Michael dithers

by Mike Mahler

What a busy past few months! It was fun walking with the Edinboro students and NW PA Pride in the Homecoming Parade. Two weeks later, I went down to march with Crawford Area LGBT+ and several Allegheny Colege students in the Meadville Halloween Parade. Randy, the organizer for our unit, had said that it was going to be wet and suggested that folks wear a poncho or something. I must admit that I tend to not be very good at costuming, but I picked up both a red ponco and a red clown nose, and told folks that I was Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Raingear. Speaking of costumes, there were some terrific costumes at the Identity/EUP HalloQueen Ball, and also some wonderful performers at the Penn State Behrend Drag Show.

Kudos to Tyler James Titus for making not only local history as the first openly LGBT person to be elected as a public official, but also as the first openly transgender elected official in Pennsyvania. I was explaining to a friend that although Dr. Rachel Levine is the first openly transgender state-level cabinet position in the US, it is an appointed, rather than an elected position.

I found some documents from Harry Miller of LGBT history from the 1970's, and a playlist from Vincent's, a gay bar that used to be at 1101 State St, from Dale Allgeier. Check them out in the LGBT History photo album on the Erie Gay News Facebook page.