Area History for 2000's

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2009

Dec 18 - Zone food drive at December Michelle Michaels FACE See related article.

Dec 3 - World AIDS Day Presentation at Community United Church by Community Health Net Mary Viglione and Jo Hyatt of Community Health Net presented an informative and engaging program for World AIDS Day at Community United Church, 1011 W 38th St, Erie PA. See related article. See photos.

Dec - LBT women collect food for Second Harvest There were 46 pounds of donations collected in November/December 2009 for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern Pennsylvania in the name of the Erie LGBT Community from the terrific food drive at the Presque Isle Gallery Coffeehouse that was organized by the LBT Women of Erie. See related article.

Nov 26 - Vertigo Thanksgiving Community Dinner Vertigo's Thanksgiving Community Dinner was great. We opened our doors and fed over 40 people.and we had 20 plus volunteers. Thanks to everyone who helped out or donated. See related article.

Nov 18 - For The Bible Tells Me So screening at Edinboro HTML Source EditorWord wrap The Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Organization for Women presented the film For The Bible Tells Me So in the Multipurpose room of the Frank G. Pogue Student Center on the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania campus. There was a pretty good turnout. See related article. See photos.

Nov 11 - First ever Diversity Day at SUNY Fredonia The organizers of SUNY Fredonia's first Diversity Day welcomed reality TV star Ruthie Alcaide, one of the more unique and memorable cast members of the hit MTV series, "The Real World." See related article.

Oct 30 - PASSHE LGBQIA Consortium Holds Fall Meeting During an historic weekend, all fourteen universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education [PASSHE] met at the Atherton Hotel in State College, PA from October 30-31, 2009 for the inaugural meeting of the PASSHE LGBTQIA Consortium. The Consortium was formed in response to the varying levels of equity and service available to the LGBTQIA students, staff, faculty, and administrators on the different campuses. Each university has three members on the Consortium; two faculty/staff members and one student member. The co-chairs of the Consortium are Dr. Daniel Burdick of Edinboro University and Dr. Rita Drapkin of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The Consortium was recognized by Chancellor John C. Cavanaugh on October 1, 2009. It serves as a formal standing sub-committee of the PASSHE Social Equity Council that reports directly to Chancellor Cavanaugh. The LGBTQIA representative on the Social Equity Council is Dr. Deryl Johnson of Kutztown University See related article. See photos.

Oct 21 - Out in the Silence screening in Erie Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer presented a screening of their documentary, Out in the Silence, at the Hirt Auditorium at Blasco Public Library in Erie PA. The documentary addresses discrimination against GLBT people in rural areas, particularly Oil City. The screening was followed by panelists from a variety of backgrounds. See related article. See photos.

Oct 20 - Robyn Ochs speaks at Penn State Behrend Noted author Robyn Ochs spoke at Penn State Behrend in the Smith Chapel. Robyn Ochs is a highly acclaimed activist, writer and professional speaker who tirelessly criss-crosses America educating groups about LGBT rights and issues. She is the editor of "Getting Bi," the first scholarly book about bisexuality around the world ("Getting Bi" is an English-language bestseller and is being released in Chinese and Spanish editions this year). She married her longtime partner on May 17th, 2004 - the first day it was legal to do so in Massachusetts. See related article.

Oct 10 - Breast cancer fundraiser at the Zone The Zone Dance Club held a fundraiser to benefit the fight for a breast cancer cure. A total of $846 was raised and made this years event a great success! The Pink Cotton Candy Carnival was a Saturday night of dancing and fun as customers at the Zone played carnival games, ate pink cotton candy, and tried their luck at winning one of 15 great prize filled gift baskets donated by the many great businesses and friends of the Zone! On Sunday evening, Michelle Michaels hosted a special edition of her Sunday drag series Face...Tears of a Clown with all the girls who performed donating their tips to help out such a great cause.

Oct 10 - National Equality March in DC On the weekend of October 10, 2009, several people from the Erie PA region traveled to Washington DC for the National Equality March. Photographers include Ted Smith, Fran Smith, Justin and Dr. Dan Burdick, faculty advisor to Identity, Edinboro University's, LGBTQA student group. Full video coverage of the rally is here. See related article. See photos.

Oct 8 - Lobbying meetings with US Rep Kathy Dahlkemper's office Several of us in Erie’s GLBT community met with Amy Cuzzola-Kern of Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper’s Erie office. The purpose of the meeting was to continue our effort of lobbying in support of pending federal GLBT legislation. Some of us had met with Kathy in January. Dave Martin and Richard McVay also met with Tina Mengine in DC the next day. See related article. See photos.

Oct 1 - LGBTQIA Heritage Month at Edinboro University Edinboro University had a number of activities on observance of LGBTQIA Heritage month. See related article.

Oct 1 - Student brainstorming session at Behrend University Park's LGBTA Student Resource Center was on campus at Penn State Behrend to facilitate a discussion about student advocacy and ally development. Students from the University Park Campus offered national and local resources and assisedt in the brainstorming of ideas for students to promote and maintain involvement. Other college student groups were also invited. See related article.

About Oct - Erie Catholic Diocese donated $1,000 to fight marriage equality in Maine The National Catholic Reporter notes that the Erie Catholic Diocese was one of 50 Catholic dioceses in the country that contributed to the campaign to strike down Maine’s law extending civil marriage rights to same-sex couples. In the Nov. 3 referendum, voters rejected marriage equality 53 percent to 47 percent. See photos.

About Oct - Keystone Alliance and GayLife Newsletter merger Two Pittsburth region groups merge to better serve the community, providing news, entertainment and also to raise awareness. See related article.

Sep 19 - Mike & William's handfasting Mike and William Scott had a handfasting ceremony in Sunset Park in Ashtabula. Friends and family attended the event. See photos.

Sep 19 - Rainbow Families of Erie forms A group focusing on monthly outings for LGBT families and their families begins meeting. See related article.

Sep 13 - Young LBT group forms As an offshoot of the LBT Women's group, a gorup for lebian, bisexual and transgendered women in thei 20's to 40 begins meeting. See related article.

Sep 12 - Rainbow Pride Connection Weekend at Chautauqua Institute The Rainbow Pride Connection LGBT Conference held Sept. 12-13, 2009 was an outstanding success. Over 100 people attended and all expressed real pleasure with the location at Bellinger Hall on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. The workshops were educational and interesting, the film “Out in the Silence” was inspiring and the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus was sensation ... and that’s just a few of the highlights of the weekend! See related article. See photos.

Sep 11 - IRS Grants Erie Gay Pride Tax Exempt Status See related article.

Sep - Vertigo moves to W Cunningham Street Vertigo, Butler's gay bar, moves to 564 W Cunningham St, See related article.

Aug 22 - Ashtabula Family Picnic The Ashtabula GLBT Outreach Alliance held its first Annual Family Picnic at Geneva State Park. Over 75 people attended. See related article. See photos.

Aug 22 - Drenched Fur Waldameer & Water World event Drenched Fur, Erie's annual Bear event, expanded to include a summer get together at Waldameer Park and Water World. See related article.

Aug 15 - Bob Bearfield CD Release Party Local singer/songwriter Bob Bearfield has a release party for his first-ever CD. See related article. See photos.

Aug 15 - Great Nationwide Kiss In includes Erie Erie PA participated in the Great Nationwide Kiss-In, which occurred on about 50 cities, mostly in the US. The local event was held on the steps of the Erie County Courthouse. 140 W 6th St, Erie PA. This was part of a nationwide reaction to three couples who had been targeted by security and/or law enforcement personnel for simply kissing in public. The event was suggested by David Mailloux and David Badash. See related article. See photos.

Aug 1 - GLBT booth at Jazz and Blues Fest On the weekend of August 1 & 2, 2009, the Erie Art Museum presented the Jazz and Blues Festival in Frontier Park, Erie PA. Many community-based groups had info booths. There was a GLBT booth staffed by Erie Gay News and LBT Women of Erie. The LBT Women of Erie also had a great time socializing in the field. The GLBT booth was between the political progressive booth staffed by Erie Peace Initiative and Health Care for all, and also the United NeoPagan Council of Lake Erie booth. We all had a wonderful time enjoying the great music and wonderful company! See related article. See photos.

Jul 30 - StoryCorps comes to Erie, GLBT people included StoryCorps, heard on NPR's Morning Edition, wasto Erie's Perry Square from July 30th through August 22nd. StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate another's life through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have shared stories and life experiences with family, friends, and their community through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share, and a copy is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Among those included were Janice Hanusik interviewing her partner, Laurie inch. Jan and Laurie coordinate LBT WOmen of Erie. Deb Spilko also interviewed Michael Mahler about the local GLBT community. See related article.

Jul 29 - Rt Rev Gene Robinson in Chautauqua Rev Gene Robinson, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, spoke at the Chautauqua Institution. Bishop Robinson was the first ever openly gay person installed in that position. See related article.

Jul 25 - Pride Weekend Erie Gay Pride put on another Pride Weekend, which included a March and Rally on Saturday, and other events on Sunday. See related article. See photos.

