All friends and associates of Blane Dessy are encouraged to attend a Celebration of Life in his honor. It takes place on June 7 at the PACA, located at 1505 State Street in Erie. Doors open at 1 pm; the celebration begins at 2 pm. Randy Shannon, Blane's husband, and Clayton Bradshaw, a special friend, are hosting the event. Blane was a longtime, committed advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. He was presented with the 2025 LGBT Spirit of Philanthropy award by the Erie Community Foundation. He was also a longtime advocate and former Chair of the Development Committee for the LGBT Fund.

Members of Erie's transgender community and their allies gathered in the Erie City Council chambers to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility, observed annually on March 31.

On Thursday, April 16, members of Aging With Pride and Erie Gay News spoke on a panel at Penn State Behrend for an LGBTQ Studies course called Sexuality Through the Lifespan. The panelists provided backgrounds and experiences as a retired federal employee, a volunteer during the AIDS crisis in the 80s, a mental health professional, and a local activist. The students asked insightful questions. Aging With Pride and Erie Gay News are grateful for having had the opportunity to dialogue with youth, many of whom were training for helping professions.

"Knight to Remember: Queer Youth Prom" will take place on Saturday, May 30, in Erie, offering a free, inclusive celebration for queer, trans youth and allies.

The Erie Queer Community will come together once again to support local families through a community food drive on Saturday, May 9 at Central Outreach Wellness Center, located at 3104 State St, Erie, PA.

A $3,000 grant was recently awarded by The LGBT Fund of the Erie Community Foundation to St. Paul Episcopal Cathedral to support its LGBTQ+ ministries. For many members of the LGBTQ+ community, finding acceptance and support within their faith can mean everything. The leaders of the LGBTQ Fund said that through this grant, the church can continue to welcome those from all backgrounds and create a safe space for them.

Each year, May 16 has been designated National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day. It is a day to honor the activism and bravery of the more seasoned members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Locally, Aging with Pride (AWP) is a group that provides a variety of activities for the LGBTQ+ individuals living in NW PA. Activities include dinners, book club, game nights, movie nights, coffee hours, educational programs, and more! The AWP Legacy Project documents interviews with many of the elders in our community, often including the early days of activism for the LGBTQ+ Community. Please join us for a Sharing Session at 2:30 PM on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Werner Books in the Liberty Plaza. Open to all ages! What have some of the elders done or been through? Are there individuals who inspired you? Please join us even if only to listen!! If the weather is nice, we will be outside in the courtyard! For questions about the Sharing Session, please contact Pete at 814.384.9785.

The Erie County HIV Task Force invites everyone to participate in the 9th Annual HIV Awareness Walk on Monday, May 18th. We will meet behind the stage in West Perry Square, 575 State Street, Erie PA at 5 PM. We will walk around North and South Park Row circling Perry Square, and everyone is encouraged to wear red to help raise HIV awareness. All ages are welcome and the event is child and pet friendly. (Please be prepared to clean up after your own pets.) People participating as organizations are welcome to represent their group/organization. If you don't wish to walk the entire route, you are welcome to join us at any point along the sidewalk around Perry Square.

Bears Do Dinner held its 138th meet-up for dinner on April 7 at Samurai Kitchen and Sushi, 2767 W 12th St, Erie, PA. The next Bears Do Dinner will be on Tuesday, May 12th, at McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe, 1624 W 38th St, Erie, PA.

Erie, PA - [April 14, 2026]- Journey: Healing Together is excited to announce our 2nd annual Cupcake Showdown, a deliciously fun fundraiser happening this May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. This friendly cupcake competition will bring together local bakers, businesses, and community members to raise awareness and funds for mental health initiatives. 2nd Annual Cupcake Showdown will be on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, from 12:30 to 3 PM, at 201 West 11th Street, Erie, PA 16501.  The attendance expected is 125 attendees. The Voting Entry Fee is $10 advance (group discounts available in advance), $15 at the door

ERIE, PA - April 13, 2026 - The NWPA Pride Alliance is officially announcing "Make Waves" as the theme for the 2026 Pride season. This summer, we are calling on the local LGBTQIA+ community to be visible and loud. Just taking up space creates a wave of change across Northwest Pennsylvania. And we want everyone to join us.

Aging with Pride (AWP) has recently started a monthly coffee hour. AWP has a needs assessment link, and one common thread was the need for a conversation group. The AWP Coffee Hour is at 1 PM on the third Thursday of each month at Werner Books at Liberty Plaza, 3608 Liberty St, Erie, PA. There is no set topic; it is open to the individuals who attend! Please feel free to join us! Our Needs Assessment Survey is on our website: www.agingwithprideerie.org. You are most welcome to fill it out by clicking on Survey.

G2H2 held its monthly get-together on April 3 at The BrewErie at Union Station, 123 W 14th St, Erie, PA The group usually gathers on the first Friday of each month. The next G2H2 will be on May 1 at El Amigo Mexican Grill, 333 State St, Erie, PA.

In recognition of National Public Health Week, Erie Mayor Daria Devlin presented Dalen Hooks, office manager of the Central Outreach Wellness Center, with an official proclamation declaring "Central Outreach Erie Day" in the city on April 6, 2026.

Aging with Pride hosts a monthly dinner social at various local restaurants. We had the pleasure of welcoming Erie County Executive Christina Vogel and Erie Mayor Daria Devlin to our March 26 dinner at Donato's. Each of them spoke about their plans for their time in office and answered questions from our group of 30 attendees. They each stressed the need for city and county governments to work together to build a better community. Both elected officials applaud the work of Aging with Pride and look forward to attending other events of our group. Why not join us at a future dinner? Contact Pete at 814.384.9785.

NW PA Pride Alliance held its Meadville Happy Hour on March 25, 2026, at Julian's Bar & Grill, 299 Chestnut Street. Meadville Happy Hours will continue to be held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Julian's. Erie Queer Happy Hour is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6 PM at The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th Street, Erie, PA.NW PA Pride Alliance held its Meadville Happy Hour on February 25, 2026, at Julian's Bar & Grill, 299 Chestnut Street. Meadville Happy Hours will continue to be held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Julian's. Erie Queer Happy Hour is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6 PM at The Zone Dance Club, 133 W 18th Street, Erie, PA.

Blane Dessy, 74, well-read and well-loved, entered into the great archive of the universe on March 14. Born in Pittsburgh, Blane received his Bachelor's in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master's in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh. He built libraries and the communities surrounding them at the local, state, and federal levels across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Washington, D.C.

Ashtabula Pride, Inc. and Darkroom Brewing Co. are proud to announce the third annual Synjin Sheneman Memorial PRIDE Art Show. This art exhibition celebrates pride, love, diversity, and equality.

The Erie Queer Community will come together once again to support local families through a community food drive on Saturday, May 9. Central Outreach Wellness Center, located at 3104 State St, Erie, PA, will host the event and invite community members to donate non-perishable food items to help those in need.

In January, the LGBT Fund of The Erie Community Foundation hosted an inspiring and productive community conversation. Attendees shared valuable feedback and expressed a desire for more frequent opportunities to connect and provide input. We're excited to announce our next Community Conversation on Monday, April 27 at Cathedral of St. Paul in Erie. During our last session, we shared insights from a successful listening tour, highlighting the priorities that matter most to our community: capacity, sustainability, safety, and connection.

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 9-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of individuals with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.