For the next Erie Gay News (issue # 365, cover-dated for April 2026), please send in-person and online events, news items, and other info for late March 2026 and beyond by Sunday, March 15. We expect the next edition to come out on Tuesday, March 24.

On Friday evening, Feb 21st, a celebration was held for Michelle Michaels' 50th birthday bash. Erie starlets and Former Miss Eries flooded the Zone Dance Club to ring in a momentous birthday.

On Thursday, February 19, Aging With Pride had their 30th monthly dinner outing at Royal Chopstix Asian Cuisine, 3444 West Lake Road, Erie, PA. Aging With Pride dinners are usually the last week of the month. The next dinner will be at McGarrey's Oakwood Cafe, 1624 W 38th St, Erie, PA. Aging With Pride meets twice a month for planning and discussion, as well as a book club on the third Saturday of the month and a game night on the second Thursday of the month. They also recently added a coffee hour at Werner Books & Coffee, 3608 Liberty. The first coffee hour will be Tuesday, February 24 at 1 PM, and the next will be Thursday, March 19 at 1 PM.

PFLAG Chautauqua and Jamestown Pride are excited to announce Pride Prom: Over the Rainbow, a celebration for LGBTQ+ and allied people to experience a night of camaraderie, dancing, food, and fashion.  Hosted as a private event at Wicked Warren's in Jamestown on March 28th from 6-10 p.m., this first area Pride Prom will be a safe, inclusive environment for people to dress in what makes them feel fabulous to dance and celebrate the evening in style.

For over 150 years Temple Anshe Hesed has been Erie's Reform synagogue - a place where Judaism is celebrated and lived. Temple Anshe Hesed celebrated 150 years of Jewish community on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie in 2025. Our Temple's name, Anshe Hesed, is Hebrew for "People of Loving-Kindness." This name perfectly encapsulates the Temple's acceptance and welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community. Many members of Temple Anshe Hesed are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and the Temple joyfully takes part in Pride celebrations every June. Temple member Kris Haas explains, "When we came to Temple, very early on Rabbi [Morais] told [my wife and I] that we were far from the first lesbian coupleand that was a huge thing for me. Knowing that there were others and that I wouldn't have to hide the most important person in my life for fear of being ostracized."

Education opens doors - not only for individual success, but for a stronger, more inclusive community. That's why the LGBT Fund of The Erie Community Foundation is committed to supporting LGBTQ+ students and allies as they pursue higher education and careers that will shape our region for the better.

Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility to raise awareness about transgender people. Created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall of Transgender Michigan to celebrate the lives of transgender people, while also acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible. TransFamily of Northwest Pennsylvania invites the Erie community to Perry Square at 6 PM for an event featuring speakers, followed by a walk around the square celebrating the lives of transgender people.

Allentown, PA - Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 Pennsylvania LGBTQIA+ Health Survey. Starting February 4th, the Bradbury-Sullivan Center is leading a coalition of LGBTQIA+ organizations across the state collecting data for the 2026 Pennsylvania LGBTQIA+ Health Survey. This will be the 5th statewide biennial survey to be administered by the Center in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

On January 15, the Pennsylvania Equality Project will be starting year 4 of a five-year study on housing affordability and stability for Pennsylvania's LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. Participants can find the survey on our website paequality.com - click on the Survey button. All survey responses will remain confidential, and we will release only aggregated data following the survey without any identifying information about participants. The survey will run through March 31; results from the survey will be available by May 15, 2026.

PITTSBURGH - The City of Pittsburgh will officially recognize March 10, 2026, as "Central Outreach Wellness Center Day" during a proclamation ceremony honoring the organization's decade of service providing inclusive, patient-centered healthcare to communities across Western Pennsylvania.