March, 2018 News (58 Articles with 187,230 total views)
On the cover of the print edition for March, 2018 FLAMING HEARTS VALENTINES DANCE - 2018 Mercyhurst LGBTQIA Equality Club Flaming Hearts Dance, held on Feb. 14, drew Valentine ravers from Mercyhurst and Edinboro University. Pictured are Gabrielle and Lyxi. Photo by Michael Mahler.
This began publication in December 2002 after a hiatus
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Local and Regional News
Flaming Hearts Valentines Dance at Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst LGBTQIA Equality Club Flaming Hearts Dance, held on Feb. 14, drew Valentine ravers from Mercyhurst and Edinboro University.
Bears Do Dinner at Sneaky Pete's
About 12 guys enjoyed dinner and friendly conversation at the monthly Bears Do Dinner at Sneaky Pete's, 6116 Swanville Rd, Erie PA, on Tuesday, February 13, 2018. Bears Do Dinner is held at a different eatery every month. Dinner is on your own. Dates and locations are announced in the EGN calendar.
GEAE at Otters Night Mar 3
Join Greater Erie Alliance for Equality (GEAE) on March 3 on the upper deck of Erie Insurance Arena, for dinner, conversation, and some local excitement as the Erie Otters meet the Peterborough Petes. Buffet opens at 6:30 and game begins at 7 pm all on the upper deck. Buffet includes: Smith hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, arena chips and dip, cookies. Tickets that include the game seat and the buffet are $37. Cash bar is also available. Info: (866) 229-1974. GEAEinfo@gmail.com greatereriealliance.com Erie Insurance Arena is at 809 French St, Erie, PA.
Tables at Pride Fest on June 30
NW PA Pride Alliance invites you to participate as a table at this year's Pride Fest! The event will be held on Saturday, June 30 from 1 to 4 PM in Perry Square at W. 6th and State, Erie PA. Set-up will begin at 11AM. PLEASE NOTE: step off for the parade and the start of Pride Fest are 1 hour earlier this year than previous years! All tables are expected to remain set up until the end of the festival. Registering for tables for those who had a table at last year's Pride Fest began in January, and table registration for everyone else begins on March 1.
Mercy Center for Women names honorees
March is Women's History Month, and the Mercy Center for Women celebrates by honoring 11 women this year. The presentation is at Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at Mercyhurst University on Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Founder and president of TransFamily of NWPA Caitlyn Strohmeyer was among those being recognized. Honorees in alphabetical order: Sister Mary Paul Carioty; Amy Danzer; Asia Horton Dickerson; Jodie Farbotnik; Jenny Weigold Geerston; Barbara Lewis, RN; Luchetta Manus; Victoria Merski; Reganne O'Brien; Juanita Smith; Caitlyn Strohmeyer.
DNC on Trump's $300 Million Health Care Discrimination Efforts
According to a government estimate, the Trump administration's efforts to allow health care workers to discriminate against women and the LGBTQ community will cost more than $300 million.
Deadline for March 2018 print edition (issue # 268) of Erie Gay News is Monday, February 12
For the next print edition of Erie Gay News (issue # 268, cover dated for March 2018), please send in calendar events, news items, and other info for late February 2018 and beyond by Monday, February 12. We expect that the next print edition will come out on Tuesday, February 20.
Entertainment and Travel
Chris Kelly directs "Significant Other" by Joshua Harmon opening March 23 at Buffalo United Artists!
Opening Friday, March 23, Buffalo United Artists presents Significant Other, a comedy by Joshua Harmon, directed by Chris Kelly and starring Matthew J. DiVita, with Zachary Bellus, Lissette DeJesús, Maria Droz, Anthony J. Grande, Sabrina Kahwaty, Peter S. Raimondo, and Darleen Pickering Hummert. Jordan Berman would love to be in love, but that's easier said than done. So until he meets Mr. Right, he wards off lonely nights with his trio of close-knit girlfriends. But as singles’ nights turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan finds that supporting the ones you love can be just as impossible as finding love itself. The play runs March 23 - April 14, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sunday April 8 at 7pm. BUA Members 2-4-1 on March 23, 24, and 30.Reserve by e-mail by March 20th to receive $5 off regular price tickets. Mention code: SPRING BEGINS. $25.00 general admission - $23.00 for seniors $20.00 for members - $15.00 for students. Reserve by e-mail to BuffaloBUA@gmail.com. Alleyway Theatre is located at 1 Curtain Up! Alley, Buffalo, NY
Global Superstar Christina Aguilera Joins Emmy Award-Winning RuPaul's Drag Race For Season 10 Premiere
New York, NY – March 1, 2018 – Six-time Grammy Award-winning singer Christina Aguilera joins host RuPaul to kick-off the milestone season 10 premiere of Emmy® Award-winning "RuPaul's Drag Race," on Thursday, March 22 at 8:00 PM ET/PT. The season will feature all 90-minute episodes and will be followed by "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked" after show at 9:30 PM ET/PT.
The UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion Presents Hearts on Hold
Pittsburgh, PA – The UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion presents Hearts on Hold, a new play created and performed by Dreams of Hope's theatriQ Youth Performance Ensemble, the weekend of March 17-18 at the Alloy Studios, 5530 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh's Friendship neighborhood.
Emmy Award-Winning "RuPaul's Drag Race" Returns For A Milestone 10th Season on Mar 22
New York, NY – February 16, 2018 – On the heels of VH1's industry leading ten consecutive quarters of YoY ratings growth (P18-49) – the best streak across broadcast and cable – and following the three-time Emmy® Award-winning season nine of "RuPaul's Drag Race," the fiercest competition on primetime returns with a historic 10th season. Each supersized, 90-minute episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will give fans more fashion, lip-syncs and drag than ever before. The new season premieres on VH1 on Thursday, March 22, followed by the popular, Emmy® Award-nominated after-show "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked."
Political, Activism and Legal
NEW: LGBTQ Advocates Launch TV Ad Targeting Trump-Pence Ban on Transgender Troops
WASHINGTON - March 1, 2018 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN, the American Military Partner Association, and Gender Justice League unveiled a new television ad -- entitled "Patriots" -- featuring military, national security, and bipartisan officials voicing opposition to the Trump-Pence administration's ban on transgender service members. The television ad is part of the largest paid media campaign against Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops since he tweeted the policy last July -- and complements a full page print ad that ran in USA Today and more than 32 regional Gannett papers nationwide this week.
NAACP Mobilizes North Carolina Members and Legislators in Opposition to Trump Federal Court Nominee Thomas Farr
WASHINGTON, DC (February 28, 2018) –The NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill to publicly speak out against President Trump's nomination of Thomas A. Farr to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
New Ad Depicts Grieving Widow Turned Away by Funeral Home Because She's a Lesbian
Denver, CO, February 27, 2018-A grieving widow has just lost her spouse. She, her parents and her in-laws enter a funeral home to arrange for burial services. But they are turned away when the staff realize that the woman and her late spouse are lesbians.
LGBT Military Groups Celebrate First Out Trans Recruit Signing Up To Join the Armed Forces
WASHINGTON - February 27, 2018 - Today, the nation's leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military organizations, OutServe-SLDN, the American Military Partner Association, and SPARTA issued statements responding to the news that the first out transgender recruit has signed up to join the U.S. Armed Forces.As first reported by CNN's Ryan Browne yesterday, "The Pentagon confirmed Monday that the first transgender person has signed a contract to join the US military, a development made possible after a federal judge ruled that the military must accept transgender recruits."
Second Circuit Says Sexual Orientation Discrimination is Prohibited Under Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act
February 26, 2018 - Today, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit determined that under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, sexual orientation discrimination is discrimination "because of... sex." The ruling in Zarda v. Altitude Express reverses existing precedent in the Second Circuit barring lesbian and gay people from bringing employment discrimination claims under Title VII when they are targeted at work for their sexual orientation.
Federal Appeals Court Rules Civil Rights Act Covers Sexual Orientation
WASHINGTON - February 26, 2018 - A federal appeals court handed down a victory for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people today, affirming that workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal under federal law.
LGBTQ Working People Would Lose if the Supreme Guts Unions in Janus v. AFSCME
Washington-DC - February 26, 2018: LGBTQ advocates call out the dangerous threat to LGBTQ working people that the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court case represents. On February 26, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could squeeze labor unions, if the court rules that some workers do not need to pay for the union representation they receive.