Jul 23 - First meeting to begin forming PFLAG Butler chapter Joe Tomlinson and others begin forming a PFLAG chapter in Butler, PA. See related article.

Jul 4 - GLBT contingents in Millcreek 4th of July Parade The Erie Peace and Justice Center marched in the Millcreek 4th of July Parade. Also marching were Erie Gay News and Erie Gay Pride. This was the 4th year in a row that there had been an LGBT contingent in the Millcreek Parade, which draws thousands of spectators. See related article. See photos.

Jul 1 - Allegheny County wins rights ordinance The Allegheny County Council voted by an 8-6 vote on July 1 to approve the Allegheny County Human Relations Ordinance, legislation that banned discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, with a limited religious exemption. The ordinance also created a county Human Relations Commission to investigate alleged instances of discrimination.

Jun 13 - 17th Annual Pride Picnic The 17th Annual Pride Picnic, which is sponsored by Erie Gay News, set a record for attendance. We estimate a minimum of 330 people joined us for a day of good friends, food and fun! See related article. See photos.

Jun 14 - Stonewall Celebration at UU The annual “Stonewall Celebration!” all inclusive worship service was held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie at 7180 New Perry Highway (Route 97). Buddhist Lama, Kathy Wesley, spoke. John Daley King told the Stonewall Story. Jeremy Snyder led us in honoring “Our Ancestors of the Queer Spirit”. There was also “a closet door” to sign in upon! Join in commemorating the momentous events of June 26, 27, and 28, 1969. It was also “PFLAG DAY” and Mark Hoovler, president of Erie/Crawford County PFLAG chapter spoke. See related article.

Jun 6 - 10th Anniverary Miss Erie Pageant The Zone Dance Club held its 10th anniversary Miss Erie Pageant. Mistress Vanitay earned Miss Erie crown. The runner-up was Buffylynn Hayes. See related article.

Jun 6 - First Ever Pride Youngstown The event was made possible with the financial support of people throughout the Mahoning Valley and by fundraisers held by the Pride Youngstown staff at neighborhood establishments. For more info about Pride Youngstown, browse to www.prideyoungstown.com or email prideyoungstown@gmail.com See related article. See photos.

About Jun - Vertigo moves to 100 Pillow Street Vertigo, Butler's gay bar, moved to a new locationat 100 Pillow Street. See related article.

May 18 - Community United Church officially becomes an Open and Welcoming Congregation Community United Church officially becomes an Open and Welcoming Congregation, a first in Northwest Pennsylvania for a specifically Christian denomination. Pastor Richard Moyer writes a column for Erie Gay News that began in September 2006.

May 16 - Bruce and Tony's Commitment Ceremony Bruce and Tony had a beautiful commitment ceremony at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. Rev. Steve Aschmann officiated. Friends and family had a wonderful time! See related article. See photos.

May 16 - Commitment Ceremony for Melissa Burlingame and Maria Matkozich Melissa Burlingame and Maria Matkozich had a commitment ceremon that was performed by Tim Dahle. See related article.

May 11 - Passing of Jeff Eells aka Lexus DeVaughn Drag performer Jeff Eells aka Lexus DeVaughn, a native of Crawford County, who was living in Pittsb urgh, and performed sometimes at Vertigo in Butler passed on. See related article.

Apr 4 - "Not Just 'Friends.' We’re Family Too" open symposium at Edinboro University Edinboro University's GLBTS alliance, Identity,hosted an open symposium celebrating GLBT people and their families, and featured renowned GLBT activist and author Robyn Ochs. Topics included gay marriage and gay adoption rights. See related article.

Apr 3 - Drenched Fur 5 The first weekend in April was incredible fun for over 200 men from around the tri-state area and as far away as Florida, Arkansas and Virginia that came together for the fifth installment of Erie’s Bear Weekend called Drenched Fur. The event featured a bar crawl, shopping, a trip to Splash Lagoon, a dinner buffet and more. See related article. See photos.

Apr 3 - Zone and Drenched Fur raise money for Erie Zoo The Zone and Drenched Fur raised money for the bear exhibit at the Erie Zoo. The money was raised at the UnderBear Party at the Zone on April 3 during the Drenched Fur 5 weekend. It was a quickie ten minute fundraiser and $119 went to the bear exhibit at the Erie Zoo. See related article.

Apr - Ashtabula GLBT Outreach Foundation forms A newly-founded organization, The Ashtabula GLBT Outreach Foundation (AGLBTOF) in Ashtabula County, Ohio began serving the Ashtabula/Lake/Geauga areas in Ohio as one of the only organizations providing support, guidance and information to the GLBT Community. Founder, Dr. Jayson Nadolny of Conneaut felt that there was a need for support in the Ashtabula County area for not only the adults, but also for the teenage members of our society.

Mar 26 - 'GLBT, Same Sex & Equal Marriage' panel discussion at Edinboro Same-sex marriage in the United States was examined from legal, policy, and theological perspectives. The pnael included With James Daniel Fisher, Associate Professor of Political Science and Board member of NWPA ACLU); Susan Woodland, President, NWPA NOW; and the Rev. Jason Hickman., Presbyterian minister from West Middlesex PA.
See related article.

Mar 17 - Rally and Lobby Day for Equality in the State Capitol Equality Advocates and other groups sponsored a Rock the Dome for Equality Lobby Day in Harrisburg, and there was participation from Erie. See related article.

Feb 14 - Latonia Valentine's Day Dance/Social The Oil City Gay/Straight Alliance hosted a Valentine's Day Dance/Social at the Latonia Theatre. See related article. See photos.

Feb 8 - Equality Legislation meeting with state LGBT leaders About 30 people attended a meeting in Erie about passing GLBT equality legislation at the state level in Pennsylvania. The meeting had been convened by Steve Glassman, Chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; Andy Hoover of the American Civil Liberties Union and Jake Kaskey, outreach coordinator for Equality Advocates of Pennsylvania. Much of the publicity for the meeting was via the GLBT Voter/Activist email list. See related article. See photos.

About Feb - GSA formed at College Academy Collegiate Academy sophomore forms a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at her high school. See related article.

Feb - Vertigo moves to 300 B East Jefferson in Butler Long time gay bar Vertigo gets the first location of its own. See related article.

Jan 23 - GLBT community members lobbying meeting with US Rep Kathy Dahlkemper Our Erie GLBT lobbying group of seven (Michael Mahler, John Max Irwin, Janice Hanusik, Laurie Finch, Richard McVay, C Michael, and David L Martin) met with newly elected Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper and her aide Dr Amy Cuzzola-Kern Ph.D at 1:30 PM on Friday, January 23, 2009. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes, during which we discussed potential legislation regarding the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crimes, military readiness, and Defense of Marriage Act. See related article. See photos.

2008

Dec 16 - Marilyn Bivona, co-owner of Sneakers for 22 years, passes on Marilyn A. Bivona, 61, of 1107 Newland Ave., died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008, in WCA Hospital. A Jamestown native, she was born Oct. 15, 1947, a daughter of the late John and Edith Restivo Bivona. She was a 1965 graduate of Jamestown High School and attended Jamestown Community College. She was co-owner of Sneakers Bar for 22 years. See related article.

Dec 13 - Latonia Holiday Social The Oil City Gay Straight Alliance held a Holiday Social at the Lationia Theatre in Oil City. See related article. See photos.

Dec 6 - Mahoning Valley Pride Center opening marred by vandalism The Mahoning Valley Pride Coalition held the grand opening of the Stonewall Community Center at 1523 Poland Avenue, Youngstown, OH, 44502. Afterwards the center's holiday party took place. It was later vandalized. See related article.

Dec - Erie 'Join the Impact' artifacts go to California museum

Several signs, a homemade T-shirt and an armband used in the November 15 Join the Impact demonstration at the Erie County Courthouse were sent to the Museum of California in Oakland, California.

The museum had asked for artifacts from demonstrations from around the country.

Join the Impact is a national organization that was formed as a response to the Proposition 8, which is the California ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage.

For more information on Join the Impact, visit www.jointheimpact.com and http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com

See related article.

Dec - National Food Drive for Equality participation As part of the Nationwide Food Drive for Equality, Erie’s LGBT community collected 172 pounds of food and $100 for the Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA. Collection sites included Chicory Hill Herbs, Craze Night Club, Mercyhurst College, Papa Joe’s Pepperoni Cafe (W 8th St), Presque Isle Gallery and Coffeehouse, Zodiac Dinor and Zone Dance Club. See related article.

Nov 20 - 10th Annual Lake Erie Gala On the weekend of November 22, 2008, the Erie Sisters, a CD/TV support group in Erie held their 10th Annual Lake Erie Gala at the Avalon Hotel. For more information about the Erie Sisters, check www.eriesisters.org. See related article. See photos.

Nov 15 - Prop 8 Protest Rally On Saturday, November 15 about 80 people stood at the Erie County Courthouse to protest Proposition 8.

The Erie event was part of a coordinated nationwide protest against the California ballot measure that would remove marriage rights for same-sex couples. Protests took place on the same day in over 300 cities, with an estimated 100,000 people taking part

See related article. See photos.

