department uses every resource available to deliver justice for Kyree and for her loved ones left behind.

Too often the murders of our Black Trans siblings go unsolved because our lives are undervalued. We must all tell our stories every day, and our allies must uplift us along the way.

We will not be silenced.

This epidemic of violence against Trans people must end. Period.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH Letter in Support of Dr. Rachel Levine

Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

United States Senate

428 Senate Dirksen Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Murry and Burr,

We at SisTers PGH are proud to stand in enthusiastic support of Dr. Rachel Levine as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.

For the past year, Levine has worked with the Pennsylvania Assistant Secretary of Health’s office to build critical bridges between federal and state policies on the pandemic, and keeping Keystone State residents up-to-date with critical information about the coronavirus.

Levine has also published and lectured widely on LGBTQ+ medicine, among other pressing topics, including the opioid crisis, and is precisely the kind of leader our nation needs in these uncertain times. Our organization works firsthand with folks experiencing discrimination in medicine and addiction services, and we trust Levine will work to dismantle systemic oppression within healthcare.

We urge the Senate to confirm Dr. Rachel Levine so America can move forward and begin to bring equity and dignity to healthcare access and treatment.

Sincerely,

Ciora Thomas

Founder/Director, SisTers PGH

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SisTers PGH mourns loss of Ambridge trans siblings, hosts virtual space for grieving

For Immediate Release: February 24, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) -- Once again, we at SisTers PGH are left grieving and angered as we’re forced to say goodbye to two siblings whose lives were taken too soon.

We are heartbroken by the murders of Jasmine Cannady and her younger brother Jeffrey "JJ" Bright by their mother this past Monday in Ambridge, Pa., and we send our love and condolences to all who were blessed to know them.

JJ has been repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed in the wake of his tragic death, and we implore the Pittsburgh media to do better and to recognize the dignity of the people they cover.

This epidemic of violence against Trans people must end. It will take everyone, from journalists to parents, from students to community leaders, from pastors to physicians, to deliver justice, equality, and safety for the TLGBQ+ community.

In light of these recent losses, SisTers PGH will be opening a virtual space tonight, February 24, at 6 PM for Trans and Gender-Nonconforming folks to gather and grieve. This space will be open for 2 hours to hold conversations and unpack emotions, if needed.

You can register for the virtual space here: http://bit.ly/3pU8Uiu

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH grieves loss of Chyna Carrillo, calls for celebration of her life

For Immediate Release: February 20, 2021

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) – SisTers PGH released the following statement in the wake of the fatal beating of Chyna Carrillo, a Black Trans woman, in New Wilmington, Pa.:

“Chyna Carrillo’s death on February 19 after being beaten in broad daylight in New Wilmington has shocked many in our community. We at SisTers PGH are grief-stricken by this loss, one that comes on the heels of a devastating 2020 that claimed the lives of 44 beautiful Trans siblings in America.

“Chyna’s life was stolen just outside the nursing home she dedicated herself to, having moved from Arkansas during the pandemic to help some of our most vulnerable residents. She deserves the same love and respect as the seniors she served with all her heart.

“Celebrations of Chyna’s life will carry on with the joy she brought to others. We will be hosting a socially-distanced candlelight vigil in honor of the great burning star that was Chyna Carrillo on Sunday, February 21, at 5 PM at The Grove at Wilmington parking lot (520 South New Castle Street, New Wilmington, PA).

“Let us honor Chyna by uplifting others in their time of need, just as she always did, and by recommitting to the urgent fight for true equity and dignity for Black and Trans people all across the globe.”

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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SisTers PGH supports Allegheny health code changes to allow gender-inclusive restrooms

For Immediate Release: September 25, 2020

Contact: Ciora Thomas, ciora.thomas@sisterspgh.org, 412-297-0548

(PITTSBURGH) -- SisTers PGH is proud to stand in earnest support of the Allegheny County Health Department’s consideration to overhaul plumbing regulations and update the code to allow for gender-inclusive restroom facilities.

Pittsburgh is a diverse city, and Allegheny is a diverse county, where people of all races and creeds and genders and identities reside, which is something to be celebrated. It is also something to be protected. Trans and gender-diverse people in Allegheny County and across the country face discrimination, hostility, and violence for no reason other than who they are and how they express themselves. And right now, the trans-exclusionary language of the health department’s code adds to that oppression by making it difficult to build trans and gender-neutral restrooms within the county.

It is imperative that marginalized people feel welcome in their workplaces, on college campuses, in hospitals, and in other public venues. And it is time to ensure that developers, institutions, organizations, and businesses that wish to provide gender-neutral toilet facilities can do just that.

Sections of the 403.1.1, 403.1.2 and 403.2 of the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) offer a design option for restroom facilities for gender-diverse people, and we strongly encourage the Allegheny Board of Health to adopt these simple yet substantial measures in order to keep our diverse, proud slice of Pennsylvania a safe and inclusive place for all.

SisTers PGH is a Black and Trans-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves people of color, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern Pennsylvania. www.sisterspgh.org

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