Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) Intersections of Equality Symposium on Nov 16

from Greater Erie Alliance for Equality

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.

Participants included: PA State Representative Malcom Kenyatta, Dr. Kim Moscatello and Dr. Melanie Dunbar (LECOM) along with LECOM students Shaylor Klein, Cole Schailey, Rameez Shahid, Nicholas Abdallah, Lexi Dupee and Nicholas Smothermon, Heather Denning (Mercyhurst University), Tyler Titus (Licensed Professional Counselor, elected School Board Director), Dr. Richard Ortoski (LECOM), Jeff Hover, P.A. (LECOM), Andi Fair (Adagio Health), Joy Henry (Erie County Department of Health), Tesha Nesbit-Arrington (ERIE Insurance), Renee Lamis (Chief of Staff, Mayor's Office, City of Erie, Leah Manino (President of GEAE). MANDEM, a media-fluid artist conglomerate, displayed several of their works and led a discussion on disability, gender, art history and mythology.

Organizations including Lake Erie Counseling, SafeNet, GECAC, Crime Victim Center, the Alive Foundation, and White Pine Center also supported the symposium by sending representatives and providing information at vendor tables

Attendees of the symposium were very engaged which lead to interesting discussions, newly formed alliances and ideas for our community. In 2020 GEAE will continue to focus on providing educational opportunities through the calendar year that may draw from experiences at the symposium.

Photos

Also view photos here.