Erie, PA - November 16, 2023 - Demonstrating a continual commitment to equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion, the City of Erie has earned a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's 2023 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) for the second year in a row. The MEI is a nationwide evaluation of 506 cities that examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people who live and work there.

The City of Erie Fire Department is hiring law enforcement personnel. Applications are being accepted from April 18-29, 2023. Applicants must meet certain requirements to become a City of Erie Firefighter. All qualifications are set by the City of Erie Civil Service Board. For a list of all qualification requirements, visit: efd.erie.pa.us/qualify

The City of Erie Police Department is hiring law enforcement personnel. Applications are being accepted from April 3, 2023 to June 30, 2023. Nearly 170 years of tradition set the Erie Police Department apart. Hiring its first African-American officer in 1904, and Pennsylvania's first female officer in 1916, EPD has consistently been ahead of its time. We are committed to diversity. We value our veterans. We serve the community first. Our training prepares us, but integrity determines how we respond. We are one team. We are called to serve and sworn to protect.  And in everything we do-we'll have your back. Join a new generation of policing.

The City of Erie is proud to announce a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2022 Municipality Equality Index (MEI).  The MEI examines and rates more than 500 municipalities on how inclusive their laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ residents, employees, and visitors.

The Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council received word that Erie's Municipal Equality Index (MEI) has increased yet again.  In 2017, Erie's score was 29.  After four years of working to implement programs, policies, and initiatives to increase our score, last month, officials from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) notified the City that we are now at an 86.  With this recent scorecard, 2021 marks the fourth year in a row that we have experienced an increase.

The Erie City Mayor’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council met on January 12, 2022. Chief of Staff Renee Lamis provided American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding updates. ARP funding application programs are now open and accepting applications.

The Erie City Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council met on September 8 via Zoom. Chief of Staff Renee Lamis provided an update on American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding. These funds will be spent on services for those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, infrastructure, those negatively economically impacted by COVID-19, and historically underserved populations. A representative from the LGBTQIA+ advisory council will serve with representatives from other mayor's advisory councils/populations on a council of advisors for input on funding.

The Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council met on Thursday, May 20. The Mayor's office is continuing to work on including non-discrimination clauses for contracts with city contractors and also anti-bullying in contractors for youth service providers. This should hopefully be included by the July 31 deadline for submitting to raise the City of Erie's Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index.

Feb 18, 2021 - The City of Erie LGBTQIA+ Council announces today that it has joined other LGBTQIA+ organizations from all US state and territories to urge Congress to pass the Equality Act, which was reintroduced today.  The Equality Act is bipartisan legislation that would update federal law to include express and enduring nondiscrimination protections for 13 million LGBTQIA+ Americans across virtually every area of daily life. Other Erie regional LGBTQIA+ organizations signing on as supporters include Erie County Democratic Party LGBTQIA+ Caucus, Erie Sisters and Brothers, Erie Gay News, Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE), NWPA Pride Alliance, Pennsylvania Equality Project, and TransFamily of NWPA.

As members, friends, and allies of the LGBTQ+ community of Pennsylvania, you may all be aware that today the Equality Act passed the US House of Representatives. This Act amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in areas of public life, such as employment and housing. Recent polling has shown upwards of 83 percent public support for the Act. President Biden has pledged to sign this Act when it passes Congress, so now is the best time to achieve this long sought now. The Act now heads to the Senate. Here is where we need your help.

The Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council met on January 13. Erie's Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index is now at 80. We will explore having County Council pass a conversion therapy ban, similar to what the City of Erie passed in June 2019. We are still working with the Chief of Police on gathering hate crime info. We will also send letters to state legislators advocating for a statewide conversion therapy ban and non-discrimination. Pennsylvania also lacks explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in hate crimes legislation at the state level.

On December 9, 2020, Mayor Joe Schember and members of the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council announced that the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) scorecard for the City of Erie has increased to 80. This record high score for Erie represents a marked improvement from the City's preliminary 2018 score of 34 out of a possible 100 points.

The Erie Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council meet on Thursday November 5 via Zoom. Chief of Staff Renee Lamis gave an update on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index (HRC) for the City of Erie. Our score had not been finalized as of the meeting. There has been some improvement since last year. We are seeking clarification about some topics, and may also consider some programming about the importance of reporting hate crimes. There are also an update on the response rate for the 2020 US Census. The US Supreme Court stopped the census data collection earlier than originally planned.

The Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council held their quarterly meeting via Zoom on Thursday, August 6. It was the consensus that creating agendas for upcoming meetings would be by a committee of a facilitator, a note taker, and the heads of the action teams. The current action teams are Health Care; Aging; Youth; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Marketing; and Education/Policy. Although action team leads should be advisory council members, participation on action teams are open to members of the community.

On February 6, 2020, the Erie City Mayor's LGBTQIA+ Advisory Council held their quarterly meeting. The council is currently working on a mission/vision statement. President Tyler Titus discussed updates from the PA Commission on LGBTQ+ Affairs.

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.

The Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council met on September 6. Tyler Titus and Michael Mahler provided an update on the Governor's PA Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, which had met the month before in Erie

The Mayor's Advisory LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held their second meeting on Friday, November 16. Michael Mahler and Tyler Titus recapped important points from the first meeting of the Governor's Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, held on November 2 in Harrisburg. Leah Manino reviewed highlights from the LGBT Health Needs Assessment Stakeholder Meeting that Greater Erie Alliance for Equality had presented earlier in the fall. This was the results of a statewide survey by the PA Department of Health of LGBTQ+ individuals that is conducted online every three years

Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council started meeting in City Hall on July 17. This Council will help raise Erie's score on the Municipal Equality Index maintained by the Human Rights Campaign, but more importantly, it helps us foster a welcoming, accepting culture in an Erie that values diversity. Thank you to all the members of the Council for stepping up and serving our community. They are: Pam Anthony, Marshall Blount, Tania Bogatova, Natalie Braddock, Kim Conti, Season Crannell, Emily Crofoot, Kathy Czarnecki-Smith, Michael Grasso, Marcy Hall, Caitlin Handerhan, Kyle Hannon, Melina Harden, Tammie Johnson, Paul Lukach, Michael Mahler, Leah Manino, Reverend Richard McCarty, Leroy Oglesby, Lucy Reyes, Alison Scarpitti, Kevin Seeker, Gary Snyder, Alex Sphon, Caitlyn Strohmeyer, Rose Marie Surma, Jackson Surma, Linda Thomas, Jewels Frantz, Tyler Titus, Erin Wincek