December, 2019 News (31 Articles with 35,916 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for December, 2019 Michelle Michaels performing at the 14th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend.
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
Category for this issueCalendar & Upcoming Events
Calendar of Local GLBT Events |
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Local and Regional News
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil on Nov 20
Over 50 people attended the Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil organized by TransFamily of NW PA held on the steps of the Erie County Courthouse, 140 W 6th St, Erie PA on Wednesday, November 20. The names and stories of 37 people who had died in the U.S. due to violence or suicide as a result of transphobia were read by vigil participants, as well as a death that occurred in 2016 but was only positively identified in September 2019.This was the seventh consecutive year that there has been a local observance. After the vigil, TransFamily of NWPA and the Crime Victim Center of Erie County hosted a reception with light snacks to give attendees an opportunity to socialize and process their emotions. There was local media coverage promoting the event, and the Erie Reader sent a journalist to interview participants. Mayor Joe Schember prepresented a proclamation recognizing Transgender Awareness Week to Caitlyn Strohmeyer at his press conference the previous week. Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper also issued a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was presented at the vigil by Alex Whipple of the Erie County Department of Health.
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) Intersections of Equality Symposium on Nov 16
November 16, 2019: Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) presented the Intersections of Equality Symposium at the Black Conference Center, Penn State the Behrend College. Attendees included regional advocates, allies, and LGBTQ community members from the tri state region. The theme of the day was LGBTQ Advocacy and Equality through Education. Rich McCarty facilitated the symposium and guided attendees through broad range of diverse topics for discussion that included a health care panel, LGBTQ and the Arts and Art Therapy, the state of LGBTQ Affairs, Alliances and Partnerships: State, City, Corporate and Cultural.
PA Commission on LGBTQ Affairs meeting on Nov 15
The Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs held their quarterly on Friday, November 15 at the Bradley-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown PA. There were reports from the various action teams. The education action team reported that they are focusing on safety and policy, curriculum in schools, as well as training for educators. The Department of Human Services (DHS) is moving forward with an internal LGBT work group. The work group for aging is focusing on the PA Department of Aging's statement on addressing LGBTQ senior concerns and cultural competency. The work group on health is working on addressing policy barriers related to assisted reproductive technology. The PA Department of Health will be rolling out the statewide LGBTQ health needs assessment survey. Help is needed in getting participation from rural parts of the state. The newly formed work group on homelessness is looking at handling housing units for LGBT youth and also educating parents on LGBT in PA. We need to get a database of friendly space for LGBTQ youth. Homelessness and housing are addressed at the county level, so this is a challenge to work on at the state level Progress on passing anti-discrimination legislation at the state level has been slow and steady. It is hoped that this will be introduced in 2020. We need faith leaders, major businesses and health care providers to sign on. The web site for signing up is PAValues.org.
Rebecca Mae's Drag Brunch on Dec 1 at Bourbon Barrel
On Sunday, December 1, come slay with Rebecca Mae and her monthly guests as they whirl and twirl for you! The event fruns from 11AM to 2:30 PM at the Bourbon Barrel, 1213 State St, Erie PA. Live entertainment includes performances by: Your host, Rebecca Mae, our Monthly Special Guest, Jaida Essence Hall (from Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Sasha Nolan (from Pittsburgh, PA), Evon Michelle (from Baltimore, Maryland), Michelle Michaels (Erie’s OG Diva) and Priscilla Godzilla (Erie's newest baby Queen)! This show will be hosted by yours truly, Rebecca Mae. Show includes adult content and comedy so please come with a sense of humor and open mindedness!
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) End of the Year Celebration on Dec 5 at Room 33
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) will be holding their End of the Year Celebration on Thursday, December 5 from 5 to 8 PM at Room 33 Speakeasy & Cafe, 1033 State St, Erie, PA . Tickets are available now for $25.00. Dress is business casual. Ticket includes delicious food. Music by Max Schlang's Trio of Blues. Full cash bar available. At the event, we will collect socks and blankets for the Ryan White Program at Community Health Net.
Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council meeting on November 7
The Erie City Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held their quarterly meeting on Thursday; November 7. The meeting included election of officers for the council. Tyler Titus was elected President, Michael Mahler was elected Vice-President, and Alex Sphon was elected Secretary. Additionally, action teams were formed to address various topics. The action teams are Health Care (lead is Pam Anthony), Aging (lead is Michael Mahler), Youth (lead is Tyler Titus), Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (lead is Tammie Johnson), Marketing (lead is Kevin Seeker), and Education (lead is Caitlyn Strohmeyer.) Action team members are open to community members who are not on the Mayor's LGBTQ Advisory Council. It is expected that the action teams will be meeting in between the quarterly meetings of the Advisory Council. Quarterly Advisory Council meetings were scheduled through the end of 2020.