Nov 1 - Night of the Living La-La's at the Latonia On Sat, Nov 1, 2008, the Oil City Gay/Straight Alliance held the Night of the Living La-La's at the historic Latonia Theatre in Oil City. For more info, check endbigotryinvenangocounty.blogspot.com/or www.thelatonia.com. See related article. See photos.

Oct 26 - Erie Gay Business Alliance holds candidate forum On Sunday, October 26, the Erie Gay Business Alliance held a candidate forum for US Presidential, US Congressional PA-3, PA State Senate District 49 and PA State House for districts that are in Erie County. We had about 60 people or so attend. In terms of candidates for Federal office, we had Jamie Citron, who is the Deputy LGBT Outreach coordinator for the Obama/Biden campaign, all three candidates for US Congress PA-3 - Kathy Dahlkemper (D), a representative for Phil English (R-Incumbent) and Steve Porter (I). For Pennsylvania state candidates, we had Cindy Purvis (D) for PA State Senate District 49, Jason Owen (R ) for PA State House District 3, and Rick Mitchell (D) for PA State House District 4. All of the PA state candidates who attended are the non-incumbents. See related article. See photos.

Sep 19 - Vertigo dance parties return After a hiatus, Vertigo dance parties, organized by Kirsten, return to the Butler area. See related article.

Jul 29 - Erie Times News article about same sex marriage on front page Local couple Laurie Finch and Janice Hanusik were on the front page of the Erie Times News in a story about same sex marriage. Kirsten Rispin and her partner, Rebekah, as well as Jim Benson and his partner, Todd, Sisunik, were also featured in the article. See related article.

Jun 29 - 2008 Erie Pride March/Rally Erie Gay Pride, Inc. held a March/Rally. About 125 stepped off from the Zone Dance Club and marched down State Street, culminating in a rally in Perry Square. About 200 people were at the Rally. See related article. See photos.

Jun 28 - 16th Annual Erie Pride Picnic About 300 people attended the 16th Annual Erie Pride Picnic, held at the Rotary Pavilion. Added this year was a karaoke/talent show. See related article. See photos.

Jun 22 - Stonewall service at Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie On Sunday, June 22, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie presented Stonewall: The cradle of gay activism. Life experience speakers included Doris Cipolla and John Daly King. Performing artists included "Ricardo and Jessie" and Devin Redinger. Rev. Steve Aschmann presided over the service.
The event was sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie, Erie Gay Pride, PFLAG, four29media, Erie Gay News, Womynspace and Erie Gay Business Alliance. See related article. See photos.

May - End Discrimination in Venango County blog debuts

A new blog called End Bigotry in Venango County seeks to expose discrimination in northwestern Pennsylvania's Oil Region.

The blog owner states that the "purpose of this blog site is to expose and challenge bigotry and discrimination in Venango County in order to make the beautiful communities of northwestern Pennsylvania a welcoming place for all."

The blog was begun in May, and already has become very active. You can check out the blog at http://endbigotryinvenangocounty.blogspot.com/

See related article.

Apr 23 - Pittsburgh activist Randal G Forrester dies In 1969 he founded the now-defunct Western Pennsylvania Mattachine, believed to be the region's first gay rights organization. In 1972, Forrester co-founded the Persad Centera - a counseling center for sexual minorities -- with James Huggins, his life partner of 37 years.. He retired as the center's executive director in 2001, and in 2006 the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, honored him as the "Civil Libertarian of the Year" in 2006. He was also named one of the city's 100 most influential residents of the 20th century by Pittsburgh Magazine. See related article.

Apr 20 - Erie Gay Business Alliance holds candidate forum The candidates night took place on Sunday, April 20, at Craze Dance Club with about 50 people attending. All four Democratic candidates for Pennsylvaniaâ's third Congressional district attended and spoke. Independent candidate Steve Porter emailed that he had a previous commitment, and Republican incumbent Phil English neither attended nor responded to the invitation. A representative from Phil's campaign appeared at the fall candidate forum. Representatives from Hillary Clinton's, Barack Obama's and Ron Paul's presidential campaigns also spoke. See related article. See photos.

Apr 10 - Testimony against PA SB 1250 by Doris Cipolla On April 10, local lesbian Doris Cipolla testified against Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1250 before the PA Senate Judiciary Committee at the Allegheny Courthouse in Pittsburgh PA. This is the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment. See related article.

Apr 4 - Drenched Fur 4 The first weekend of April was the fourth year of Erie's premier bear run event, Drenched Fur. This year was host to a record 230 attendees, almost double last year's run! Participants enjoyed a great weekend of activities from parties, visits to regional wineries, trips to gambling at Presque Isle Downs and Casino and also a private event at Splash Lagoon on Friday night. The groupe raised over $1,000 for the Shriners Hospital here in Erie. See related article. See photos.

Apr 3 - Erie Gay Business Alliance forms John, a local businessman, convenes the first meeting of the Erie Gay Business Alliance. See related article.

Apr - Womynspace becomes revitalized under Barb For several months, Barb worked to reactivate the dormant Womynspace. Although she moved out of the area, the group continued to be active under subsequent coordinator, Laurie Finch. See related article.

Feb 16 - Latonia has a GLBT party Several folks organized a very nice dance at the Latonia Theatre in Oil City, PA. About 75 people attended. See related article. See photos.

Feb 1 - NY Court: State must honor Canadian Marriage On February 1, an appellate level court in the Rochester area issued an opinion (Martinez v. County of Monroe) saying that the state of New York must respect the Canadian marriage of a same-sex couple. This means that, unless and until another appellate level court in New York State issues a contradictory opinion, this decision is binding on all courts in the state. See related article.

Jan 12 - Trance closes Trance Night Club had its final night of business on Saturday, Jan. 12. Many people enjoyed one last terrific night of fun! The club later repoened as Craze in early spring of that year. See related article.

Jan 11 - Buffalo Churches Apologize and Welcome Gay People In an open letter to gay people in Western New York, leaders of Episcopal congregations in Buffalo offered an apology and asked forgiveness from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The letter further emphasized that they offer gay people, welcoming and loving religious congregations. See related article.

Jan 1 - Openly Gay Jamestown NY City Council President Sworn In Jamestown City Councilman Greg Rabb was sworn in as City Council President Jan. 1, becoming the first openly gay man to hold that post. He was unanimously selected to serve as president by his fellow council members. See related article.

Jan - Erie Gay News included in national index of GLBT publications Erie Gay News begins to be included in LGBT Life with Full Text, an index put out by EBCSCO Publishing that is marketed to the library marketplace. All issues from the January 1993 issue forward are sent out and also posted at the Erie Gay News web site as PDF's, See related article.

2007

Dec - Erie Gay News celebrates 15th anniversary Erie Gay News first began publishing with the January 1993 issue. The January 2008 issue marked 15 years. See related article.

Nov 15 - PA Hate Crimes law ruled unconstitutional Because of a technical issue, the hate crimes law that protected citizens on the basis of sexual orientation was ruled unconstitutional by the PA Commonwealth Court. See related article.

Nov 15 - Roadhouse Theatre closes After almost 20 years, the Roadhouse Theatre for Contemporary Arts closed its doors. The theare had presented many GLBT themed and experimental productions, and had been a long time ally of the GLBT community See related article.

Nov 12 - Erie Sisters Lakeside Gala Once again, local CD/TV/TS group, the Erie Sisters, held their annual Lake Erie Gala. See related article.

Nov 2 - 1st Venango Digital Film Association Film Festival Venango's Digitial Film Association held a 2 day digital film festival at the Barrow Theatre and lesbian-owned Latonia. See related article.

Oct 17 - Men's Greet 'N Chat begins meeting

Week night social group for gay/bi men Men's Greet 'N Chat begins meeting.

See related article.

Nov - Sacred Heart Anti-Marriage Equality sign Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church included text on their electronic sign that asked people to push their legislators for an amendment to the PA constitution to ban recognizing civil unions and marriages for same sex couples. See related article. See photos.

Oct 20 - Noted theologian speaks at Wayside Presbyterian Church Dr. Jack Rogers, Professor of Theology Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary, presented a series of lectures based on his new book, Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church. See related article.

Oct 17 - Erie Gay News recognized by Erie Food Bank The Second Harvest Food Bank presented a Bread Board of Honor Award to Erie Gay News on October 17 at Second Harvest’s annual luncheon. The award was presented to recognize the wonderful generosity of the people who donated food at this year’s Pride Picnic. We all pitched in to help our community! See related article.

Oct 12 - Good People Gather series Local lesbian Doris Cipolla organized a series of events dealing with important societal issues at Mercyhurst College. The event was held in memory of her late partner, Charlene M Tanner. See related article.

Oct 11 - Mark Hoovler nanmed state coordinator for PFLAG PFLAG Erie/Crawford County President Mark Hoovler was named State Coordinator for Pennsylania at the national PFLAG conference held in McLean VA. See related article.

Oct 5 - Hearings on PA HB 1400 held in Erie Several PA State House Representatives, including State Government chair Rep. Babette Josephs, held a hearing in Erie about the proposed PA House BGill 1400, which would amend the PA Human Relations Commission law to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Several area people spoke, and almost all in attendance supported the legislation. See related article. See photos.