Supreme Court Allows Decision Ruling Married Same-Sex Parents and Married Different-Sex Parents
WASHINGTON, DC - February 26, 2018 —The Supreme Court of the United States announced today that it will not review the decision in McLaughlin v. McLaughlin, an Arizona Supreme Court case that found a woman to be the legal parent of the child she and her same-sex spouse conceived through assisted reproduction during their marriage. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Arizona attorney Claudia Work, and Ropes & Gray LLP represented the mother who sought to be recognized as a parent in this case.
Equality Federation Statement: License to Discriminate Passes in Georgia Senate
February 23, 2018 - The Georgia State Senate, by a vote of 35-19, advanced legislation that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny service to LGBTQ youth and families.
The Leadership Conference Opposes the Confirmation of Ryan Bounds to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
February 22, 2018 - Today, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights sent a letter to the Senate urging opposition to the confirmation of Ryan Bounds to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Equality CA Announces 2018 Sponsored Legislation, Focusing on the Health and Well-Being of California's LGBTQ Community
Sacramento - February 21, 2018 -Today, Equality California announced its 2018 sponsored legislative package, including seven Assembly bills and one Senate bill. The proposed legislation focuses on the most vulnerable among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, addressing disparities in health and well-being that stem from longstanding discrimination and lack of acceptance towards the LGBTQ community.
NAACP Releases Legislative Report Card for 2017 Congress
BALTIMORE (February 21, 2018) – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America's premier civil rights organization, has released its Civil Rights Federal Legislative Report Card for the first session of the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 - December 22, 2017). Since 1914, the NAACP has published a report card assessing the voting patterns of each member of Congress on critical civil rights legislation.
Victory Fund Endorses 19 More LGBTQ Candidates for 2018; Congressional Candidates Key to Electing Pro-Equality Congress
Washington, DC February 21, 2018 – Today LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ leaders to public office, endorsed 19 candidates from across the nation in positions from school board to the U.S. Congress. Candidates Rick Neal of Ohio and Katie Hill of California received Game Changer endorsements and are running for seats considered crucial to winning a pro-equality majority in the U.S. Congress this year. Rick would be the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the state of Ohio, and Katie would become the youngest person serving in Congress if elected.
Banning Transgender Service is Unconstitutional
SAN FRANCISCO, CA –Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin released the following statement about the Pentagon's forthcoming plan to implement President Trump's transgender ban: "On Aug. 25, 2017, President Trump directed Defense Secretary Mattis to reinstate a full ban on transgender troops, setting a Feb. 21, 2018 deadline for an implementation plan. As Sec. Mattis prepares to release the road map for implementing President Trump's ban tomorrow, he should keep in mind that four federal courts have blocked the ban from going into effect and have ruled that the only constitutional option is to apply the same standards to every service member, meaning that troops who are fit for duty can serve.
ACLU of South Carolina Comment on Bill to Undercut Marriage Rights of Same-Sex Couples
CHARLESTON, S.C. - February 20, 2018 - Six members of the South Carolina House of Representatives have introduced legislation in the Judiciary Committee that purports to undercut the rights of same-sex couples to marriage equality. The "Marriage and Constitution Restoration Act" would define marriage as a "union between a man and a woman," and amend state law to term unions of same-sex couples as "parody marriages."
Bisexual Resource Center Celebrates 5th Annual Bisexual Health Awareness Month in March
Boston, MA – The Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) will celebrate its 5th annual Bisexual Health Awareness Month (BHAM) with the launch of a social media campaign beginning March 1st, 2018. BHAM aims to both motivate the bisexual community to make changes to improve their health and also inspire friends of the bi+ community to play an active role in improving the health of their bisexual friends, family, and community members. This year, the campaign "BHAM's 5-Year Bi-ography" will reflect on progress of the recent past and highlight actions needed for more substantial change in the future.
Pennsylvania Equality Project - Ban Conversion Therapy Efforts
Pennsylvania Equality Project (PEP) is counting on Erie County, and our US Congress to take action that our General Assembly in Harrisburg has failed to address. We seek a ban on the use of conversion therapy on minors by health care professionals in Erie County, Pennsylvania. Ideally, a ban would exist statewide.
BREAKING NEWS: Lehigh County Bans Discrimination for County Employees and Contractors
ALLENTOWN, PA – On February 14, 2018, Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong signed two administrative notifications enhancing LGBT non-discrimination protections in the county. The first notification clarified the county's own employment policy and the second mandates that county contractors and grantees also comply with the non-discrimination requirement.
