NW PA Pride Alliance Celebrates 2015 Accomplishments


from NW PA Pride Alliance Board of Directors


The Northwest PA (NW PA) Pride Alliance will soon begin its sixth year, and is delighted and proud to share 2015 accomplishments and activities in its annual report. In May, the Alliance achieved an important milestone in the growth of the organization—obtaining 501(c)(3) status. A non-profit status and the generosity of the community will help the Alliance to expand the scope and focus of work in the LGBTQIA community. Other 2015 highlights include the Pride Picnic, Pride Festival, sponsorship of the Miss Erie Pageant, Pride Night at an Erie Seawolves home game, the Millcreek 4th of July Parade, a Marriage Equality celebration, and attendance at the Pennsylvania State Pride Conference. 


The Alliance partnered with the Mental Health Association to provide a Spring Candidate Forum to discuss important legislation, and with the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality to conduct LGBT roundtables aimed at understanding community need and gaps in service. The Alliance continued partnerships with the Erie Gay News, Great Lakes Institute of Technology, Community Health Net, and Erie County Department of Health to provide free condoms, HIV oral and rapid testing, and health screenings to the LGBTQIA community. 


The support and sponsorship that has served as a catalyst for furthering the Alliance's mission of improving the visibility of the LGBTQIA community and facilitating communication and collaboration between groups and individuals. We look forward to the continued support of our current partners as well as forming new relationships the Erie community. To view a copy of the NW PA Pride Alliance annual report, please visit www.nwpapride.org. 


About the Author

Michael Mahler Michael Kenton Mahler (He/Him) has been the editor of Erie Gay News since it was founded in December 1992. He is also a founding member of NWPA Pride Alliance. He serves on the Governor's Commission for LGBTQ Affairs and is active with Aging with Pride and the Erie County HIV Task Force. He became the first LGBTQ person to be fully out in May 1992 when appearing on local TV coverage. Michael currently works as a software developer for Erie Custom Computer Applications.