Oct - Papermoon closes Local restaurant Papermoon closes. One of the owners, Edward, opens a new restaurant Breeze Steakhouse and Grille, in the same location. See related article.

Sep 28 - Great Lakes Film Fest includes GLBT film block The Great Lakes Film Festival included a block of GLBT themed films. Documentary film maker Joe Wilson's We Belong: The Movie was part of the line up, and production crew and subjects of the film were part of the question and answer. Also, a reception was held after the film at Radicchio's. See related article. See photos.

Aug 26 - Lobbyist Training Workshop held Equality Advocates Pennyslvania staff member Jake Kaskey organized a lobbyist training workshop at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article.

Aug 25 - 2007 Erie Pride March/Rally About 150 people attended the 2007 Erie Pride March/Rally, organized by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. See related article. See photos.

Aug 18 - 2nd Annual Ashtagayla Pride event About 100-125 people attended the delightful 2nd Annual Ashtagayla Pride event, this year held at the Harbor Golf Club. See related article. See photos.

Jul 8 - Benefit for Tim Smith The VFW in Harborcreek hosts a benefit for Tim Smith to help with costs related to cancer of the kidneys. Tim's partner, Brian Lonyo, helped with organizing the event. See related article.

Jul 4 - GLBT participation in Millcreek 4th of July parade For the second year in a row, members of the GLBT community marched with the poilitically progressive unit in Millcreek's 4th of July parade. The parade draws a few thousand people every year. See related article. See photos.

Jul 2 - Stephanie Coontz speaks about history of marriage Best-selling author Stephanie Coontz speaks about the history of marriage at Chautauqua Institution. She is the author of Marriage, A History, a best seller published in 2005, and The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap, and The Way We Really Are: Coming to Terms with America's Changing Families.

Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples includes Marriage, a History in their list of recommended books. They write : "Family historian Coontz explodes all assumption about marriage, revealing that throughout history, marriage was not based on mutual love between a breadwinner husband and an at-home wife. Rather, it was an institution devoted to acquiring in-laws, and improving the family labor force. Coontz posits that the Victorians, with their radical emphasis on marital intimacy, and celebration of the individual, simultaneously made marriage more satisfying, and paved the way for the thriving of divorce, same-sex marriage, cohabitation and single parenting."

See related article.

Jul - Uncle Pete's Kitchen closes Local Bear-owned pizza parlor, Uncle Pete's Kitchen, closes. See related article.

Jun 3 - Casino Night at Trance raises money for Erie Gay Pride Inc For the second year, Erie Gay Pride holds a Casino Night Benefit at Trance to raise money for their March/Rally. About $915 is raised. See related article. See photos.

Jun 2 - 15th Annual Erie Pride Picnic About 270 people enjoyed the 15th Annual Erie Pride Picnic held at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle State Park. See related article. See photos.

May 21 - PA HRC meets in Erie The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, headed by openly gay Steve Glassman, held a regular meeting open to the public at the Avalon Hotel in Erie. See related article.

May 20 - GLBT Community Activist meeting Before the PA HRC meeting the next day, Steve Glassman organized a GLBT Community Activist meeting at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article. See photos.

May 19 - GLENDA chapter hosts bowling event Area GLBT group GLENDA (Gay and Lesbian Neighborhood Development Association) hosts a very successful bowling night at Plaza Lanes in Meadville. See related article. See photos.

May 17 - Don Samples dies Community member Don Samples dies after a long illness, surrounded by friends and loved ones. His ready smile and skill at billiards brightened the lives of many. See related article.

May - Trance changes its name to Trance Night Club Local nightspot changes its name from Trance Dance Club to Trance Night Club. See related article.

Apr 17 - Day of Silence observed at McDowell High School Over 300 students in grades 9-12 took a vow of silence in support of LGBT peers at McDowell High School. See related article.

Mar 30 - Drenched Fur III Drenched Fur, Erie's Bear run, was enjoyed by about 120 registrants from March 30-April 1, 2007. Winery photos are by Michael Mahler and all other photos are by Rob. There were 120 registrants, and the event included a Greet N' Grope on Friday, an after hours party on Friday, a trip to Splash Lagoon on Saturday or a wine tour, a buffet dinner, LA comic Bobaloo, the Black & Blue dance with DJ BearCub, another after hours party, and a farewell brunch. See www.drenchedfur.com for more info. See related article. See photos.

Mar 28 - Dream of Hope performs in Oil City GLBTQ and supportive straight youth group, Dream of Hope, performs at the Clarion University-Venango campus See related article.

Mar - 2nd Annual LGBT Colloquium at Allegheny College Student group Pride Alliance hosted a second very successful colloquium on LGBT issues. Performance artist Tim Miller performed. See related article. See photos.

Jan - Time Warner Cable in Erie adds LOGO to line up Time Warner Cable adds LOGO, the GLBT network to its digital cable line up. See related article.

2006

Dec - 2 area groups cease meeting Be Ye Kind One To Another (BYKOTA) and the Butler Area Diversity Project both cease meeting See related article.

Dec - Joy Greco steps down from County Council Longtime GLBT ally Joy Greco steps down from County Council to serve as chief of staff in the district office of newly-elected state representative John Hornaman D-3rd District. See related article.

Dec - Papa Joe's opens 2nd location Local GLBT friendly cafe Papa Joe's Pepperoni Cafe opens a 2nd location near 26th and Powell. See related article.

Dec - We Belong: The Movie We Belong is the story of two Venango County gay teens who had the courage to stand up to bigotry and intolerance in their schools - and the determination to tell their stories to the world. The film was produced and directed by former Oil City resident Joe Wilson. The documentary was up for an awrd, and the Erie Times News carries a front page article with a picture of one of the subjects, Tim Dahle, being embraced by his boyfriend. See related article.

Nov 29 - NWPA NOW forum on same sex marriage The Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of the National Organization of Women host a panel on same sex marriage. Moderated by Rev. Steve Aschmann of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie, panelists include Dave Martin of ACLU-NWPA, Susand Woodland of NWPA NOW, Dr. Caillean McMahon-Tronetti, and Michael Mahler. 2 local TV stations cover the event. See related article.

Nov 20 - Local gay male couple adopts baby Local dads Jim and Mark adopt a newborn infant male, whom they name Bryce. See related article. See photos.

Nov 18 - Final Cause for Celebration held After nearly two decades, the popular fundraiser held by AIDS Community Services of Western NY came to an end. See related article.

Nov 2 - Bisexual activist Robyn Ochs speaks at Edinboro University Robyn Ochs apoke at Edinboro University on Thursday, November 2. Robyn Ochs is an author, editor, educator and long time activist for the Bisexual community. She has been published in several, magazines and journals as well as a co-writer for many books, including Seventeen, The Boston Globe and Newsweek. Ochs is most widely known as the editor of the Bisexual Resource Guide, which is a comprehensive directory of bisexual and bi-inclusive organizations and businesses around the world. See related article.

Oct 22 - Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus performs

The Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus presented a wonderful concert "Standing on the Side of Love" on Sunday, Oct. 22, in tribute to Jeff Grego, and to benefit the local high school HIV/AIDS education program, and the Unitarian sanctuary renovation project. About 200 people attended

See related article. See photos.

Oct 1 - Lee moves south Trance Dance Club co-owner, Lee Edmondson, moves to Florida. His partner, Tim, takes over managing the bar. See related article.

Oct - Watchfire Alliance forms in Jamestown, 10% Network bows out GLBT group Watchfire Alliance forms in Chautauqua County NY. Also, 10% Network, which had been active since 1992 or so, ceases to exist. See related article.

Sep 30 - 2006 Pride March/Rally The Erie community showed its pride Saturday, Sept. 30, as an estimated 150 people participated in the Erie Pride March and Rally. The event was organized by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. with the support of the Erie chapter of PFLAG and SHOUT Outreach of Gaudenzia. See related article. See photos.

Sep 30 - GLENDA chapter hosts another party After having a great turnout for their April event, NW PA GLENDA hosted another party on Saturday September 30, at the Coon and Fox Club in Franklin PA. See related article.

Sep 21 - PFLAG NW PA representative presentation at Behrend The Northwestern Pennsylvania PFLAG Representative made a presentation to a women's studies class at Penn State University, the Behrend College, on Sept. 21. The lecture provided an opportunity to implement PFLAG's mission to educate the public regarding GLBT issues and understanding GLBT people. It was rewarding to observe the willingness on the part of the class to learn about these issues and actually commit to confronting anti-gay bias their daily lives. See related article.

Sep 16 - But Not For Love premiere at Allegheny College Premiere of But Not For Love at Allegheny College. A brother and sister each prepare to marry the man of their choice. Loosely adapted from Shakespeare's As You Like It by Matthew Everett. The play sold out for both performances See related article.

Aug 15 - Erie native and partner win People's Choice Podcast Award Feast of Fools podcast made history as the first gay-themed podcast to win the People's Choice Podcast Award. Basid in Chicago, the podcast is produced by Erie native Marc Felion and his partner, Fausto Fernós See related article.