First Congregational United Church of Christ, Jefferson Ohio Celebration on Dec 1
The First Congregational United Church of Christ, 41 E Jefferson St, Jefferson OH will be celebrating the adoption of their open and affirmation covenant (a loving welcome of LGBT+ persons and allies) on Sunday, December 1 at 3 PM. The event includes a guest speaker and live music. In addition, Signature Health will be offering free confidential HIV and Hep C testing in observance of World AIDS Day. The phone number is (440) 213-4745 and the web site for the church is fcuccjefferson.org
LGBTQ Youth Friendsgiving Event on November 30
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality and Erie County Regional GSA are hosting our first ever youth Friendsgiving ages 13-18. There is no cost to any participants, but registration is required so we know how much food to get. Saturday, November 30th at Erie Day School from 1:30-4 pm. Adults are welcome to donate or help prepare/serve food. Message geaeinfo@gmail.com for more information. Please join us and pass the word! Register for Friendsgiving
New Healthcare Consumer Anthology By Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Executive Director Set for Publication in Early 2020
ALLENTOWN, PA -- Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Executive Director, Adrian Shanker, has edited a new anthology of essays by LGBT activists which is set for release and distribution in early 2020. The book, Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health (PM Press, 2020) features essays by prominent activists in the LGBT community including a foreword by Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, an Afterword by national LGBT leader Kate Kendell, and chapters by 26 activists from around the world, including Erie School Board member Tyler Titus. Bodies and Barriers is the first book written by LGBT healthcare consumers to inform the healthcare system and make it work more equitably for all of us. The book is structured chronologically to take the reader on a journey through the major stages of life for LGBT people.
14th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend raises $3,423
The 14th Annual Breast Cancer Weekend was held at The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA, October 11th-14th. What started as Michelle Michaels' idea to bring together the local drag community to raise money for a cause near and dear to heart has since grown into an entire weekend of fundraising.
Full Fury GLOW - A Benefit for Sean at Zone Dance Club Nov 15-17
Sean, the doorman for The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th St, Erie PA,, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer and currently going through the second round of chemotherapy. Back in May, he had major surgery to attempt to remove the cancer. He has been out of work (aside from here) since April. So naturally we're throwing him a benefit November 15-17 to help offset the medical and related costs.
Deadline for December 2019 print edition (issue # 289) of Erie Gay News is Friday, November 15
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 289, cover dated for December 2019), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late September 2019 and beyond by Friday, November 15. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, November 26..
Political, Activism and Legal
Human Rights Campaign President Calls on Trump Jr. To Apologize for Vile HIV and AIDS Tweet
WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 26, 2019 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, called on Donald Trump Jr., son of President Trump, to apologize for his vile weekend tweet stigmatizing people living with HIV.
Haitian LGBTIQ Activist Found Dead Under Suspicious Circumstances
One of Haiti's most prominent LGBTIQ activists, Jeudy Charlot, was found dead at his home in Petion-Ville outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince on the morning of Monday, November 25th. The circumstances of his death are still unclear and an autopsy is needed to determine the cause of death.
Lambda Legal to Court: Don't Allow Social Security to Extend the Harms of Invalidated Marriage Bans
(Tacoma, WA, Nov. 21, 2019) - Lambda Legal today asked a federal court to end the U.S. Social Security Administration's (SSA) categorical refusal to provide spousal survivor's benefits to a 64-year-old lesbian whose partner of 27 years died before same-sex couples in the State of Washington were able to marry. Lambda Legal also asked the court to end this discrimination against all similarly situated same-sex surviving partners who were barred from marriage, arguing that SSA's exclusion of same-sex couples from survivor's benefits for which they paid based on their inability to marry is unconstitutional.
NCLR's Born Perfect Campaign Applauds American Medical Association Support for Laws Protecting Youth from Conversion Therapy
CHICAGO, IL - November 19, 2019 - Today, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced that it will formally support state and federal legislation protecting LGBTQ youth from the life-threatening practice of conversion therapy. The AMA, which has long opposed conversion therapy for its lack of scientific basis, stated that "it agrees with medical experts that the lack of regulation on [the practice] opens the door to fraud, harm, and trauma for many adults and children in the U.S."
