Other HRC Developments:

HRC Thank You's

Council Votes 6-1 for ordinance 2/26/02

Council tables HRC ordinance again, but... 1/8/02

HRC has first reading by County Council on 12/18/01

HRC withdraws plan to de-fund HRC 11/27/01

Joint Council/HRC Meeting 9/28/01

HRC reaffirms recommendation to include Sexual orientation 9/10/01

HRC Agrees to Review Inclusion of Sexual Orientation Despite Pressure by County Council 8/13/01

County Council Tables Hearing of Proposed Ordinance 3/6/01

HRC Unanimously Votes to Include Sexual Orientation 1/29/01

HRC Ordinance FAQ's

How to Contact County Council

Sample Letters to Council Members

HRC Thank You's

compiled by Michael Mahler, 3/11/2002

There were many, MANY people and organizations who worked behind the scenes who either didn’t want too use their name in a public listing or whose names we may not have known or we may have forgotten. Please forgive any omissions! (And hey, with such a HUGE list of individuals and organizations working, it was not only inevitable that we would prevail, but also that some might be overlooked.)

Thanks go out to:

Reid McFarlane and AnnDrea Benson, for having initiated the proposal to add sexual orientation to the ordinance, and taking action at critical junctures during the process.

PFLAG Erie and Crawford Counties Chapter for publicizing key issues and organizing public support for the ordinance and all of its members.

Dave Martin (ACLU Board Member), for driving up so frequently from so far away and working tirelessly throughout the process.

Rev. Charles Mock and the African American Concerned Clergy of Erie. and the Congregational Action to Lift with Love (CALL) and the many members of both who wrote, called, and attended meetings.

Rev. Jim Bank and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie

Sr. Marlene Bertke, OSB, Sr. Mary Louise St. John, OSB, Sr. Dorothy Stoner, OSB, & Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Sr. Mary Claire Kennedy, SSJ and Sisters of St. Joseph, JoAnne Courneen, RSM and Sisters of Mercy

More Light Presbyterians, Rev. Lyta Seddig and Robin Cuneo, co-moderators

Sue Kuebler and the Cathedral of St. Paul (Episcopal)

Rev. Willie Damper and the Erie County Human Relations Committee (ECHRC)

Bill McCarthy and the ECHRC , and its advisory board

Rabbi John Bush, Larry Sawdy and the congregation of Temple Anshe Hesed

Rabbi Lifshen for his support

Rev. Sally Jo Snyder and Cascade United Methodist Church

Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, National Organization for Women

Erie Branch NAACP,Executive Committee - Dorothy A. Smith President

Ben Wiley and GECAC

John Horan and Erie Housing Authority

Our attorney contacts for lobbying legislators, providing insight, and legal research

Bob Cogan, Tim Soggs (President) and the Erie County Green Party. Tim is thanked for speaking for the ordinance and for making an impassioned reply to a WICU reporter in a TV interview in which he said the struggle of GLBT people for civil rights was "the same struggle" as black people's earlier struggle for civil rights.

NW PA Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Jack & Karen Kressley & PFLAG-DuBois for spreading the word and encouraging folks to get involved.

Trigon (wrote letters, made phone calls, attended meetings, marched, and promoted the issue on the Behrend campus)

David Adams and United Electrical Workers, UE 506

AFL-CIO Central Labor Council for approving sending a letter in support of the ordinance

Ron DiNicola and the Erie County Democratic Party

Our Republican members and supporters, some of whom were very helpful in speaking with the majority on County Council

Chris Young and League of Gay and Lesbian Voters (LGLV) for support, and getting us the copy of the High Tech/Tolerance study

Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission for information and assistance in testimony.

Michael Crawford and Human Rights Campaign, for providing the United States GAO report on statewide initiatives and giving advice throughout the process

Lisa Mottet and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, for sending out an action alert to Erie County NGLTF members

Mara Keisling and the PA Gender Rights Coalition

Statewide PA Rights Coalition (SPARC)

Tracey Thomas and friends at Serenity/Crossroads/Gaudenzia Hall

Rita Addessa and Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force (PGLTF) for valuable materials and advice

Tiffany L Palmer, Andrew Park and the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights for presenting a program in 2000, and writing, advising, providing legal research in 2001/2002.

Leslie Clifton and the staff of the Village, and Bob Regan and the staff of the Zone for help in spreading the word, providing great spaces for our community and much support.

Erie Daily Times for accurate and sensitive reporting, especially George Miller and Erica Erwin.

The Times News editorial board for taking a stand for this issue.

All 3 local TV news stations – Scott Cook & WICU TV 12, Tim Miller, Doug Buchanan & WJET TV 24 and Carol Wilson, Carol Pella, Kara Calabrese & WSEE TV 35 for fair and accurate coverage

Eric Resnick and the staff of the Cleveland Gay People's Chronicle for coverage and for support

Micheal Miller, for presenting the information on the Erie Gay News web site, attending meetings, and much behind the scenes work

Deb Spilko, for writing letter templates and etc

Pride News

All 7 council members: Mark Divecchio, for being our supporter from the very beginning; to Joe Giles, especially for speaking so eloquently on September 10 for continued inclusion; to Joy Greco, for her intense research and efforts to work with her colleagues to pass the ordinance; to Fiore Leone, who also spoke bravely up on January 8; to James Terrill and Carol Loll, for recognizing the need for passing this measure; to David Mitchell, for although he didn't vote for it, he did ask Schenker to not veto it. To Flo Fabrizio and all the courthouse staff for their gracious help,

Rick Schenker, for signing the ordinance into law.

All of the folks, both gay and straight. who ceaselessly called, wrote, emailed, came to meetings and spoke. Among those who sent in email, letters spoke or called: Marcha Denise Vecchio (wrote letters to all Council members and County Executive); The Grego Family - Joey, Jeff, Clay & Zoey; Amy Terrizzi (spoke at Council meetings, called, wrote letters); Mike Jones (wrote letters, attended meetings); Sara M. Culver (letter to Councilperson David Mitchell); John Benjamin/Joanne Lynn Benjamin (emailed, faxed); Rich Sitter (attended meetings, spoke); Heather Malobisky (attended and spoke at meetings); Rita Kilbane (attended meetings); Brock George (attended, spoke out as gay conservative Republican); Marshall K Snyder (attended, spoke at meetings); Lisa Bongiorno; Bonnie Przychodzien & Theresa Adams; Bob Howden; Brian Skelly; Dave Amy; Gary Yuhas; Dave Mulholland; Laurie Finch & Janice Hanusik (attended meeting, wrote letters to council and Mr. Schenker, passed out letters at work and to friends for them to mail to council members asking for support. Talked to people about the issue.); Mark Hoovler, Jayne and Thomas May, Robin and David Adams, Betty and Terry Bratt, Douglas and Nancy Giambra, Terry Cashman and Kirk Taylor, David George, Reverend Karen Mohr, Ms. Patricia Baird, Don and Betty Korrell, Joshua Adams (PFLAG members; donated money or called/wrote, etc), Jim McCall; Ron Reinig (“I contacted each of the Council members, in person, by phone, or on their answering machines. I also talked about it in each of my policy classes and human diversity classes. My students agreed that we needed this, as we needed the Civil Rights Act of '64 and much since.”) ; Abbey Atkinson (wrote letters, made phone calls, spoke at a press conference, signed a petition, and attended a county council meeting); Danielle Stahlbaum (attended a council meeting, marched in the march in October); Peggy Lee; Don McCain; Charity Shadle (Verbal support and letters sent.)

Big thanks to everyone! We couldn’t have done this without everyone!

© Erie Gay News