Aug 13 - World AIDS Conference attended by EGN contribuor The 16th annual World AIDS Conference was held in Toronto Ontario. Erie Gay News contributing writer, Patty Puline, of the Erie County Department of Health, attended and sent back an article. See related article.

Jul 30 - Lambda Car Club Excursion The Allegheny Region of the Lambda Car Club had an excursion to the Canton Classic Car Museum in Canton, OH. This museum houses a collection of some 45 interesting and rare antique automobiles. See related article.

Jul 29 - Ashtagayla Pride event in Ashtabula OH The first Ashtagayla Pride Celebration, held in Ashtabula, Ohio, was even more successful than anticipated. The event organizers had prepared for ticket sales of about 150, and well over 150 people attended the event. The Ashtagayla celebration provided games, picnic food, DJ music, and a good-natured crowd in a festival-like atmosphere. See related article. See photos.

Jul 4 - GLBT marchers in Millcreek 4th of July Parade

Erie's GLBT community was asked to march with the Erie Peace and Justice Center in Millcreek's 4th of July parade. The GLBT contingent was well received.

See related article. See photos.

Jul - Antigay Church sign in Corry, PA The New Life Church in Corry PA had a sign reading "God says homosexuality is wrong". See related article.

Jul - Sky Bar opens in Jamestown NY A new gay bar in Jamestown NY opens at 108 Fairmount Parkway, Jamestown NY called the Sky Bar .

Jul - Zodiac Dinor opens Gay-owned restaurant, the Zodiac Dinor, opens at 2516 State St, Erie PA. See related article.

Jun 25 - NW PA NOW presents marriage film The Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of the National Organization of Women, long time GLBT allies, presented the film "Tying the Knot: The Union That's Dividing America." See related article.

Jun 11 - Trance Casino Night benefit for Fall Pride March/Rally Trance Dance Club, in conjunction with SHOUT Outreach, held a very successful Casino Night fundraiser the day after the Pride Picnic to raise money for the Fall Pride March/Rally, which was organized by Erie Gay Pride, Inc. See related article. See photos.

Jun 10 - 14th Annual Pride Erie Picnic About 270 people attended the 14th annual Pride Erie Picnic at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle. See related article. See photos.

Jun 10 - Commitment Ceremony of Rich and Carl Carl Tripp and Richard Hayford had a commitment ceremony at the Zone. See related article. See photos.

Jun 5 - Protest at Rick Santorum's Erie office On June 5, 2006, local activists twice staged a protest against the federal so-called Marriage Protection Amendment outside the Erie office of US Senator Rick Santorum. Organized by Doris Cipolla and supported by individuals from a handful of local organizations including Pax Christi, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie, and the Green Party, the event was scheduled to coincide with debate and a vote on the resolution by the US Senate. The Senate later failed to shut off debate on the amendment by a 49-48 vote; 60 votes were needed for an actual vote on the amendment. PA Senator Arlen Specter voted against limiting debate, a change from his last vote on the amendment and a victory for state LGBT activists. See related article. See photos.

Apr 26 - Joanna Adams dies Jo “Johanna” Adams, 58, passed away peacefully at her residence on April 26, after a long battle with cancer. Her beloved partner of 25 years, Annie Wisniewski, and dear friends and family were at her side. She was born in Johnsonburg, PA, on March 16, 1948, and lived in Los Angeles, CA as well as Erie. She worked for Penelec for 28 years. See related article.

Apr 26 - McDowell High School has Day of Silence

On Wednesday, April 26, over 250 students at McDowell High School took a vow of silence. These students were participating in the National Day of Silence. The individuals who partook in this event were silent from the beginning of the school day until the end of the school day.

The Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in collaboration with the United States Student Association (USSA), is a student-led day of action where those who support making anti-LGBT bias unacceptable in schools take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment — in effect, the silencing — experienced by LGBT students and their allies.

See related article.

Apr 23 - Tret Fure performs in Erie Lesbian singer/songwriter Tret Fure performed again at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article.

Apr 1 - GLENDA chapter hosts April Fool's Day Bash The newly-formed Franklin area chapter of GLENDA (Gay and Lesbian Neighborhood Development Association) held an April Fool's Day Bash at the Venango County Fox and Coon Club.
See related article.

Apr 1 - Moonsense closes Local coffeeshop Moonsense closes. For about a year previous to this, a local social group, The Guys, met there every 3 weeks. In addition, the Erie Sisters would occasionally get together there. See related article.

Apr - State level candidates surveyed by Erie Gay News Candidates for state level offices in the Pennsylvania Primary Election are surveyed for their stances on GLB issues. See related article.

Mar 24 - Drenched Fur II The Drenched Fur committee puts on a successful Bear event. About 90 people attend. The weekend includes bar nights at Zone and Trance, a trip to Splash Lagoon, and after bar parties, as well as a Sunday brunch. See related article. See photos.

Mar 15 - Trigon presents John Corvino

Trigon, the GLBT group at Penn State-Behrend, presented philosopher, moralist, and gay-rights advocate John Corvino Thursday March 16 at 7:30 PM, McGarvey Commons at Penn State Behrend in Erie.

The topic will be "Homosexuality, Morality, and Diversity."

Mar 11 - Allegheny College holds 1st annual LGBT Colloquium Allegheny Pride Alliance and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies minor hold the inaugural LGBT Studies Colloquium at Allegheny College in Meadville PA.  This event provided an opportunity to create a space where all members of the campus community can share research, pedagogy, and strategies for campus activism on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues.  See related article.

Feb 20 - Gay Men's Chorus forms for a short while Dan Burdick, an Edinboro University faculty member, forms the Erie Gay Men's Chorus. It lasts for a few months. See related article.

Jan 17 - Erie County HRC becomes active with new director

On January 17, the commission's new director, Joseph Aguglia, was introduced at the Erie County Courthouse. Mark DiVecchio, newly-elected County Executive, introduced Aguglia.

Since the HRC was closed down under the Schenker administration nearly three years before becoming re-activated, discrimination complaints had been sent to offices in Pittsburgh. Aguglia said that the HRC will once again be handling discrimination cases locally. He also stated that he will seek to bring back to Erie those unresolved cases presently being handled in Pittsburgh.

See related article.

Jan 5 - Armed robber caught

Andrew Flores, Jr., the man who robbed three women at gunpoint at the Trance Dance Club on December 4, was caught on January 5.

One of the victims reportedly was sitting at the Zone Dance Club on January 5, when a familiar-looking man became friendly and started talking to her. She recognized him as the man who had committed the armed robbery against her and her two companions.

See related article.

About Jan - Local chapter of Lambda Car Club forms Allegheny Region, Lambda Car Club International (LCCI): LCCI is the largest gay antique car club in the world with regions throughout the US and Canada. The Allegheny Region serves western PA and eastern Ohio and holds a variety of social and antique car-related activities throughout the year. Membership is open to any GLBT person interested in antique cars/trucks/vehicles and their preservation. You do not have to own an antique vehicle to be a member. For information, contact Bob at (814)456-9643, email LCCIallegheny@yahoo.com or visit the LCCI web site at www.lambdacarclub.com See related article.

2005

Dec 6 - Ryan Anthony Showers dies Ryan Anthony Showers dies at the age of 35. He worked part time at the Village and also was a board member for the NW PA Rural AIDS Alliance. See related article.

Dec 4 - Armed Robbery at Trance Dance Club parking lot After closing, a local man committed armed robbery in the back parking lot of Trance Dance Club. See related article.

Dec 1 - Dramatic Reading of 'The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told' Gar and Heather put together a dramatic reading of Paul Rudnick's comedy, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told at Trance Dance Club . there are 2 performances; one on World Aids Day, December 1 and an encore performance on Sunday, December 4. See related article. See photos.

Nov 9 - PFLAG NWPA Workshop to help train educators A workshop entitled "Understanding Diversity of our Youth", was held at PSU, The Behrend College on November 9. It was sponsored by Behrend's Women's Studies Program and the PFLAG Northwestern PA Representative. The purpose of the workshop was to foster understanding of GLBT students and provide honest discussion about their experiences; help participating educators identify anti-GLBT harassment and its scope; and develop effective strategies to end harassment and create a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. Teachers from the Millcreek school district received "Act 48" Continuing Education Credits for attending the workshop. See related article.

Nov 20 - Fall Pride Planning begins for 2006 Planning begins for the Fall Pride event for 2006 See related article.

Nov 2 - Rick Jackson dies Rick Jackson, legal spouse of former Erie native bernie Bright, dies in Toronto. Bernie is beleived to be the first Erie area gay man to have a same sex wedding in Canada. The couple was married in October of 2003. See related article.

Nov - Drenched Fur planning begins for 2006 Gary Snyder begins organizing for the 2006 Drenched Fur Weeken. A web site is set up and dates are picked See related article.

Nov - Planning of Fall Pride March/Rally begins Planning for the annual Fall Pride March/Rally begins for September 2006. Eventually, the committee organizes as Erie Gay Pride, Inc.