Bellevue, KY Passes LGBTQ Fairness Ordinance 6-0
(Bellevue, KY - November 13, 2019) With a unanimous vote of 6-0 tonight, the Northern Kentucky town of Bellevue, population 5,772, became the fifteenth city in the commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Bellevue continues the record-breaking streak of cities passing Fairness Ordinances this year by becoming the fifth to extend LGBTQ protections in 2019. In both 1999 and 2013, three Kentucky cities passed Fairness Ordinances, which was the previous record for a single year.
Health
Erie County HIV Task Force hosts World AIDS Day Recognition
Erie, PA - The Erie County HIV Task Force will host a World AIDS Day Recognition Program on Monday, Dec. 2, at 5:15 p.m. in the Admiral Room at Blasco Memorial Library, 160 E. Front St. Since 1988, World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have died.
How to Balance your Heart, Mind and Genitals
Romance. Sex. Intimacy. Hooking up. Hanging out. Do I have your attention? As men-who-love-men, we want all things from all men. We want hot sex, emotional intimacy, a great, loyal friend and a handy man who can help us fix our car/house/life. In short, we want to feel loved (heart), respected for our intelligence (mind) and physically desired (genitals)
I Was Warned... But I Went Anyway
The health and well-being of our LGBTQ community depends on us all telling our stories. It is important the new generation understands the past. It is important the mature generation never forgets. And it's very important to share our stories of where we are today. The bad and the good. Last month I visited the University of Wyoming for the first time. I came with my big awareness project about sexual and domestic violence that I've taken on a cross country odyssey over the past four years.
Spirituality and Religion
Henrietta United Church of Christ Calls Gay Erie native as Senior Pastor
Henrietta, New York - Henrietta United Church of Christ has called Erie native Rev. Jason S. Boyd as its Senior Pastor. Rev. Boyd is the first openly gay person to be called as Senior Pastor. Henrietta United Church of Christ has been an Open and Affirming congregation for nearly a decade, and annually hosts a Pride service as well as participating in Pride activities in the Rochester metropolitan area.
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
Hallmark, Lifetime, the gay question
Like me, I'm sure you're beginning to think about the holidays. The Hallmark Channel and Lifetime are already running holiday romance movies 24/7. This year, not only do they have holiday movies for the Black community, they even have one that has a Jewish storyline. Wonder if they have a Chanukah bush? These new movies are an attempt to be diverse and inclusive.
The Amazon Trail: "The Terminator"
This week I went to the movies. It's been a long time since I've said that. Do people even say "the movies" anymore?
Contests
Enter for the chance to win Mind The Moon by Milky Chance!
Enter for the chance to win Mind The Moon by Milky Chance! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 31.
Win a free download of Kesha's "Raising Hell" (feat. Big Freedia)!
Enter now to win a free download of Kesha's "Raising Hell" (feat. Big Freedia) from her highly anticipated forthcoming album High Road, out January 10. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, December 6 and Friday, December 27.
Enter to win The Blood of Kings e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books!
Enter to win The Blood of Kings e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, December 3 and Tuesday, December 24.
Enter to win Back Door Into Purgatory e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books!
Enter to win Back Door Into Purgatory e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, November 29 and Friday, December 20.
Enter to win Greta DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures!
Enter to win Greta DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, November 26 and Tuesday, December 17.
Enter to win the soundtrack CD for Last Christmas!
Enter to win the soundtrack CD for Last Christmas! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, November 22 and Friday, December 13.
Win a free download of Halsey's "Graveyard" (Axwell Remix)!
Enter now to win a free download of "Graveyard" (Axwell Remix), based on the hit single featured on the forthcoming album Manic from multi-platinum artist Halsey. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, November 19 and Tuesday, December 10
Miscellaneous
Real Estate Survey Finds Accepting, Non-Judgemental Attitude of Realtors Primary Concern
Palm Springs, Calif. -Nov. 22 , 2019 - GayRealEstate.com, a service which connects buyers and sellers with compatible agents, recently surveyed their more than 1,500 partner agents and found that the vast majority of their LGBTQ clients demand non-judgement and equality in representation: highly prioritizing a trusting and supportive demeanor in their preferred realtor. As a demographic that is discriminated against, the LGBTQ community may place a higher importance on feeling comfortable with, and accepted by, those assisting with major life decisions.
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