Erie, PA The LGBTQ+ Legacy Project

 "History is to society what memory is to the individual."

Aging with Pride will be present at several local Pride events. We welcome your participation in the LGBTQ+ Legacy Project. Please stop by our table and participate.  

It began in 2017 when a brown cardboard box the size of a milk crate arrived.   This box, a virtual time capsule, held tattered newspaper articles, old photographs, journals as well as informal organization meeting minutes describing the development and history of the LGBTQ+ community in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Over time, more boxes arrived. There were more photographs, more newspaper articles, posters, and meeting minutes. Stories of homophobia, adversity, safe spaces, community, strength, and identity emerged. A spiral bound notebook appeared containing a journal, collectively written, by northwestern PA LQBTQ+ members describing hopes, dreams, and experiences as they rode a bus to/from Washington DC for the April 25, 1993, Equal Rights March.

Over time, artifacts continued accumulating and were preserved by two public figures in Erie's LGBTQ+ community. Messages accompanied the historical materials, "I knew these were important and shouldn't be destroyed. I wasn't sure what to do with them."

On two occasions, materials were used to create a visual Pride display housed in a public space. 

Soon, the collection drew the attention of "Aging with Pride," a group of Erie LGBTQ+ elders. A founding principle of Aging with Pride is the importance of community. Understanding the history of one's community helps an individual develop a stronger sense of identity and belonging. Aging with Pride's interest in the preservation of Erie's LGBTQ+ community history  resulted in a collaborative effort to create a formal archive to be housed at a local university.

Community Archives are growing in number and are often born from the interest of marginalized groups that wish to preserve their history.

Aging with Pride values your experience in Erie's LGBTQ+ community. In addition to the physical items collected to date, we are interested in generating audio and/or visual recordings relative to the development of LGBTQ+ events and organizations to reflect the vibrant, relevant presence of Erie's LGBTQ+ population. Come Celebrate with Us! Happy Pride!