Oct 18 - Adoptions from the Heart honors Joey and Jeff Grego Adoptions from the Heart honors Joey Grego and his late partner Jeff Grego at the organizations 20th anniversary gala. See related article.

Oct 15 - 2005 Pride March/Rally About 125 people attended the 2005 Pride March/Rally, which was organized by Dan Burdick. See related article. See photos.

About Oct - Local smoke free bar Raphael's Tavern opens GLBT friendly smoke free Raphael's tavern opens at the site of Friendly's tavern. It is the first smoke free bar in Erie. See related article.

Sep 17 - Katrina Benefit at Trance Trance Dance Club and Erie Gay News hosted a successful benefit for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. $894 was raised. See related article. See photos.

Sep 9 - PFLAG change in leadership At the board elections, Mark H took over from Maureen Koseff as chapter president of PFLAG-Erie and Crawford County. Millie took over from Mark H as Secretary Treasurer. Maureen Koseff became a PFLAG Representative, a volunteer position unaffiliated with the chapter. See related article.

Aug 26 - Local Gay man and father Jeff Grego dies in plane crash Jeff Grego died in a small plane crash at the Corry-Lawrence Municipal Airport in Corry PA. Jeff was a caseworker for the NW PA Rural AIDS Alliance and also, with his partner Joey Grego, took the fight to legally have a 2nd parent adoption for their chidlren, Clay and Zoey Grego, all the way to the PA Superior Court. Jeff was very much beloeved by the community. See related article.

Aug 6 - PFLAG Benefit at Trance Over $700 was raised for the local chapter of Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays at a Variety Showcase Benefit performance at Trance Dance Club . See related article. See photos.

Jun 25 - 13th Annual Pride Erie Picnic Around 300 people attended the Pride Erie Picnic held at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle. A film crew from OUT TV from Canada came to film an episode for a reality/comedy series for the Chris and John Roadshow. This was also the first local Pride event that for which folks could register online. See related article. See photos.

Jun 11 - Rascals burns to the ground Jamestown NY gay bar, Rascals, burns to the ground at about 2:45 AM. It was located at 701 N Main St. See related article.

Jun 2 - County Council vetoes Schenker on Human Relations Commission Erie County Council voted 6-0 to override a previous veto by County Executive Rick Schnker to create a Human Relations Commission Bureau. See related article.

May - Erie Gay Straight Alliance publishes Voters Guide Recently formed Erie Gay/Straight Alliance publishes an Erie County Voters Guide for the May Primary. Races covered include Erie County Executive, Erie County Council, Erie City Mayor, Erie City Council and Millcreek Township Supervisor. About 18 or so of the 35 candidates polled send in responses. See related article.

May - GLBT Business Association updates Resource Directory Several members of the GLBT Business Assocation work on updating the online resource directory maintained by Erie Gay News. See related article.

Apr 2 - Drenched Fur Weekend Local organizers John and Gary put on what is blieved to be the area's first Bear event: Drenched Fur. About 80+ men went to Splash Lagoon Water Park and about 150 men turn up to Trance that evening for a performance by Kendall. There is also an after bar party at host hotel Ramada Inn. See related article.

Apr - Leah Zicari & Jamie Anderson perform at the UU Lesbian performers Leah Zicari and Jamie Anderson have a concert at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie, 7180 New Perry Highway. See related article.

Mar - Grand opening of the Zone at 133 W 18th St The Zone Dance Club moved into te old location of the Village at 133 W 18th St, Erie PA See related article.

Mar - Memorial Tree for Neal Menspace members collect donations for a memorial tree for Neal, who passed away in November 2004. See related article.

Feb - Erie Gay Bowling League forms Chad starts a local bowling league. It is active for a few months. See related article.

Feb - Moonsense Get Togethers Doug begins organizing an informal get together of 'The Guys', many of them Menspace members, at the Moonsense Cafe, 5442 Peach St, Erie PA See related article.

Feb - WQLN screens Buster episode Local PBS affiliate WQLN screens an episode of the Buster episode 'Sugartime'. The series dealt with kids in various areas and circumstances. This episode was controversial in that it included the children's 2 mothers, a lesbian couple in a civil union. See related article. See photos.

Jan 27 - Erie Gay and Straight Citizens Meetup Local Mercyhurst student Parris organizes a political action group that meets for about 4 months or so. They publish a Voters Guide in Erie Gay News that spring for the primary election.

Jan 2 - Village Closed Local gay bar The Village closed after having opened in April of 1997.

Jan - GLBT Business Association starts Brian starts an association of GLBT and GLBT-friendly businesses and professionals. The group meets until the summer of that year. See related article.

2004

Dec 30 - Ray Carinci pleads guilty in Daryl Williams case Ray Carinci plead guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of Daryl Williams. Williams died on July 30, 2004. The house was filled so filled with filth that emergency workds had to evacuate WIlliams through a second story window, and the body was infested with vermin. ROdents may have fed on Williams while he was still alive. Carcinci had been a former Miss Erie as Ginger. See related article.

Nov 19 - Tret Fure has concert at UU Lesbian musician/songwriter Tret Fure performed her second concert in the area at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article.

Oct 29 - Erie Lesbian couple applies for marriage license Erie couple Violet DeFonsey and Nohealani Jones went to the Erie County Courthouse to apply for a marriage license and were denied because Pennsylvania does not recognzie same sex marriage. See related article.

Oct 6 - Elvira Kurt performs at Allegheny Lesbian comic Elvira Kurt performed at Allegheny College in Erie as part of the National Coming Out Day festivities. See related article.

Oct 3 - Pride March/Rally About 100 people participated in a Pride March/Rally. This began with a Family Portrait on the steps of the Erie County Courthouse, with a March on State Street to the Village, where the Rally was held. Several candidates from several parties spoke, as well as other speakers. See related article. See photos.

Oct - Stairways new GLBT group Stairways Outpatient Clinic began a support group called Rainbow Connections for GLBT people with behavioral health issues. See related article.

Sep 11 - Trance opens Erie added a third gay bar, Trance, in September, at 1607 Raspberry St. See related article.

Aug 4 - County Executive signs HRC ordinance changes Erie County Executive Rick Schenker signed ordinance changes for the Human Relations Commission. See related article.

About Aug - GLBT people involved in local Kerry campaign Several local GLBT people became involved in the campaign to elect John Kerry as President. This included volutneeringat local headquarters and also voter registration at Erie gay bars through the month of September. Locally, about 70 new voters were signed up from these efforts.

Jul 30 - Daryl Williams dies Local gay man Daryl Williams dies. He suffered from multiple sclerosis. His sole caregiver was Ray Carinci, who had performed under the drag name of Miss Ginger. Williams was unable to care for himself and found with insect infestations and rat bites (possibly from while he was still alive.) The house was so filled with trash and filth that Williams had to be removed from the room by the second story window. Carinci was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter. Carcini plead guilty on December 30, 2004 See related article.

Jul 27 - County Council unanimously votes for HRC ordinance changes The Erie County COuncil unanimously approved ordinance changes to the Erie County Human Relations Commission. The ECHRC ordinance had covered sexual orientation and gender identity for 2 years. The changes the council was voting for enabled the HRC to qualify for HUD funding. See related article.

Jun 12 - 12th annual PRIDE Erie Picnic About 300 people attended the 12th Annual Pride Erie Picnic. This was the first year that the picnci was held at the Rotary Pavilion at Presque Isle. See related article. See photos.

May 15 - PFLAG Bingo PFLAG of Erie/Crawford County held its 3rd OUTrageous Bingo fundraiser at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie See related article.

Apr 2 - Vertigo parties begin This was a dance party that centered around Butler/Newcastle PA. The organizer was an area woman named Kirsten. She used to work at the Keg, which was the only gayish bar in Butler. The Keg closed in January 2004. There were a few months without anything for GLBT people in the local area and someone told Kirsten that about 10 years ago a guy would throw these Chase parties. This was a party for gays in the area. They would be really busy and he would have them once a month. Kirsten thought she could do something similar as she was a DJ and owned a small DJ Store in downtown Butler. She also had a girlfriend who was willing to help. They talked about it, and Shasta and Kirsten decided to give it a try. Kirsten already had a nice e-mail list from the Keg, so she sent out an e-mail and they had the first Vertigo dance party in April of 2004. As of December 2004, they were getting over 100 people at the events.The name Vertigo was just a cool word Kirsten had heard once and wrote down. She always thought if she ever owned a bar she would want to name it Vertigo. See related article.

Mar 30 - Times News article about Gay group attempting to format Gannon The Erie Times News ran a story about Gannon student Anthony Leger attempting to form a GLBT group at Gannon University. Gannon is the only area local college that has not had an officialy recognized student group. See related article.

Mar 1 - Erie Lesbian Couple wed in San Francisco Leslie Sadley and Julie Metzler flew to San Francisco to be married as SF Mayor Gavin Newsom had directed the city clerks to allow gay couples equal marriage rights. See related article.

Mar - LGLV folds The statewide League of Gay and Lesbian Voters closed its doors. It was headquartered and Erie, and there had been an Erie chapoter in the early/mid 1990's. See related article.