Wolf Administration Continues to Advocate for the LGBTQ Community
Governor Wolf took an additional step to guarantee equal access to facilities for individuals across the commonwealth. The Wolf administration continues to ensure that commonwealth buildings include universal single occupancy restroom facilities that are safe, accessible, and convenient to all citizens.
Statement: Education Dept. Won't Listen to Transgender Students' Discrimination Complaints
The Education Department has said it will not investigate or take action on any complaints of discrimination filed by transgender students who are not permitted to use the facilities that match their gender identity.
California Leads Country with Bill to Protect Transgender Youth in Foster Care
SACRAMENTO - February 12, 2018 - California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria has introduced a bill to ensure access to gender affirming care for transgender youth in foster care. Studies have shown that delaying or denying this care for youth can lead to depression, anxiety, social problems, school failure, self-harm, and even suicide. The bill is the first of its kind in the country and is supported by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), ACLU of California, Equality California, Lambda Legal, and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Virginia Lawmakers Block LGBTQ Equality
February 9, 2018 - Four bills that would have updated Virginia's laws to include LGBTQ people in nondiscrimination protections were killed in a committee despite the broad support of fair-minded Virginians. Two of the bills had passed in the state's Senate with 75% of the vote.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition: Sessions Not Attorney General 'For All People'
WASHINGTON - February 9, 2018 – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' time in office: "Jeff Sessions is not an Attorney General for all people. His first year in office has ushered in unprecedented rollbacks of civil and human rights at the expense of people across this country – particularly the most vulnerable. By attacking voting rights, undercutting criminal justice reforms, rolling back protections for LGBTQ individuals, and undermining or eliminating a slew of anti-discrimination policies, Sessions has advanced an anti-civil rights agenda from day one.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Condemns Committee Approval of Nielson
WASHINGTON – February 8, 2018 Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee today voted, on a party-line basis, to advance the nomination of Howard Nielson to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Utah: "Yet again, the Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are rubber stamping Trump's extreme judicial nominees. The courts are being remade in his image by the Senate's advancement of nominees who have very troubling records.
Turkish LGBTIQ Activist Released, But Prosecution Continues
February 7, 2018 - Ali Erol, leading LGBTIQ human rights defender, and co-founder of Kaos GL Association, Turkey's first registered LGBT organization, was released from detention yesterday. Erol was arrested in the home he shares with his partner early Friday morning, February 2nd, in Ankara.
California Court Denies Child's Wrongful Death Claim for Parent Tasered by Police
LOS ANGELES - February 7, 2018 - The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), ACLU Foundation of Southern California, ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties, Los Angeles LGBT Center, and legal scholars filed an amicus brief this week in California's 2nd District Court of Appeal in support of the minor plaintiff in A.G. v. County of Los Angeles.
ACLU Sues Alabama for Discrimination Against Transgender People
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - February 6, 2018 - The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Alabama filed a lawsuit today challenging Alabama's policy of restricting access to driver's licenses for transgender people that accurately reflect their gender identity. The lawsuit, Corbitt v. Taylor, was filed on behalf of three people who experienced this discrimination.
Civil and Human Rights Coalition Urges Labor Department to Allow Workers to Keep their Tips
WASHINGTON - February 5, 2018 – Today, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights submitted comments to the Department of Labor (DOL) in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to rescind portions of tip regulations DOL issued in 2011 pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Leadership Conference noted the proposed rule deviates from DOL's longstanding position, threatens the economic security of millions of working people and their families, and will have a disproportionate impact on women – particularly women of color.
Transgender Woman in Men's Prison Seeks Preliminary Relief in Doe v. Massachusetts Department of Correction
(BOSTON, MA - February 5, 2018) Lawyers for a transgender woman incarcerated in a Massachusetts men's prison filed a motion for preliminary injunction on Friday, seeking her immediate transfer to a women's facility. The case, Jane Doe v. Massachusetts Department of Correction, was first filed by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Prisoners' Legal Services, and Goodwin Procter LLP in October 2017 in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Health
From Trauma to Triumph: A Gay Man's Mission to Overcome PTSD, Rape, Educate Others
It happened on December 21, 2011. "That night I was home in my seventh floor loft in downtown Phoenix and I woke up and it was happening to me," said Ron Blake. "My domestic partner of so many years was drunk, he let two guys in … and I was held down and sexually assaulted that night and it was horrific for me."
The Pros and Cons of Older/Younger Relationships
In my psychotherapy practice, I often assist lesbian couples where one of the women is significantly older than her partner. Last month, one of these women asked me: "Why don't you write a column about age differences in lesbian relationships and how to handle them?"
New AHF Billboards Warn, 'Syphilis is Serious'
LOS ANGELES (February 9, 2018) - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is launching its latest outdoor advertising campaign with new billboards warning that "Syphilis is Serious" going up around Los Angeles starting the week of February 12th.
MSMGF Applauds the Australian Government's New Policy on PrEP
MSMGF joins the Australian Federation of AIDS Service Organizations (AFAO) and fellow HIV advocates worldwide in celebrating the Australian government's recent move to publicly fund Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. This new policy will make this life-saving intervention more accessible and affordable to gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men. MSMGF has been a long-time advocate for the timely roll-out and scale-up of PrEP, a pill that has been proven to work with great efficacy in preventing HIV infection.
Letters, Columnists and Opinion
Michael dithers
Erie Gay News gets congratulatory letters from Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Tom Wolf, fun time at Flaming Hearts Valentines Day Dance at Mercyhurst, looking forward to Drenched Fur!
Abuse and sexual harassment in our community
The current presidential administration does not understand spousal abuse or sexual harassment. Most are saying that the person at fault stops at the door of the chief of staff but, no, it stops in the Oval Office at the desk of President Donald Trump.
That Amazon LGBT Ad
The national obsession with where Amazon will plant itself reached new absurdity last week when numerous media outlets published a report that a group of gay activists were going to run ads suggesting that many of the 20 finalist cities should be disqualified based on LGBT equality criteria. One of those 20 was my own Philadelphia.
The Amazon Trail: My Daily Last Straw
What exactly is the last straw? I thought it was the presidential buffoon's goading of North Korea, but I was wrong. Our government is suddenly so feeble, so twisted up in procedure, infighting, and tripping over its own all-too-often dropped pants, it can no longer protect its citizens from nuclear war. At least, that's what it looks like to this baffled constituent.
Contests
Enter to win "This Is Me" remixes!
Enter to win "This Is Me" remixes! Celebrate you on the dance floor with the official remix release of "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman. Win special download cards featuring mixes From Dave Audé, DJ Joe Gauthreaux and more! "This Is Me" (Dave Audé Remix) is available now: https://atlantic.lnk.to/ThisIsMeDaveAudeRemixFoThe Greatest Showman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is available now: https://atlantic.lnk.to/TheGreatestShowman. To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, March 9 and Friday, March 30.
Enter to win A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books!
Enter to win A Gay Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum e-book from Riverdale Avenue Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 27.
Enter to win Hollywood Gays & Hollywood Lesbians e-books by Boze Hadleigh from Riverdale Avenue Books
Enter to win Hollywood Gays and Hollywood Lesbians: From Garbo to Foster e-books by Boze Hadleigh from Riverdale Avenue Books! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, March 2 and Friday, March 23.
Enter to win Buffy the Vampire Slayer FAQ!
Enter to win Buffy the Vampire Slayer FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Sunnydale's Slayer of Vampires, Demons, and Other Forces of Darkness by David Bushman and Arthur Smiths! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Friday, March 2 and Friday, March 23.
Enter to win Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home by Lara Lillibridge!
Enter to win Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home by Lara Lillibridge! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 27 and Tuesday, March 20.
Win A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart!
Win A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart! To enter the contest, fill out the form below between Friday, February 23 and Friday, March 16.
Enter to win Cabaret FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Broadway and Cinema Classic by June Sawyers!
Enter to win Cabaret FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Broadway and Cinema Classic by June Sawyers! To enter the contest, fill out the form here between Tuesday, February 20 and Tuesday, March 13.
Miscellaneous
LGBTQ Community College Students Benefit from Scholarships
Los Angeles, February 15, 2018 – Community Colleges are an increasingly useful and affordable steppingstone for students beginning their college career. Point Foundation (Point) encourages lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community college students who are planning to transfer to a four-year degree program to apply for its Community College Scholarship Program.
Tips for Selling Your Home While You Still Live in it
Selling your home can be difficult, and for most of us, living there while it's on the market can be even harder. Trying to schedule showings around your work and home schedule can drive you crazy, even with a gay real estate professional working with you.
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