Feb 7 - PFLAG Bingo PFLAG Erie-Crawford County held its second bingo fundraiser at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article. See photos.

Jan 17 - Village reopens wth new owners Local gay bar the Vilalge reopens with 3 new owners: Leslie Bob and Lou. See related article.

2003

Dec 7 - Meadville UU Church becomes Welcoming Congregation The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Meadvile at its annual congregational meeting became officially a "Welcoming Congregation" by an overwhelming majority. See related article.

Dec 1 - AIDS activist DonPaul Lucas dies Long time local HIV/AIDS activist died on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2003 See related article.

Nov 22 - Tret Fure has concert at UU Lesbian musicians/songwriters Tret Fure and Leah Zicari presented a concert at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie. See related article.

Oct 28 - Bernie Bright legally weds Rick in Toronto Erie native Bernie Bright legally married his life partner Rick in Toronto. The province of Ontario had equalized marriage rights in June of that year. See related article.

Sep 28 - Millcreek School District pases anti-discrimination policy Millcreek School District became the first known district in the county to pas a GLBT inclusive anti-discrimination policy. See related article.

Sep 14 - Activist Sr Mary Louise St John OSB dies Long time activist who was one of the founders of Womynspace and an advocate for the GLBT community. See related article.

Sep 12 - 2nd Erie Pride Weekend Erie celebrated its second multiple event GLBT Pride Weekend. For the first time, there was a Parade down State Street. (In 2002, the Parade went down Peach Street.) See related article. See photos.

Jun 14 - 11th Annual Erie Pride Picnic About 270 people showed up for the Pride Picnic at Presque Isle Beach 11 See related article. See photos.

2002

Dec - Erie Gay News resumes print publication After an almost 3 year hiatus, Erie Gay News resumed publication on a monthly basis. After Erie Gay News ceased in December 1999, there was a separate publication called PRIDE News put out by Heather and Gary that ran from early 2000 through fall 2001. The decision to begin publishing again was announced at the September Pride Rally. The original staff (Mike A Miller, Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko) worked on both the print publication. Mike A Miller also worked on the web site, but left the area in December 2002.

Sep 6 - First Erie Pride Weekend This was an organized large scale multiple event Pride Weekend. The primary organizing groups were Trigon and PFLAG. The events included parties at the Village and Zone on Friday and Saturday. About 100 people participated that Saturday in the March for Equality from the Village down Peach St. to a Pride Rally in Perry Square, where about 200-300 people gathered. Sunday featured a Dykes vs Drag Queens softball game (won by the Drag Queens) enjoyed by at least 60 people, and a PFLAG Jazz Brunch fund-raiser at the Village that had around 195 people. The local mainstream coverage was quite positive. Kudos to the many people, particularly Abbey Atkinson and Maureen Koseff, who made this such a success! See related article. See photos.

Sep - Scott Park Arrests In September, local media covered arrests of men in Scott Park for indecency/open lewdness. Millcreek Police sent letters to vehicles that had been spotted in the area informing them of efforts to enforce the law. Condoms and paper towels had been left littering the park. GLBT community reaction varied in that some supported efforts to contain this illegal behavior and some believed that in some cases men were being entrapped. One local man hired a lawyer and had the charges dropped/reduced.

Aug 21 - 2nd Parent Adoption Win The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the unmarried partner of a legal parent could adopt the partner’s children. One of the 2 couples in the case were local dads Jeff and Joey. Jeff was seeking a “2nd parent adoption” for the children the couple had been raising since infancy. Jeff and Joey have been together for 20 years. This was noted in national media. See related article.

Jun 8 - Erie Pride Picnic About 225 people came to the 2002 Erie Pride Picnic at Presque Isle Beach 11. This was a significant jump from the previous year's total of 125-150 See related article. See photos.

Mar 8 - GLBT Inclusive HRC ordinance signed into law Republican Erie County Executive Rick Schenker signs the GLBT inclusive Erie County Human Relations Commission into law. He had earlier opposed it. See related article.

Feb 26 - Erie County Council passes revised HRC ordinance After much work by local activists, Erie County Council passed a GLBT inclusive Human Relations Commission ordinance. See related article.

About Feb - Erie County Democratic Party reaches out to GLBT's The Erie County Democratic Party reached out to a number of different constituencies, including the GLBT community. About 4-5 os us met with then Chairman Ron DiNicola.

Jan 8 - HRC ordinance tabled by County Council County Council members voted to tabled the proposed Human Relations Commission ordinance for 30 days. This was to give newly installed County Executive RIck Schenker time to review See related article.

Bar Cooperation A welcome trend was increased cooperation between the owners/managers of Erie’s 2 local gay bars, the Zone and the Village. Also there was a thread on a local message board about area dance clubs and many people, including many straights, praised both establishments as fun places to dance and hang out. It was heartening to see straight people commenting how unfortunate it would be to let homophobia prevent people from enjoying a predominantly gay space.

New/revitalized groups New/revitalized groups in 2002 included the Mercyhurst Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), and an informally organized GSA at McDowell High School, which is believed to be the first local group at that educational level. The Erie/Crawford County Chapter of PFLAG added a Straight Spouse Network in October that is meeting monthly. There were also a few combined Menspace / 10% Network social events.

Political involvement Several local GLBT folks were involved with AnnDrea Benson’s Green Party campaign for US Congress against Republican incumbent Phil English. Benson made a very good showing for a candidate who turned down PAC money, but did not prevail. Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell reached out strongly to the GLBT community, and had even hired what was probably the first paid campaign liaison to the GLBT community. The Philadelphian, Mike Marsico, organized a few voter registration tables in Erie. Both the Democrat Party and Green Party of Erie County both did outreach to the GLBT community. Erie County Democratic Party Chair Ron DiNicola had a session at party headquarters to specifically reach out to the community. The Greens also welcomed GLBT members and actively encouraged participation.

2001

Dec 18 - HRC ordinance has 1st reading by County Council The proposed GLBT inclusive Human Relations Commission ordinance had its first reading for Erie County Council. See related article.

Nov 29 - Erie Times News article about Rev. Patrick Kennedy listed on Death Site After having publicly condemned the lesbian owned South Shore Inn in North East, and having opposed the GLBT inclusive revisions to the Erie County Human Relations Commission, Rev. Patrick Kennedy of the First Baptist Church of North East was listed on a Death Watch site that was created by a gay man in California who had a history of mental illness. See related article.

Nov 27 - County Council Withdraws Suggestion to Cut Human Relations C The Erie County Human Relations Commission (HRC) dodged a bullet. Council had discussed 11/26 putting on the agenda a vote 11/27 to possibly cut funding to the body. This would have effectively ended the HRC and its nearly year-long attempt to get Council to enact a local ordinance which would finally include protections for people from prejudice on the basis of sexual orientation. See related article.

Sep 28 - Joint HRC/County Council meeting There was a joint meeting of Erie County Council and the Human Relations Commission on Friday, September 28, 2001. Erie County Council members attending included Joy Greco, Carol Loll, Mark Divecchio and Joe Giles. HRC Commissioners attending included Bill McCarthy, Dorothy Smith, Judith Jobes, Joe Legansky, Becky Mazary, and James Feritto. As well as the HRC's Executive Director, Rev. Willie Damper. County Council Clerk Flo Fabrizio was also present. In addition, about 15 or so citizens were present, almost all favoring the inclusion of sexual orientation. Rev. Damper noted that during the early phases of revising the ordinance, he was simply going along with the will of the commissioners, but as the process has unfolded and he has become familiar with the testimony of the GLBT community and the data on discrimination, he now believes that the new ordinance MUST include sexual orientation as a protected category. This represents an important stand from the "professional" who runs the day-to-day operation of the HRC and a recommendation that the Council cannot easily ignore. See photos.

Sep 10 - HRC recommends to Include Sexual Orientation to County Counc After much wrangling, the Erie County Human Relations Commission (HRC) decided today to recommend for vote by County Council a version of local ordinance including sexual orientation as a class protected against discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Now it remains entirely up to Erie County Council whether or not to vote for the ordinance in a future session. See related article.

Aug 13 - HRC agrees to review sexual orientation clause despite press The Erie County Human Relations Commission (HRC) met Monday, August 13th to discuss what to do with the clause in the most current proposed draft of Erie County Ordinance which includes sexual orientation as a protected class against discrimination in employment, housing and accommodations. See related article.

Aug - Local AIDS Activist participates in Alaska Bike Ride Mercyhurst student, AIDS Activist and out gay man Tim McNichol raised $3400 to participate in an AIDS Bike Ride fundraiser in Alaska. He was also profiled in local mainstream media, as well as PRIDE News See related article.

Jul 28 - First Village Masquer-AIDS benefit We are pleased to announce that the Masquer-AIDS Benefit held at The Village, 133 West 18th Street, Erie, PA on July 28, 2001 was a rousing success. The event has generated $1300 in donations to date. Our employees and customers worked very hard to make the day successful and our heartfelt thanks go out to all of you. Funds were generated through a Car wash, the Village donated door proceeds, carnation, red ribbon pins, “jello-shots” and raffles of prizes donated by our loyal customers, 50-50 drawing, Winner of the 50-50 drawing generously donated her winnings back to the event fund , Cash donations from employees and customers. Funds were dispersed to the following agencies: $300 to the NW PA Rural AIDS Alliance Foundation, serving 14 NW PA counties Special Fund for Emergency Expenses such as the purchase of a refrigerator for medication and teddy bears for children’s events; $500 to St. Martin Center in Erie, providers of counseling, referral services; $500 to Cathedral of St. Paul HIV/AIDS Outreach Ministry, food pantry and local sponsors of the AIDS Quilt Project.

Jun 30 - Erie Pride Picnic About 125-150 people showed up at the 2001 Erie Pride Picnic See related article.

Jun 22 - PA passes GLBT inclusive Hate Crimes Bill A coalition of groups across the state, including SPARC, were able to have a GLBT inclusive hate crimes bill passed. People from Erie had been active both in the early 1990's, and also in the final push. See related article.

Jun 18 - Erie area HIV/AIDS focus group met to discuss prevention On Monday, June 18, about 10 gay/bi men of varying ages, races, and backgrounds met to discuss HIV/AIDS prevention. The University of Pittsburgh was collecting data from numerous communities including Latinos, African Americans and men who have sex with men (a term used by health care works as some men who engage in man to man sex may not identify as gay or bi.) The results of the studies were tp be used by various groups and other studies to apply for literally millions of dollars in grants from the Center for Disease Control (CDC.) The focus group was advertised to the local GLBT news email list. Given the nature of the group, it was very important that the group be of a particular size (too large would have meant that most people wouldn't have gotten to speak.) We also wanted to be sure that folks could feel safe and free to be open in a confidential atmosphere. The participants were wonderfully honest and forthcoming and gave a lot of good data and insight. The focus group was held at the lower room of the Village, 133 W 18th St. That area was selected because it could be made into a private space, which was set up by Doug Burford. Manager Leslie Clifton also helped out by picking up sandwiches for a light meal. We would like to thank all of the participants, the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Health, and especially the Village, Doug Burford and Leslie Clifton for hosting this important event!

Jun 3 - Ecumenical Pentecostal Worship Service Rev. Sally Jo Snyder and Robin Cuneo were among the organizers of an ecumenical worship service at the Wayside Presbyterian Church. About 60 people from as far away as Cleveland and Pittsburgh attended. This became known as the Witness Our Welcome (WOW) service. This also included a pot luck dinner. For the first service, SPECIAL THANKS went out to Wayside Presbyterian, its session and staff, especially Rev. James Haas, Rev. Keith Sundberg and organist Dawn Weborg; More Light Presbyterians, especially Rev. Lyta Seddig, Rev. Evon McJunkin, Rev. Kate Irish-Filer and Robin Cuneo; Reconciling Methodists, especially Rev. Sally Jo Snyder and Sue Laurie; Sister Mary Louise St. John; and Michael Mahler.

Jun - South Shore Inn closes Lesbian owned bed & breakfast closes after facing tough economic times and being condemned by FIrst Baptist Church of North East. See related article.

May 18 - Supportive dinner at Lake Shore Inn Rev. Sally Jo Snyder and Rev. Russell Shuluga have a supportive dinner/banquet at the South Shore Inn in contrast to the condemning statements made by Rev. Patrick Kennedy of the First Baptist Church of North East See related article.

Apr 3 - Judy Shepherd speaks at Mercyhurst College Judy Shepherd, activist and mother of slain gay man Matthew Shepherd, spoke at Mercyhurst COllege along with Mercyhrust alumnus Brent Scarpo, who had just made a documentary about hate crimes, including Shepherd's murder. See related article.

Apr 23 - Art Berardi dies Former head of Erie Police Department. In July of 1986, he became the first known local law enforcement agency to reach out to the GLBT community. See related article.

Apr 22 - Erie Times News story about South Shore Inn A lesbian owned bed and breakfast in North East, PA, was the subject of criticism of Rev. Patrick Kennedy of the First Baptist Church of North East. The South Shore Enn eventually went out of business. See related article.

Mar 6 - Erie County Council Tables Hearing of Proposed HRC Ordinance About 100 people attended the March 6 meeting of the Erie County Council. Most of those in attendance had come because Council had placed on the agenda revisions to the Human Relations Commission (HRC) ordinance. Of particular interest was the addition of "sexual orientation" as a protected category. On January 29, the HRC had voted unanimously to accept "sexual orientation" as a protected category. See related article.

Mar 2 - Club 201 opens Club 201 was located at 201 Winsor Street and opened its doors at 8pm on Friday, March 2nd. It was located at the former site of The Nite Spot, a previous gay bar in Jamestown. It lasted for about a year. Principal DJ and the producer/director of the Sunday Female Illusionist shows was the former manager of Backstreets, Mirage, Liberty, Heaven of Rochester and Club E of Buffalo. Tom Hoey coordinated the entire entertainment policy all four evenings which featured live dj music involving the use of Vinyl, CD's and computerized dance music. Ric Raymond and Tom Hoey were the owners.

Feb 25 - Erie Gay News chosed as Destination of the Day The Erie Gay News web site was chosen as the Destination of the Day by the Pennsylvania Destination of the Day. See related article.

Feb 10 - Valentine's Womynspace dance at South Shore Inn The South Shore Inn was later targeted by Rev. Patrick Kennedy and the First Baptist Church of North East for being gay-friendly. it closed later that year. The original thank you for the dance held on this date read: "The Valentine's Dance to benefit Womynspace that was held on Saturday, February 10, 2001 at South Shore Inn was a success on many levels. It was a time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones, feel a part of our community-enjoy its diversity, and learn our local herstory. The dance started with an idea and flourished with the help and of many people. We would like to thank Patricia and Danielle for providing the location for us to hold the dance. The Inn was spacious enough that it allowed for dancing and conversations. A key organizer was Lynne, who kept the concept from floundering by her constant vigilance. Additional contributors include Dar, who printed the tickets, Cheryl and Kel who provided suggestions, support, and labor; Michael Mahler, who offered contacts and public resources; to the Womynspace members who peddled tickets and spread the word to anyone who would listen. The DJ's- Jill & Chris, who managed to satisfy the diverse musical tastes of the masses with their talents. Thanks for catering to so many musical interests!"

Jan 29 - HRC unanimously votes to include sexual orientation in local The Erie County Human Relations Commission unanimously passed a resolution to include "sexual orientation" as a protected category. The vote was taken at a meeting on January 29 to discuss changing the wording of the Human Relations Commission (HRC) ordinance. About 60 to 70 people attended the meeting. Those in attendance appeared to have all been supportive of including sexual orientation protection. See related article.

2000

Nov 13 - Maureen Koseff elected Erie PFLAG President On Monday, November 13 at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Erie, the Erie chapter of Parents Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) elected a new president, Maureen Koseff, and a new secretary-treasurer, Jayne May. Both women ran unopposed and were approved unanimously. Approximately 25 people attended the meeting, including both former PFLAG members and new attendees, gays and lesbians, as well as family members and friends. The Erie chapter had been semi-inactive for approximately the past year and a half. The last official president, Elaine Hill, stepped down in early 1999 due to reasons unrelated to PFLAG or the GLBT community. The meeting was very positive and energetic. Maureen Koseff and her husband Alan had previously been active in the Metro Washington DC chapter of PFLAG. The couple moved to the area to care for Alan's parents and wanted to get the group going again. Also speaking that night were AnnDrea Benson and Reid McFarlane, who have been working with the Erie County Human Relations Commission (ECHRC). PFLAG took an important role in the push for a GLBT inclusive ECHRC ordinance.

Oct - United Way of Erie County continues to fund Boy Scouts In the Saturday, October 14 edition of the Erie Times News was an article by Tim Hahn concerning the United Way of Erie County's decision to continuing to fund the French Creek Boy Scout Council. The US Supreme Court decided (5-4) that summer to allow the Boy Scouts to continue excluding gays as leaders and members. Many Boy Scout group across the nation have subsequently lost funding. Each United Way decides who to fund locally. As quoted in the article, the president and chief professional officer, Alan Perez, said that "We want to be clear regarding the United Way of Erie County and the Boy Scouts. ... United Way of Erie County is funding the French Creek Council of the Boy Scouts. Our community is very supportive of the Boy Scouts and they are held in high esteem for their integrity, values, effective service delivery and positive impact on the hundreds of children in our community."

Jun 18 - 2nd Parent adoption denied Judge Shad Connelly denied Jeff a second parent adoption. (His partner Joey had already adopted the couple's 2 children.) Jeff and Joe appealed to the PA Supreme Court with another couple and on August 21, 2002, the PA Supreme Court ruled in their favor. See related article.

Jun 10 - Erie Pride Picnic Annual gathering of folks at Presque Isle. This was at Beach 11. See related article. See photos.

Feb - PRIDE News begins publication A new print publication begins with different staff than Erie Gay News. Put out by Gary and Heather. It lasted into late 2001.

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Erie Gay News
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Co-editors Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko